Question

In that pleasant district of merry England which is watered by the river Don, there extended in ancient times a large forest, covering the greater part of the beautiful hills and valleys which lie between Sheffield and the pleasant town of Doncaster. The remains of this extensive wood

are still to be seen at the noble seats of Wentworth, of Warncliffe Park, and around Rotherham. Here haunted of yore the fabulous Dragon of Wantley; here were fought many of the most
desperate battles during the Civil Wars of the Roses; and here also flourished in ancient times those bands of gallant outlaws, whose deeds have been rendered so popular in English song. Such being our chief scene, the date of our story refers to a period towards the end of the
reign of Richard I, when his return from his long captivity had become an event rather wished than hoped for by his despairing subjects, who were in the meantime subjected to every species of subordinate oppression. The nobles, whose power had become exorbitant during the reign of Stephen, and whom the prudence of Henry the Second had scarce reduced to some degree of subjection to the crown, had now resumed their ancient license in its utmost extent; despising the feeble interference of the English Council of State, fortifying their castles,
increasing the number of their dependants, reducing all around them to a state of vassalage, and striving by every means in their power, to place themselves each at the head of such forces as might enable him to make a figure in the national convulsions which appeared to be impending.



According to the author, the king of England during the time in which the story is set was __________.

Question 2 options:

Stephen

William the Conqueror

Henry II

Richard I

Answer 1

By performing a close reading and then using process of elimination, we can determine the best answer for this. While the passage mentions various historical things, about halfway through it does tell us which king is reigning in this excerpt.

For Stephen, that doesn't make much sense as I don't see mention of anyone of that name in the excerpt itself.

William the Conqueror might work, but again, he isn't mentioned or hinted at anywhere in this excerpt.

Henry II might be a good choice because they do allude to the War of the Roses, which the House of Tudor participated in.

Richard I is the best choice here because it has a sentence that states, "...our story refers to a period towards the end of the reign of Richard I." Because of this, your answer is Richard I.