1. The character of Scottish games in the city
2. The fickleness of the mob
3. The chivalrous conduct of the combatants.
CANTO VI
The Guard-room
What are the main themes in this canto?
1. The rough soldiers
2. Ellen presents the ring
3. The battle of Beal' an Duine
4. Death of Roderick
5. Ellen's request to James
6. Happiness of the Douglases and of Malcolm Graeme
7. Farewell to the Harp.
Why are the rough soldiers introduced? This passage furnishes a good description of the character of the soldiers, and shows the power of Ellen's quiet dignity and modesty.
What is the value of the battle of Beal' an Duine? It affords an opportunity to the valiant Roderick to imagine himself in battle, so that when death comes he does not realize that it finds him a prisoner and his clan vanquished.
How does the poem end? Ellen, her father, and Malcolm Graeme are united and happy, and Fitz-James reveals his identity and shows his magnanimity.
What should be read in connection with the last three stanzas? The first three stanzas of the poem. They are an Invocation to Scottish minstrelsy. We now have the Farewell.
Which cantos do you consider are the best? The first and the fifth.