Quiz 4:
Government and Society in Early Modern Europe
Instructions: Write a 1-2 page essay addressing one of the options below. All essays should
quote material from the selected source, or credit will not be awarded for the quiz.

Option 1: Excerpt from "The True Law of Free Monarchies" (1598) by King James I of
England. Norton Anthology of English Literature.
Based on this document, describe King James’s vision of the proper government and
monarchy? What responsibilities do subje’cts have to their king, what obligations do
kings have to their subjects? What relationship does the king have with God, and what
does this relationship mean for the ruler and the ruled?

Option 2: In Our Time: The Divine Right of Kings
Based on this podcast, what was the philosophy of the “Divine Right of Kings”? Who
first expressed this concept, how did it work, and how was the idea expressed in art and
literature?

Option 3: Excerpt from "The Leviathan" (1651) by Thomas Hobbes.
Based on this document, what is Hobbes’s vision of human nature as expressed in The
Leviathan? What is life like in what Hobbes calls a “state of nature”? What role does
government have in regulating this “state of nature?”

Option 4: In Our Time: Thomas Hobbes
Based on this podcast, describe the life and works of Thomas Hobbes. What events
shaped his life and worldview? What made his ideas and worldview unique during his
lifetime? Why is he considered an important thinker whose ideas are still considered vital
to understanding our world?

Option 5: In Our Time: Glorious Revolution
Based on this podcast, describe the events in 1688 that became known as Glorious
Revolution. Why did the Parliament rise up against King James II? How did this
revolution unfold? What significance did the Glorious Revolution have on British
government and society?

Option 6: Versailles From The Sky.
This website provides an interface with Google Maps that allows you to tour King Louis
XIV’s palace at Versailles. For this assignment, pick any three locations in Versailles
that interest you. Describe the spots, and reflect why they are remarkable. How do these
locations embody Louis’s vision of his position in French society?

Option 7: Russia: Engineering An Empire
Based on this video, describe the rise of Russia under the rule of the Grand Princes of
Muscovy, Ivan the Terrible, and Peter the Great. What did they do to make Russia a
notable civilization? What challenges did they face, and what accomplishments did they
experience?

Option 8: In Our Time: The Building of St. Petersburg
Based on this podcast, describe Peter the Great’s efforts to build his new capital of St.
Petersburg. Why did Peter build this city, how was the city built, and how did St.
Petersburg embody Peter’s vision for a new Russia?