1. According to the opening lines of the poem, how is the King described?
2. What was the primary purpose of constructing the arch over the major thoroughfare?
3. The structure of the poem is written in couplets. What is the specific rhyme scheme used throughout?
4. What mishap occurs when the King rides under the newly constructed arch?
5. How does the "just and placid" King react immediately after his crown is lost?
6. Who does the Chief of Builders blame to avoid his execution?
7. When the workmen are threatened with hanging, what defense do they offer?
8. Who is summoned immediately after the workmen blame the bricks?
9. The blame game eventually leads to the Architect. What crucial piece of information does the Architect reveal?
10. How does the King react when the Architect points the blame back at him?
11. Facing a complex dilemma of judgment, who does the King decide to consult?
12. What was the criterion used to identify the "wisest" man?
13. What verdict does the wise old man deliver?
14. Why does the wise man suggest hanging the arch?
15. Who intervenes to stop the arch from being hanged?
16. What argument is used to save the arch from execution?
17. As the proceedings drag on, what is the mood of the crowd described as?
18. To appease the crowd, what decision does the King finally make?
19. Why was the King the one eventually executed?
20. Which literary device is most prominent in the situation where the King is hanged by his own decree?
