The Song of Roland book club questions
by Anonymous · a kit for three meetings · 15 questions · printable
Fifteen discussion questions for The Song of Roland, grouped by three stretches of the book of about the same length, with a reading plan, themes to talk about and a sheet you can print. Two good openers: can protecting a kingdom justify offering hostages whose deaths you are willing to accept? And what might explain Ganelon's praise of Charles alongside his agreement to murder Roland?
The reading plan
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Meeting 1: Laisse I to Part CIV
- Can protecting a kingdom justify offering hostages whose deaths you are willing to accept?
- What might explain Ganelon's praise of Charles alongside his agreement to murder Roland?
- What does Roland's refusal of half the army suggest about his idea of leadership?
- When Roland silences Oliver's accusation against Ganelon, what might he be trying to protect?
- Is Roland's refusal to call for help an act of courage or a failure of responsibility?
Meeting 2: Parts CV to CXCII
- Does Oliver's anger at the delayed horn call help hold Roland accountable, or make a desperate situation harder?
- What value does the Archbishop find in calling for help when rescue seems beyond reach?
- What does Oliver's mistaken blow and Roland's forgiveness show about their bond under extreme suffering?
- How does Roland's refusal to leave Turpin complicate your judgment of his earlier refusal to call for help?
- What does the Archbishop's attempt to fetch water suggest about service beyond fighting?
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Meeting 3: Parts CXCIII to CCXCI
- What does Gefrei's interruption suggest about when a leader must turn private grief into public duty?
- What do Charles and the admiral's rejected terms reveal about what each believes victory should mean?
- How should readers judge the link between military victory and religious change in Sarraguce?
- How persuasive is Ganelon's distinction between personal revenge and treason?
- What are the strengths and dangers of seeking truth through combat?
Your club needs the book
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The same printed edition
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Themes to talk about
Tips for the host
- Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
- Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of The Song of Roland, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
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