1. See Laurence Olivier's film version of Richard III (1955) or read Shakespeare's Henry VI, "Part III" and Richard III and compare the characterization of Richard of Gloucester with Stevenson's.

2. Compare John Amend-All and his band of forest outlaws to Robin Hood.

3. Was Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III, the villain that Shakespeare and, to some extent, Stevenson portray? For a contrasting view, read and report on Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time (1951), the portion of Thomas B. Costain's The Last Plantagenets (1962) that deals with Richard HI, or Paul Kendall's biography, Richard III (1955).

4. What moral lesson does Dick learn from his experiences in warfare and combat? How has his recklessness ruined the sailor whose boat he stole?

Can Dick ever make amends?

5. The characters in The Black Arrow are not all black and white. Sir Oliver and Bennet Hatch are followers of...