Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The period of European history spanning roughly from the 5th to the late 15th centuries is considered the “Middle Ages” or the “medieval period.” Though set in the fictional country of Carthya, The False Prince is a tale of kings, queens, regents, and heirs to the throne—all features of real-life medieval times. What additional ideas or images come to mind when you think of the term “medieval”? Can you think of other stories set in the medieval period?

Teaching Suggestion: Students will probably say that sword fighting, castles, dragons, and kingdoms all suggest “medieval.” They might name classic medieval fantasy stories, like The Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. They may also think of more modern pop culture examples, like video games such as Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, and The Witcher, as well as movies/TV shows like Game of Thrones, Frozen, Brave, and Shrek. Draw students’ attention to the fact that all of these cultural artifacts, from books to video games to movies, are tales of adventure.