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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. When did August: Osage County premiere in Chicago?

2. In what kind of car does Violet say Beverly lived from the ages of four until ten?

3. How long ago does Ivy say she had a hysterectomy in Act 3, Scene 1?

4. When did August: Osage County win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama?

5. Where does Sheriff Gilbeau say his father lives in a nursing home in Act 3, Scene 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the character of Steve when he is introduced in Act 2?

2. What does Sheriff Gilbeau reveal to Barbara in Act 3, Scene 4?

3. How does irony come into play in the final moments of Act 3, Scene 5?

4. How does Violet feel about her circumstances in Act 3, Scene 5?

5. What is the significance of the house's temperature in Act 2?

6. What secret does Mattie Fae reveal to Barbara in Act 3, Scene 1?

7. Where in Act 3, Scene 5 does the climax of the plot occur?

8. What is the "truth" that Little Charles ultimately confesses in Act 2?

9. What leads up to the physical conflict in the end of Act 2? How is this conflict described?

10. What is revealed of Mattie Fae's character in Act 3, Scene 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of breaking free in August: Osage County. What characters in the play attempt to break free from their families and/or pasts? Are they successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's use of irony and subtext in August: Osage County. What are examples of dramatic irony in the work? What are examples of verbal irony? What are examples of situational irony? What purpose does each example serve?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Barbara's relationship with Sheriff Gilbeau. How is the history of Barbara's relationship with Gilbeau described? What is their current relationship like? How does this relationship evolve?

(see the answer keys)

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