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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. In the postscript, how does the author say he considers himself in comparison to the characters of the play?

2. The painter gives Mrs. Ill a portrait of whom in Act 3, Scene 2?

3. In Act 3, Scene 4, the Schoolmaster says, "For what would be the sense of wealth, which created not a wealth of ____?"

4. In the postscript, the author writes that he has portrayed action and not what?

5. Where was the Schoolmaster offered a job in Act 3, Scene 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Durrenmatt say he relates to the characters of the play in the postscript?

2. What does the author suggest the play resembles in the postscript?

3. What is the outcome of the vote in Act 3, Scene 4? How do the townspeople justify it?

4. Where does Ill meet Claire in Act 3, Scene 3? Who is she with?

5. What does the mayor tell Ill in Act 3, Scene 2 when offering him the gun?

6. What takes place in the climax of the play? Where is this scene located?

7. What is revealed about the townspeople in the final scene of the play?

8. What is the author's point in writing the postscript?

9. What plea do the visitors make to Claire in Act 3, Scene 1?

10. What are Ill's final requests before dying?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the elements of Absurdism, Epic Theater, Satire, and Comedy in The Visitor. Name specific examples of each within the text and define the terms in your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of power and control in the play. How does Claire embody this theme? What choices has she made which contribute to this?

Essay Topic 3

What opinion of religion does the author express in the play? How is this thematically and symbolically represented?

(see the answer keys)

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