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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What has Merlin witnessed?

2. Ambrosius asks Merlin if he has seen what?

3. What do others believe the identity of Merlin's father is?

4. To where does Dinias invite Merlin?

5. What is Merlin's name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the other men in the pub to turn and to stare at Dinias and Merlin?

2. Why does Ulfin go to Belasius to tell him that Merlin needs a new pony?

3. What does Merlin do in order to keep warm?

4. Merlin wanted to go to Sergontium, but his father thought he was too weak. How did Merlin talk his father into letting him go?

5. What does Merlin find when he enters the palace in secrecy?

6. Why was the man killed, according to Belasius?

7. What happens with Merlin's pony?

8. When does the King storm out of the court?

9. What does Merlin witness when he goes to the island in the bay?

10. What does Merlin buy when he arrives across the sea?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Merlin is a powerful person, but seems to fall apart when he is with the opposite sex. This dichotomy only helps to strengthen the mystique of Merlin in the novel.

Part 1 - Describe the troubles Merlin has with women. Who has he fallen for and what was the result?

Part 2 - Why do you think Merlin has troubles with the opposite sex?

Part 3 - Why do you think the author decided to give Merlin a sort of weakness with women? What does this reveal about Merlin's personality?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of the sight in this story is another recurrent idea. Some characters have the sight, but not everyone chooses to use it as others do.

Part 1 - List as many characters as you can that have the gift of the sight at any point in the novel.

Part 2 - What does the sight allow these characters to do?

Part 3 - What is the significance of the sight? What does it mean in a larger sense? What does it create for the novel?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of trickery is rampant in this novel. From men tricking men to magical trickery, it seems that no one can quite believe what they see.

Part 1 - Give three examples of trickery and deception in this story.

Part 2 - What was the result of each of these examples?

Part 3 - Was trickery necessary in these examples? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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