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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. What does Vershinin learn from the note he receives?

2. Who is the new commander of the military in the town where the sisters reside?

3. Which character says that teaching gives her headaches, becoming one of the many complaints this character has?

4. Who does Tusenbach try to make peace with although it doesn't seem to be successful?

5. To whom does Andrei propose marriage in the end of the scene, almost spontaneously?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Masha's response to #27?

2. What is Andrei's dream, according to him?

3. What does Chebutykin reveal to Irina in the end?

4. What is the new job Tusenbach reveals he will start soon?

5. What is the big news that is revealed in this scene's opening?

6. What does Masha sarcastically comment when Natasha enters the room with a candle?

7. Where does Olga long to be?

8. Name the Prozoroff sisters.

9. What is the setting and the time of the opening of Act 3, Part 1?

10. What does Olga tell Anfisa to do in response to the news in #38?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Andrei is the brother to the three sisters of the title of this play. But while his role may not be as large, it may be more important.

Part 1: Describe the character of Andrei as he is revealed in the play.

Part 2: Do you think Andrei chose the life he created for himself or were there other reasons for him to be in the life situation he chose?

Part 3: Do you feel sorry for Andrei in this play? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The many men who covet the sisters seem to indicate that love is an unpredictable thing, and that love can not always be contained within a marriage.

Part 1: List the married couples in the play. Are they happily married? Why or why not?

Part 2: List the lovers in this play. Are the lover relationships more or less satisfying to the characters? Why or why not?

Part 3: What does Chekhov seem to be saying about the idea of love in relation to the structure of being a married couple?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of loneliness is one that seems to float into each scene of the play. Each character seems to have their own definition of how they experience this separation from others.

Part 1: Choose two characters who have experienced loneliness and describe their experiences.

Part 2: Does loneliness seem to strengthen these characters or weaken them? Support your answer.

Part 3: What does Chekhov seem to be saying about loneliness in its effect on the sisters? Is loneliness a good or a bad thing?

(see the answer keys)

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