From the Middle Ages Through the Renaissance — Test
Question 22 • English IV
Read the excerpt from Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. Then Sir Bedivere returned again, and took the sword in his hand; and then him thought sin and shame to throw away that noble sword . . . Read the excerpt from "Morte d'Arthur” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Then went Sir Bedivere the second time Across the ridge, and paced beside the mere, Counting the dewy pebbles, fix’d in thought; But when he saw the wonder of the hilt, How curiously and strangely chased, he smote His palms together, and he cried aloud, "And if indeed I cast the brand away, Surely a precious thing, one worthy note, Should thus be lost for ever from the earth” How does Tennyson effectively retell Sir Bedivere’s actions?
Answer
A
Tennyson’s version highlights Sir Bedivere’s second attempt to get rid of the sword.
B
Tennyson’s version conveys Sir Bedivere’s desire to please the king regardless of his feelings.
C
Tennyson’s version conveys Sir Bedivere’s extreme reluctance to get rid of the sword.
D
Tennyson’s version highlights how Sir Bedivere thought that the sword was a burden.
Explanation
Tennyson shows Sir Bedivere studying the sword’s beautiful, unusual hilt and exclaiming that it would be a “precious thing” to lose. His admiration makes him reluctant to throw it away, echoing Malory’s description of feeling that doing so would be a sin and a shame. Although this is his second attempt, the passage emphasizes his hesitation, not merely the fact that he tries again.
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