Thomas Quinn Books : Study Group Guides

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Characters:

1. Who was braver, Seraglio or Constantine?
2. Which character is most interesting?
3. Is Enrico Soranzo justified in his vendetta against Ziani?
4. Why do you think the author created Seraglio? What role does he play?
5. What did you think of the pope, Lodovico (Il Moro)?
6. Was Mocenigo a good doge?
7. Who are the most intriguing secondary characters?
8. If The Sword of Venice were to be made into a film, which actors would you want to play the roles of Antonio and Constantine Ziani, Giovanni and Enrico Soranzo?

Plot:

1. How important was the Venetians’ form of government to their survival as a state?
2. Should the Venetians have gone to war with Ferrara?
3. Why did the pope change sides after the Battle of Argenta?
4. If you were the Neapolitan admiral (Coppola) what would your strategy have been?
5. If you were Carbone would you have killed Constantine or taken the ransom?
6. How did the Venetians prevail in the Ferrara War despite being outnumbered?
7. What can we learn from the Venetians and how they defended their empire?
8. What was the bravest action of any character(s) exhibited in the book?

Setting:

1. What impresses you most about the city of Venice?
2. What city in the world, if any, is the most like Venice?
3. Why was the Venetians’ government so effective?
4. Why were the Venetians so powerful economically?
5. Why were the Venetians so powerful militarily?
6. What were the weapons of mass destruction in Renaissance times?
7. What did the Venetian’s do/have that is worth emulating today?

Themes:

1. Were the Venetians a force for good or evil in the world?
2. Who bore the brunt of the responsibility for the defense of the Republic?
3. What was Venice’s relationship with other Italian city states? With the pope?
4. Since only a few thousand men were eligible to vote, was Venice really a republic?
5. What enabled La Serenissima to remain independent for 1,100 years?
6. How did the Venetians achieve unity in their national purpose?
7. Did the people control their government or did their government run them?
8. What can we learn from the Venetians?

Culture:

1. What role did religion play in daily Venetian life? In preserving their way of life?
2. How tolerant were Venetians of other religions? Foreigners?
3. What actions in the book were indicative of "Venetian ways"?
4. What did Venetians prize most?
5. How did Venice preserve their culture and pass on it from one generation to the next?
6. Why did other states hate, fear and envy Venice?
7. In today's world, which country is most like Venice?
8. What can we learn from the Venetians?