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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is one of the first things presented in the introduction?
(a) A graph showing the correlation between sexual activity and suicide.
(b) A timeline of Wedekind's life with emphasis on events that inspired A Children's Tragedy.
(c) A pie chart depicting the average number of sexually active teenagers.
(d) A timeline of the play's publication and productions.

2. What favor does Moritz ask of Melchior in Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) He asks Melchior to visit him later that night.
(b) He asks him not to tell anyone about his ignorance.
(c) He asks him to write about sex so he may read it later.
(d) He asks Melchior to help him study.

3. Who starts to explain sex to Moritz in Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) Ilsa.
(b) Wendla.
(c) Mortiz's father.
(d) Melchior.

4. What is Eros according to Bentley?
(a) An instinct for life.
(b) An instinct for death.
(c) Romantic love.
(d) Sexual love.

5. What sort of story is A Children's Tragedy?
(a) Absurdism.
(b) Theater of Cruelty.
(c) Morality play.
(d) Coming-of-age.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is a Moritat?

2. Why did Martha, after being punished for the ribbon, come back inside?

3. In their first encounter, what question does Melchior pose to Wendla?

4. In what way is the love between Moritz and Melchior described?

5. After Martha's punishment for the ribbon, how does she spend the night?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conflicts does Bentley discuss were essential to Wedekind during the writing of "Spring Awakening"? Why?

2. Why does Moritz not want to listen to Melchior's explanations about sex?

3. Describe Martha's parents.

4. Describe the main theme of one of the characters that is pointed out as being a philosophy of Goethe.

5. Why does Wendla fantasize about being beaten? How does she handle it?

6. What happened to "Spring Awakening" in America after publication? Why?

7. What thought does Wendla have that offends her mother? Where does it come from?

8. According to the summary in the introduction, what will happen to Melchior?

9. According to Bentley, what are some possible identities of the masked man at the end of the play?

10. What does Moritz do in Act I, Scene 4 that nearly gets him in trouble? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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