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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. ____ is the name of the person that the monk scribes stories about.

2. Guinevere asks about Nimue's magic, needing protection against ____'s preaching.

3. Derfel works the fields, trains, and learns about Merlin, Arthur, and the ____.

4. At the High Council at Glevum, ____ is dying.

5. ____ is the name of the place that the queen at the start of the story is from.

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the religious focus of Chapter 2.

2. Explain how Arthur uses bribery to get what he wants, but it backfires, in relation to Powys and Siluria. What does that say about bribery in general.

3. Explain how Guinevere's discussion with Derfel about her feelings for Gorfyddyd upset Derfel and how Derfel handles the situation.

4. What's the difference between the story that Derfel is telling and the one that the Queen wants to hear and what does that say about the interpretation of events?

5. Who is Nimue according to the description in the first part of the book?

6. Explain the evil acts that Gundelus does involving Norwenna and Nimue.

7. Describe the character of Derfel and his role as the novel opens..

8. Describe the baby that is born at the start of the novel.

9. Describe Norwenna's attitude, after Uther's death.

10. How does Uther react to Arthur's name being brought up at the council meeting, in terms of being Uther's successor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The female characters in the story, such as Ceinwyn, are often used as pawns in a bid to win power or unite kingdoms. Write a detailed essay describing two times where that occurred in the novel and also describing how you feel about the women being used in such a way. Would you have done something differently, if you were in charge of the situation? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The entire novel is told from Derfel's perspective, but perspective can alter the way a story is remembered or retold.

Part 1: How accurate or inaccurate do you think Derfel's perspective was throughout the story and why?

Part 2: Do you think that Derfel told the story with a specific emphasis on one particular theme, such as love, religion or honor, or do you think he told a well-rounded story?

Part 3: Which character in the story do you feel would have disagreed with Derfel's interpretation the most and why? Use at least two examples from the story to back up your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses a technique of telling a story within a story. Using at least three examples from the novel, explain whether or not you feel that it was good for the author to tell the story through Derfel's eyes and have Derfel tell the story to the Queen. In other words, do you feel that Derfel's discussions with the Queen actually added anything to the story? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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