Study Questions
1. Where does the action take place?

2. Why do Christopher Sly and the hostess quarrel?

3. Is Sly a modest person?

4. Where is the Lord returning from when he finds Sly asleep?

5. What does the Lord decide to do with Sly?

6. Who arrives at the Lord’s dwelling while he is making preparations?

7. What special instructions does the Lord give to the new arrivals?

8. How does the Lord plan to use his page?

9. What special instructions does the Lord send to his page?

10. Why does the Lord want to be present when Sly awakens?

Answers
1. The action takes place in England, in front of an alehouse and near a lord’s home.

2. Sly has apparently broken some glasses in the alehouse, after drinking too much.

3. No. He tries to claim that his ancestors descended from France with William the Conqueror. Therefore, he at least had access to the aristocracy if not membership in it.

4. The Lord is returning from hunting.

5. The Lord plans to move Sly into his own home so that Sly will wake up to find himself dressed as a nobleman with servants.

6. A theatrical group comes to the Lord’s house and asks to give a performance.

7. The Lord instructs the players to ignore any protests or signals from Sly. The Lord is afraid that Sly might not play along.

8. The Lord plans to dress up Bartholomew, his page, as the noble wife of Sly.

9. The Lord gives instructions that his page should use an onion to cry for joy should he not have a woman’s gift to summon tears on command.

10. The Lord wants to be present to enjoy his joke on Sly, and to make sure that his servants do not ruin the gag by laughing too much.