The Scarlet Pimpernel

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What claim is made by the Scarlet Pimpernel’s circle as to their primary motivation for freeing French nobles?

A) Sympathy

B) Sport

C) Justice

D) Fame

2. Which character is Percy’s most important disguise?

A) The Scarlet Pimpernel

B) The old hag

C) Sir Percy Blakeney

D) Benjamin Rosenbaum

3. Based on Orczy’s background, what can be inferred about Orczy’s opinion of nobles?

A) She believes they are foppish and ridiculous.

B) She thinks they are superior.

C) Marguerite is a rare exception to the peasantry.

D) The peasantry is savage and hateful.

4. Which of the following best describes the mood of the novel when the Vicomte de Tournay challenges Percy to a duel?

A) Tension

B) Dismissal

C) Delight

D) Humor

5. Which group is the novel primarily about?

A) Peasants

B) Nobility

C) French revolutionaries

D) The English

6. What is the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel credited for inspiring?

A) Heroes with secret identities

B) The tale of Marie Antoinette

C) Public executions

D) The swashbuckling genre

7. What event marks a change in Marguerite’s opinion of Percy?

A) He is revealed as the Scarlet Pimpernel.

B) She realizes his foppishness is an act.

C) He goes out to rescue her brother.

D) She discovers the ring in his study.

8. Why does Percy distance himself from Marguerite?

A) He is angered that she killed the marquis.

B) He knows she is friends with Chauvelin.

C) He is afraid she will betray him.

D) He was friends with the marquis.

9. What evidence does Orczy use to support her assertion that the English nobility is made up of good people?

A) They dress well, enjoy fine art, and are polite to one another.

B) They do not attack one another with battles of wits in public.

C) They are not part of the bloodshed in France, nor do they wish to be involved.

D) They live lives of prosperity without conflict.

10. Why did Marguerite marry Sir Percy?

A) She is impressed by his wits.

B) She is moved by his admiration for her.

C) He is the richest man in England.

D) He has a sincere love for her.

11. What attribute does Marguerite hold in high regard that gives her an air of superiority over her acquaintances?

A) Singing

B) Intelligence

C) Beauty

D) Interpersonal skills

12. What inference can be made about Marguerite and her mended relationship with the Comtesse de Tournay?

A) The Comtesse forgives Marguerite for her betrayal of the marquis.

B) The Comtesse realizes that Marguerite has friends in high places and makes amends.

C) The Comtesse is willing to be civil in the presence of a prince.

D) The Comtesse feels gratitude when Marguerite’s husband does not duel with her son.

13. What is the most likely reason Percy sings “God Save the King”?

A) It is a taunt to the revolutionaries who have murdered their king.

B) It displays his support for the English monarchy.

C) It reinforces his belief in the French monarchy.

D) It is intended to anger Chauvelin into acting rashly.

14. What is the most well-known symbol of the French Revolution?

A) The Scarlet Pimpernel

B) The guillotine

C) The king of France

D) The opera

15. Which of the following comparisons best describes Orczy’s view of England and France?

A) The clean Fisherman’s Rest and dilapidated Chat Gris

B) The fop Sir Percy Blakeney and intelligent Marguerite Blakeney

C) The fun-loving Andrew and angry Armand

D) The clever Percy and dim-witted Chauvelin

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Marguerite resolves her dilemma by making a simple, daring decision. What is the decision, and how does it affect the story’s outcome?

2. Explain why the Comtesse de Tournay publicly refuses to greet Marguerite. Is the Comtesse justified in doing so?