View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Elyot's reaction to Amanda's first violent action?

2. What kind of women did Amanda imagine Elyot would go after?

3. At the end of Act II, Victor and Sibyl walk into Amanda's apartment to find what?

4. What is Elyot wearing in Act II?

5. During their first period of silence, what do Amanda and Elyot do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Amanda call out "triple Sollocks?"

2. Why does Elyot say that, despite their current happiness, being separated was probably for the best?

3. Why would Elyot say that he and Amanda would have been perfectly happy with Victor and Sibyl?

4. Why are Amanda and Elyot reluctant to discuss another marriage?

5. What two things does Elyot do that annoy Amanda that leads up to their biggest fight?

6. After Amanda and Elyot make up during the "triple Sollocks," what happens that brings their happy mood down again and why?

7. How do Amanda and Elyot's feelings differ on the abandonment of Sibyl and Victor?

8. What sets off the very first argument of Act II?

9. At the beginning of Act II, does it appear that Elyot and Amanda have been getting along? How can the reader tell?

10. What are some of the things that initially attracted Amanda to Victor?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Amanda and Elyot have a deep, involved history of being passionately in love and being just as violently hateful toward each other.

1) Compare and contrast the relationship between Amanda and Elyot versus their relationships with Victor and Sibyl. Discuss the similarities and differences using specific examples from the script.

2) How do you believe the new marriages would have worked out had Elyot and Amanda not run away together? Specifically, would Elyot and Amanda have been able to reconcile their "private lives" to their new spouses?

3) In your opinion, should Elyot and Amanda ever again attempt to stay together? Support your arguments with specific examples from the script.

Essay Topic 2

Victor and Sibyl appear to be two dimensional characters who are firmly stuck in their roles as man and woman. Do you consider these characters to be particularly intelligent? Does their intelligence or lack thereof affect their exaggerated femininity or masculinity? What are some specific examples of these characteristics? How do the other characters react to these qualities? Do you believe that these exaggerations cause their big breakdown at the very end of the play? Were they forced out of their passive roles by Amanda and Elyot's rampant challenging of how men and women are expected to act?

Essay Topic 3

"Private Lives" is known for sharp, witty dialogue. What role does the dialogue play in this story? How does it add to the plot, humor, and character development?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,148 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample