Lord Randal
pp. 39 – 40
Millennium 1
Lord Randal
1.
Read lines 1-20:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2.
What is Lord Randal’s mother inquiring about?
She asks about the time he spent in the wood.
Why is she so relentless in asking questions?
Because she suspects that something terrible has happened to him.
What does she suspect?
She thinks that her son has been poisoned.
What reinforces her suspicion?
The fact that Lord Randal’s dog and hawk died after eating the remains of his meal.
Who does she think is responsible for her son’s unhealthy condition?
The girl Lord Randal calls his “true love”.
Read lines 21-24
What does Lord Randal’s mother openly declare?
She says that her son has been poisoned.
Lord Randal
3.
Read to the end.
a.
b.
c.
d.
What is Lord Randal’s mother then concerned about?
She’s concerned about Lord Randal’s will.
What do we come to know about Lord Randal’s social status?
He is wealthy and has properties and so he will follow the rules of his time and give his
estate to his brother; a dowry to his sister and enough to live comfortably to his
mother.
What do we understand about medieval society from Lord Randal’s will?
It was patriarchal society in which men had moral, social and political authority and
property and title were inherited by the male lineage. Women depended on men for
everything: moral and material support.
Why do you think Lord Randal leaves his beloved “hell and fire”?
Because he has realised that she has poisoned him so he wants to damn her.
GUIDED ANALYSIS
4. Focus on the whole poem
a.
b.
c.
You have certainly realized that all stanzas are equally divided. How?
The first two lines of each quatrain are uttered by Lord Randal’s mother while the following two
are uttered by Lord Randal himself.
The ballad has been divided into sections for you: quote the lines.

Lord Randal’s mother questions her son on his movement.
Lines 1 - 20

Lord Randal’s mother confesses her terrible suspicion.
Lines 21 - 24

Lord Randal’s mother inquires about her son’s will.
Lines 25 - 40
The whole narrative turns around the only stanza which doesn’t contain questions and answers:
which one is it? Why is it important?
Stanza 6 (lines 21 – 24). Its aim is to link the two parts together and mark the climax of the story.