View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who decides to raise the evil child who screamed in the womb?

2. Who raced the chariot?

3. What is used for hobbling animals?

4. Who is named king for one year?

5. Who steals Conchobor's weapons and chariot?

Short Essay Questions

1. What three tasks does Emer require her suitor to complete?

2. Who is Setanta?

3. How does Emer's father plan to get rid of Cuchulainn? What is the result?

4. What is the prized possession being sought because of the king and queen's talk and where is it? What is offered in exchange for it?

5. How does Cuchulainn slow down the great army? What is unusual about his technique? How does the army adjust?

6. What are the names of the two pig-keepers in the story and what unusual power do both have?

7. What is a warp spasm and how does it benefit Cuchulainn when he fights the neighborhood boys as a toddler?

8. What does Fergus say about Cuchulainn's childhood?

9. Why do the poets of Ireland gather in the section called "Before the Tain?"

10. Why were the men of Ulster defenseless against a group of invading marauders? Why wasn't Cuchulainn affected?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define falling action as an element of plot. Discuss in detail the falling action in The Tain. How did the translator present it? How did the falling action flow? How did the falling action add to the suspense of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Name three women from the novel and tell how each was important to the story. Give a brief character description of each as well.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the qualifications of Thomas Kinsella as a translator. What makes him an authority on the translation of The Tain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 770 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample