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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. Where on her body does Corday carry her knife?

2. What does Coulmier protest he must be when he interrupts the play?

3. What abstract purveyor of death does Sade say he hates in Scene 12?

4. Which woman in the cast serves as Marat's nurse?

5. What is the color of the dagger's handle in Scene 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Marat particularly outraged by aristocratic revulsion at the executions?

2. In Scene 28, how do the Singers tell Marat he could avoid his death?

3. How does Roux respond to Marat in Scene 26?

4. Explain the message of the song Poor Old Marat in Scene 21.

5. What point about social status does the Herald make when he introduces the Singers?

6. How does Corday prepare to murder Marat in Scene 10?

7. How does Duperret's affliction affect his performance in Scene 17?

8. How has the role of Jacques Roux been changed by Coulmier?

9. How does the actress playing Corday nearly ruin the play in Scene 9?

10. How do the actors' mental afflictions affect their performances?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Marat/Sade is a carefully constructed argument among various viewpoints that ends in utter chaos. Write an essay analyzing the meaning behind the final moment of the play. Does it seem out of place with what came before? Do you think it solves any of the lingering quandaries left by the debate? Cite arguments from the play's text as corroboration.

Essay Topic 2

The portrait of Napoleon looms above the playing space through the entirety of The Marat/Sade. What does this symbol represent in the world of the play? What is Sade's attitude toward this totalitarian figure? Are there other figures onstage that represent Napoleon's power, and what is their role in the play? Write an essay on the above prompts.

Essay Topic 3

Interruptions are common throughout the Marat/Sade. The play-within-the-plsy is stopped several times int he middle of the action. Write an essay about these interruptions:

Part 1) Coulmier is the character that most often interrupts the action of Sade's play. What are his concerns and grievances? How are they received by the actors and Sade? Are these concerns well-founded?

Part 2) Which inmates interrupt the performance? Why dot hey do so, and how do these unexpected interruptions reflect something essential about the action onstage? What effect do they create?

Part 3) There is one planned interruption in the play-within-the-play, right before the death of Marat. Why does Sade include this interruption? How is it intended to inform the action of the final moments of the play?

(see the answer keys)

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