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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. Why is Masetto sleeping in the garden when the abbess finds him and begins to lust after him?

2. Who does Alibech eventually meet?

3. What is the premise of the novel that results in rounds of story telling?

4. What story does Alberto tell Monna Lisetta?

5. What does Rustico tell Alibech she must do to serve God?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Alatiel eventually end up with the king of Algarve?

2. What do the brothers think when they hear Ciappelletto's confession?

3. What happens to Alatiel after she is taken to safety?

4. How does Tancredi discover the affair between Ghismunda and Guiscardo?

5. Who takes Andreuccio into a scheme to make easy money?

6. How dies Alatiel end up on the island of Majorca?

7. What means of entertainment do the young people devise?

8. What happens that returns Alibech to her village?

9. Describe the happy occasion for Alatiel as she prepares to get married.

10. Describe the character of Ciappelletto who is put in charge of the affairs of Musciatto Franzesi .

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay of at least two typewritten, double spaced pages on the topic, Why THE DECAMERON Should Be Required Reading. In your essay include the historic value of the book, the impact the book has had on modern novels, and the classic nature of the work. Discuss THE DECAMERON as a means of understanding the period of the Black Death in Europe and the attitude of living for today because tomorrow we may die. Conclude with why you think a reader is enriched by reading this particular work.

Essay Topic 2

Write a story of at least two typewritten, double spaced pages in the style of THE DECAMERON. This is a creative writing assignment where you are required to tell a story using the euphemistic language of THE DECAMERON and one of the themes such as unexpected happy endings or tragic endings.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay of at least two typewritten, double spaced pages on the topic, Medical Pandemics Through the Ages. In your essay describe the Black Death that swept Europe in the Middle Ages and why it lasted so long. Then discuss pandemics of more modern times such as polio and various virulent strains of the flu. Conclude with how these plagues affect the human psyche.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 800 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample