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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. Who does Lavinia say that Captain Brant is using for revenge?

2. What does Lavinia accuse Christine of stealing from her?

3. Who does Peter hear rumors about Lavinia falling in love with?

4. Who does Seth think is David Mannon's son?

5. Where is the Mannon house located?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Ezra's appearance like on the night he returns from the war?

2. What significant information does Captain Brant learn from the drunken sailor near his ship?

3. What about Christine surprises Mrs. Borden and Mrs. Hills?

4. What is Orin's tone as he talks to his dead father in Play Two, Act Three?

5. What does Orin mean when he tells her that he can forgive her for anything, except being with Brant?

6. What does Christine accuse Lavinia of at the end of the first act of the second play?

7. What does Orin tell Lavinia he dreams about during the war?

8. Who is David Mannon?

9. How does Ezra describe Orin's condition to Christine when he returns from the war?

10. What news does Peter share with Lavinia in Act One, Scene One of Homecoming?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Elements of both the laws of man and nature are distorted and broken in this play. Discuss the symbolic and thematic implications of incest, murder and revenge in Mourning Becomes Electra.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how O'Neill uses the classical Greek tragedies The Oresteia by Aeschylus, Electra by Sophocles, and Electra by Euripides. What components of the plots are used in Mourning Becomes Electra?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the specific character parallels between the Greek tragedies and Mourning Becomes Electra. What are some of the significant differences between characters that give a different resonance to O'Neill's play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 765 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample