The Silmarillion

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

PARTS 1-2

Reading Check

1. Which two factions does Melkor secretly hope to bend to his whims?

2. Which one of the seven Lords of Valar is the strongest?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Eru’s figurative use of song suggest about the type of world being created?

Paired Resource

“J. R. R. Tolkien”

• This Biography entry on Tolkien gives an overview of the author’s life and legacy.
• As described in this piece, Tolkien built the Religion and Mythology of his world with not only text but also illustrations and maps.
• How might the tumult of World War I have influenced Tolkien’s writing?

PART 3, CHAPTERS 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is Utumno?

2. Where did Aulë create Dwarves in Part 3, Chapter 2?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What evidence suggests that the world created by Eru is imperfect?

PART 3, CHAPTERS 4-6

Reading Check

1. Which Maia is the most beautiful, wise, and skilled in songs of enchantment, as described in Chapter 4?

2.