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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Wendla's reaction when Melchior tries to force her away from him?

2. Where does the second scene of Act III take place?

3. Why is Moritz devastated in Act II, Scene 5?

4. In Moritz's story for Melchior, how many heads does the queen have?

5. How does Melchior plan to escape from the reformatory?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Moritz commit suicide at the end of Act II?

2. What claims does the masked man make to Melchior and Moritz?

3. What philosophy does Melchior claim to believe? What action follows in the hayloft?

4. What are the different explanations given for Wendla's illness? What is the actual diagnosis?

5. What is the argument between Melchior's parents after Moritz's death?

6. What game does Melchior initially not participate in at reform school? Why does he change his mind?

7. Why does Moritz believe he will be promoted to the next grade based off his discussion with Melchior in Act II, scene 3?

8. What does Ilsa reveal to Martha at Moritz's grave?

9. How does Rentier Stiefel react to Moritz's death?

10. Why does Hanschen claim he needs to destroy the picture? How does this represent the views of the town?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pick one of the following topics to write about:

- The father-son dynamic of both the playwright and the play.

- Eros and Thanatos.

- Expressionism and Realism in Spring Awakening: A Children's Tragedy.

Essay Topic 2

How are the adults portrayed in this play? To what purpose are they lampooned? How is the character of Mrs. Gabor used to show the power of adults and the consequences of misunderstanding their children? Is Mrs. Bergmann meant to be a sympathetic character? Why or why not? How does Moritz's father represent the majority of the adults in this play? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

How does Wedekind intertwine sex and violence? How is this a theme of the play? What characters appear to embody this idea? How does Goethe's "Faust" relate to this? How is this enacted on stage? Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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