The Song of Roland 1
Study Guide Questions for Laisses 1-27
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Virtues/Vices/Great Ideas: (Find them in the Text)
Indifference, Cowardice, Deception, Prudence, Hospitality, Pride, Despair
Grammar Questions: (The Information of the Text)
How is Marsilion described when he is first introduced?
What advice did Blancandrin give to king Marsilion about how to deal with Emperor Charles?
What are Charles and his men doing as Marsilion’s men come near to speak with him?
What did Blancandrin promise that Marsilion would give and do if Charles would go back to France?
What did the Emperor do before deciding how to respond to the envoy from Marsilion?
Which of Charles’ knights spoke in favor and which spoke against accepting Marsilion’s terms of peace?
Which four men volunteer to take Emperor Charles’ reply to Marsilion?
How did Ganelon respond to being nominated by Roland to take Charles’ reply to Marsilion?
What does the text suggest that Ganelon intends to do because of his anger towards Roland?
Logic Questions: (Interpreting, Comparing/Contrasting, Reasoning)
Why did Marsilion need the advice of his “dukes and counts”?
Why did Blancandrin say, “‘Twere good we send the sons our wives have borne”? What does this indicate about his character?
What does the poet mean by calling Marsilion’s ten men “Matchless villains”?
What does the poet mean when he says of Charles, “If any seek him, no need to say, ‘Lo, here!’”
What should we infer about Charles’ character by the fact that “He was a man not hasty in reply, But wont to speak only when well advised”?
Why would Charles appoint twelve “sargeants” to Marsillion’s men “to wait on all their wants” when they are his enemies?
Why did Charles refuse the four men who volunteered to take his reply to Marcilion but accept the one Roland proposed?
Why was Ganelon so angry with Roland?
Rhetoric Questions: (The Analysis of Ideas in the Text)
The text tells us, concerning the city which Charles had just finished conquering, “In all the city no paynim now appears who is not slain or turned to Christian fear”. What should we think about this as Christians? Are conversions to Christian faith under threat of force ever legitimate conversions? Why or why not. Explain your answer carefully and make your case.
Who gives the better counsel as to what to do concerning Marsilion’s offer of peace, Roland or Ganelon and Naimon? Explain why you think as you do and support your answer with reference to the text.
Do you think Roland was intentionally wronging Ganelon by nominating him? Why or why not? Use information in the text to defend your answer.
Theological Analysis: (Sola Scriptura)
Read Joshua 2 and the story of Rahab. Does this story support the idea of conversions by threat of force? Why or why not?
Read the following Proverbs: 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; and 21:30. How do these relate to our current reading?
Read Proverbs 12:5. How does this offer an important contrast to the proverbs in the last question?