Blood Wedding: Question bank

BLOOD WEDDING : QUESTION BANK

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Blood Wedding

Study Questions

Act I

1. Why doesn’t the Mother like to see her son carrying a knife?

2. What did the Bridegroom have to do before proposing marriage?

3. The lullaby that the Mother-in-Law and Wife sing to the baby seems to be an omen. What is strange about this song? Is it a typical song for a child?

4. Why are the Mother-in-Law and Wife impressed by the news of the girl?

5. Why is it a bad omen when the Father says of his daughter, “She’s like my wife, in every way”?

Act II

1. Is the Bride happy about her impending marriage? Why or why not?

2. What can be inferred from Leonardo’s treatment of his horse?

3. Why does Leonardo think that his relationship with the Bride ended?

4. How are Death and Life contrasted in the dialogue?

5. Is the Mother confident that her son and relatives will prevail in the feud to follow?

Act III

1. Do the Moon and the Beggar Woman give an indication that Leonardo and the Bride will escape?

2. How is the lullaby of the horse in Act I, Scene 2 a portent of what occurs in the forest?

3. Who is the Beggar Woman?

4. How is the relationship between Leonardo and the Bride different from the one between the Bridegroom and Bride?

5. What symbols does García Lorca use to indicate the inevitability of fate in the final scene?

EXTRA QUESTION BASED ON ACT 2 sc i

What does the lullaby mean ?

revision based on Part 3

Day 1
'All plays pose questions to the world, yet some questions are easier to ignore.' In light of this statement, evaluate the questions raiser in 2-3 plays and show how and to what degree the issues are restored.



Day 2:: May 2010 TZ2 HL


1.Some dramatists make more significant use of physical elements such as stage scenery  than do others. Discuss the extent of such features and their impact on meaning in two of the plays you have studied

2.Writers may make repetitive use of details which become dramatically significant. Consider the use made of such repetition of detail in at least two plays  and discuss te impact of the plays as a whole.

Day 3&4:: FOUR GROUPS

may 2006 TZ 1 HL

1.
 “In dramatic construction there must be variation of pace and rhythm, monotony of any kind being certain to induce boredom.”Comparing at least two plays you have studied in the light of this statement, show how variations of pace and rhythm have been used to attract or heighten the interest of the audience.
 
2. To what extent can the plays you have studied be seen to have, directly or indirectly, a social or political purpose? Refer to two or three plays, exploring how they achieve their purposes.
Poetry

MAY 2006 TZ1 SL

3.Comparing the opening scenes of at least two plays, discuss what audience expectations are aroused and how.

4. “Drama explains individuals, not relationships.” Paying close attention to how individuals and relationships are presented in two or three plays you have studied, say how far you find this statement to be true.
Poetry

Also  look through these :
General Questions
5. Either
(a) “Art is on the side of the oppressed.” Evaluate the means by which two or three works in your study either confirm or raise questions about the validity of this assertion.
Or
(b) “Works of literature are often layered, and may require close attention to discover their depth and complexity.” With respect to two or three of the works you have studied, show how valid this view is.
Or
(c) “A writer conveys not only experiences but a whole world in which these are possible.” With respect to two or three works you have studied, discuss whether the author has created a coherent, imagined “world”.
Or
(d) In what ways and to what effect have writers in your study made use of illustrative elements such as anecdotes, analogies, allusions and the like in their works?



TEST ON MONDAY: 04 FEBRUARY:

Choose any one from the list. Prepare a draft /mindmap and write the whole answer or prepare and write a draft and write a detailed mind map--choice is yours. However make sure your answer can be examined through all the criteria in the MS. Sending you the MS through mail.

btw: did any one see the earlier draft of this post? those questions have disappeared:( writing again!

May 2012: TZ2

Choose any 1

Drama:

1.”Some plays excite our emotions; others make us think; others do both.” In the light of this statement compare at least two plays you have studied.”

2. Violent or threatening behavior can be presented to an audience in different ways. Compare the ways in which at least two play wrights you have studied have presented violence and/or threat s, and comment on the success or otherwise of their methods.

General Questions on Literature:

3. “ Writers very often try to convey the familiar in novel ways.” Discuss this statement with reference to works b at least two writers you have studied considering both ideas and techniques , and their contribution to the works as a whole.

4. Although writers often claim they do not try to moralise, almost every work contains a moral issue. To what extent, in what ways and to what effect have the authors of at least two works you have studied explored a moral issue?

5. “Writers may structure their works to maximize the effects they wish to produce.” Discuss this statement with reference to works by at least two writers you have studied, analyzing the use of structure and its effects.

6. “Liberty and security are potentially contradictory aims.” With reference to works by at least two writers ytou have studied, consider  how far and to what effect they effect they present this idea.

 Revision  Day 5& 6
2007 November TZ1

Drama
1. Either
(a) “The compulsion to talk,” to tell one’s story, or the stories of others might be seen as
very important to the construction of plays. How far has the telling of stories been important
to at least two plays you have studied and how have the “stories” been effectively delivered
through theatre?
Or
(b) The climax of a dramatic work does not always occur in a fixed or expected place.
Comparing at least two works you have studied, discuss the placement of the climactic moment
of the plays and the effects on dramatic action.
General Questions on Literature
5. Either
(a) How and with what effect have seasons and weather been used in at least two of the works you
have studied?
Or
(b) The presence of pairs, or of doubles and doubling often appears in works of art. How and for
what purposes have at least two writers in your study made effective use of such patterns?
Or
(c) In what ways have the materials of the sciences been used by writers to enhance the literary
elements of their works? Refer closely to at least two works you have studied.
Or
(d) “Books,” according to one writer, “mold character, enforce patriotism, and provide a healthy
way to pass a leisurely hour.” By direct reference to at least two of your works, discuss the
ways in which one or more of these purposes appears, as well as your view of their importance
in the total effect of the work.

revision day 7,8

May 2008 TZ1
Drama
1. Either
(a) “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?” To what extent do you find this
statement applicable in at least two plays you have studied?
Or
(b) A dramatist often creates a gap between what the audience knows and what the
characters know. With reference to at least two plays, discuss how and to what effect dramatists
have used this technique.
General Questions on Literature
5. Either
(a) “Why won’t writers allow children simply to be children?” Discuss the presentation and
significance of children, or the state of childhood, in at least two works you have studied in the
light of this complaint.
Or
(b) It is said that writers are the conscience of the world. In what ways have at least two of the
works you have studied encouraged you to appreciate or question this assertion?
Or
(c) “ Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth.” Discuss at least two works you have studied in
light of this statement, and say how far you would agree with it.
Or
(d) “Although doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one.” In the light of this
statement, explore the impressions of doubt and/or certainty conveyed in at least two works
you have studied.

Day 9, 10 

M08/1/A1ENG/HP2/ENG/TZ2/XX :

Drama
1. Either
(a) “Comedy exposes human weakness; tragedy reveals human strength.” How and to what extent
does this claim apply to at least two of the plays you have studied?
Or
(b) A change in status of the characters in a play (a success, for example, a loss or exposure) helps
to convey the ideas and/or values of the dramatist. How and to what extent has change in status
contributed in this way to at least two of the plays you have studied?

General Questions on Literature
5. Either
(a) Some writers make us see people’s lives through the lens of nostalgia. In what ways have
writers used nostalgia in at least two of the works you have studied?
Or
(b) Urban settings are often portrayed as “spiritual wastelands”. To what extent, if at all, and
by what means, have at least two of the works you have studied presented urban settings in
such a way?
Or
(c) Images of sickness, both real and metaphorical, can reflect corruption in individuals
and/or society. To what degree and to what effect is this evident in at least two of the works
you have studied?
Or
(d) “All Art is quite useless.” With close reference to at least two of the texts you have studied
discuss and give reasons for the extent to which you agree or disagree with this statement

days 11,12
N08/1/A1ENG/HP2/ENG/TZ0/XX

Drama
1. Either
(a) “It is through speech primarily that a dramatist reveals who his characters are.”
Using at least two works you have studied, show how far you can agree that this is a valid
statement about the writing of plays.
Or
(b) The audience’s expectation and the fulfilment or reversal of expectation are both used
by playwrights. How have at least two of the plays you have studied satisfied or disappointed
expectation, and with what effect?
 General Questions on Literature
5. Either
(a) The description of people or places or events in literary works is likely to be more than
just decoration. Compare several instances in at least two of the works you have studied
where description has had a crucial effect on the work.
Or
(b) The courage to think or speak or act differently from others is often at the heart of literature.
In what ways have at least two writers you have studied presented such choices?
Or
(c) Literature frequently “challenges the barriers that prejudice erects”. How convincingly have
at least two writers in your study presented such barriers and with what effect have they
been opposed?
Or
(d) “In literature, names are never wasted.” In at least two works you have studied, discuss the
ways writers use names in their works to achieve their larger purpose.


days 13, 14
M09/1/A1ENG/HP2/ENG/TZ2/XX 

Drama
1. The success of any drama depends on the credibility of the protagonists. Referring closely to
at least two of the plays you have studied, explore to what extent and in what ways they illustrate the
truth of this statement.
2. Looking closely at one or more of the following elements: lighting, sound and music, discuss the
ways in which they can affect the presentation of ideas in at least two of the plays you have studied.
General Questions on Literature
9. Writers of literature rarely offer answers that resolve the issues they raise. To what extent and in what
ways does this statement apply to at least two of the works you have studied?
10. In what ways is the literature you have studied concerned with gaining, maintaining or losing a
paradise of some kind? Refer closely in your answer to at least two works.
11. Poetry can be prosaic and prose can be poetic. Explore this statement in relation to the varieties of
language used in at least two of the works you have studied.
12. “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” To what extent do at least two of the
the works you have studied present concepts of good and bad as a matter of perception?

days 15, 16
M09/1/A1ENG/HP2/ENG/TZ2/XX
Drama
1. In plays a character who appears briefly, or who does not appear at all, can be a significant presence,
contributing to action, developing other characters or conveying ideas. To what extent have you
found this to be true of at least two works you have studied?
2. “Drama, even in its darkest moments, underscores the strength of the human spirit.” How and to what
extent is this true of at least two of the plays you have studied?
General Questions on Literature
9. By what means and with what effect do writers establish and use tone in at least two of the works you
have studied?
10. “Reading literature is a way of walking in the footsteps of others.” By what means and to what effect
do at least two writers you have studied help you understand the situations of others?
11. Wit and other comic devices can often add an important edge to what a writer is trying to express.
Examine the effects of such devices on the expression of ideas in at least two of the works you
have studied.
12. “Literature is the embodiment of beauty and intelligence.” To what extent is this true of at least two of the works you have studied?

ASND: all questions that will be used in connection with the text

The complete exploration palette :

A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams

SCENE ONE

1. Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans:  “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire; and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields!”
2. What social hierarchy is established in this scene?  Why is this in the play?
3. Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella?  Explain.  How does Stella react to this?
4. What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
5. Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
6. What is Belle Reve?  What does the name symbolize?

SCENE TWO

1. Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
2. What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it?  How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
3. Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time).  What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
4. What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
5. How was Belle Reve truly lost?

SCENE THREE

1. How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
2. What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation?  What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
3. Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
4. In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting?  Explain.
5. What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship?  How do we know this?

SCENE FOUR

1. What does the character of Shep Huntleigh symbolize for Blanche?
2. Why is it so imperative to Blanche to aid Stella in leaving “this place”?  What, in Blanche’s mind, makes “this place” so horrific?  Explain.
3. Stella says to Blanche, “There are things that happen between a man and a woman .. that sort of make everything else seem – unimportant” to which Blanche responds, “What you are talking about is brutal desire – just – Desire! – the name of that rattle-trap streetcar that bangs through the Quarter…”  Stella then asks her, “Haven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar?”  Explain the meaning Stella is striving toward.  Has Blanche ever ridden on that streetcar?
4. Blanche believes that Stanley is an obvious product of Selective Darwinism.  Explain that theory and how it relates to the character of Stanley Kowalski.

SCENE FIVE

1. What significance does the fight between Eunice and Steve have on the play as a whole?
2. What is the symbolism of the astrological signs of Blanche and Stanley?
3. Discuss the symbolism of the spilled coke.
4. What does Blanche want from Mitch?
5. What do we learn about Blanche from the encounter with the young man delivering the newspapers?

SCENE SIX

1. What does this scene illuminate about the intellectual abilities of Blanche and Mitch?
2. What type of image does Blanche present to Mitch?
3. Reiterate Blanche’s past as she tells it to Mitch.

SCENE SEVEN

1. In this scene, Stanley tells Stella the truth of Blanche’s time in Laurel.  What does he say?
2. As Blanche bathes, she sings, “Say it’s only a paper moon, sailing over a cardboard sea – But it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me!  It’s a Barnum and Bailey world, just as phony as it can be – but it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me!”  Why is it poignant that Tennessee Williams would have chosen this particular song and these lyrics?  How do they relate to Blanche?
3. What does Stanley tell Mitch about Blanche’s past?
4. What is particularly cruel about Stanley’s choice of birthday gift for Blanche?

SCENE EIGHT

1. Consider the amusing story that Blanche tells after dinner in an attempt to alleviate the tension in the room (the story of the parrot who swears a blue streak).  How does it relate to Blanche and her circumstances?
2. What does Stella say about her sister in attempt to have Stanley understand the reason she behaves as she does?
3. When Stella demands an answer from Stanley explaining why he has been so cruel to Blanche, how does he respond?

SCENE NINE

1. Some critics hate this particular scene.  They say Williams uses sensationalism, feeling that Blanche’s past need not be so lurid.  Those who like it argue that it actually aids in the understanding of the protagonist’s character.  Explain the argument they may have used.
2. What is symbolic of Mitch’s action of ripping down the paper lantern?
3. “I don’t tell the truth,” says Blanche.  “I tell what ought to be truth.”  Using examples from the whole play, cite where this is evident.
4. When Blanche says, “I didn’t lie in my heart,” what does it reveal about Blanche’s true self?
5. Do you think that Mitch hears the old Mexican woman selling flowers or is this, too, like the gunshots and the Varasouviana music, simply a figment of Blanche’s diseased mind?  What purpose would Williams have had when he chose to include this minor character?

SCENE TEN

1. The figure of Shep Huntleigh seems to embody the ideal man and relationship for Blanche.  Describe what seems to be Blanche’s ideal.
2. What, according to Blanche, is the one thing that is unforgivable?  Has she committed this unpardonable sin?
3. Why does Williams include the scene with the prostitute, the drunk and the Negro woman?
4. What does Blanche’s rape symbolize?

SCENE ELEVEN

1. What are the similarities and differences between the poker game in this scene and the one earlier in the play?
2. How has Blanche changed since the beginning of the play?
3. What does Stella say to Eunice to justify sending Blanche to an institution?  What does this suggest about Stella?
4. How does Stanley perpetuate his cruelty toward Blanche in this scene?
5. Why does Blanche react so differently to the Matron and the Doctor?
6. Briefly summarize Stanley’s actions at the end of the play.  What do his actions suggest?

 also look up :http://mrhoyesibwebsite.com/ and look under Drama: marvellous amount of resources:)

A Streetcar Named Desire

Questions that need to be answered here by 15 January 2013. Allot only 30 mins to answering questions in scene 1 ,  40 mins for scene 2 and 30 mins for scene 3.

SCENE ONE

1. Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans:  “They told me to take a streetcar named Desire; and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields!”
2. What social hierarchy is established in this scene?  Why is this in the play?
3. Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella?  Explain.  How does Stella react to this?
4. What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
5. Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
6. What is Belle Reve?  What does the name symbolize?

SCENE TWO

1. Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
2. What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it?  How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
3. Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time).  What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
4. What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
5. How was Belle Reve truly lost?

SCENE THREE

1. How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
2. What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation?  What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
3. Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
4. In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting?  Explain.
5. What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship?  How do we know this?