Are we more interested in the fortunes of Roderick or in those of Ellen? CHARACTERS.--What characters are historical? Are the others true to life? Are they too good, or too bad, too brave, or too foolish? Is there a hero? a heroine? Compare Malcolm and Roderick. Which makes the stronger appeal to your interest? Why? How did the clansmen regard Roderick? Why? Name some of his virtues. In the struggle between James and Roderick, which one do you wish to be successful? Why? What qualities do you admire in Ellen? INTERPRETATION.--Was Scott's purpose merely to tell an interesting story, or to present a period of history, or to teach some ethical truth, or to present high ideals of character, or all of these combined? Give your reasons carefully. METHOD OF NARRATION.--Who tells the story? Suggest some of the changes that would have been necessary if the author had made Ellen or Douglas tell it. By what device does Scott tell us the story of the battle? How does he acquaint us with the characters: by what he says, by what they say, or by what others say of them? FORM.--What is a canto? Is it merely a form division, or is it also a thought division? Can you discover any plan in the division of the canto into stanzas? Mark the scansion of stanza 34, Canto II. What is the meter of the normal line? What variations are there in the kind of feet? Mark the scansion of stanzas 2 and 3 of the ballad in Canto IV. What is the meter of lines 1 and 3? of lines 2 and 4? what variations are there in the kind of feet? Find the meter of one or two of the songs. Does the author use language of a time other than his own? Does he use dialect? Compare in this respect with some of his Scotch stories in prose. Do the characters all talk alike, or as we should expect of persons differing in birth and education? Does Scott use simple or unfamiliar language? Find a vivid picture (for example, Canto I, stanzas 11, 12), and examine the language to see what kind of words are most effective: specific or general, concrete or abstract, figurative or literal. Do the same with some passage that presents an impression of sounds (as in Canto I, stanza 3). Can you see any difference between this poem and a prose story in language, thought, beauty of description, or any other respect except metrical form? THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--Was Scott a Highlander or a Lowlander? What do we know of his father and mother? of his earlier ancestors? of his childhood? of his boyhood interests? of his education and training? What profession did he enter? How successful was he in it? What was his reputation? What was his first literary venture? Name his great poems in the order in which they appeared. Give some idea of their success. Why did he stop writing poetry? Compare his success as a novelist with his success as a poet. How did he change his manner of living as he became increasingly successful? What misfortune overtook him? How did he meet it?