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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. Which two characters sing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at the end of the first act?

2. What philosophical leaning does Martha claim to hold?

3. Which two descriptors does Martha confuse in comparing biology and math?

4. What was George's relationship to the President of the university when Martha married him?

5. With what does George say he is preoccupied?

Short Essay Questions

1. What arrangement do Martha and George come to at the end of their argument and how does the arrangement seem to suit them?

2. How does George describe Martha's father?

3. What is the room's reaction to George's claims that Nick plans to alter the world's chromosomes?

4. How does George try to cheer Martha up at the end of the play?

5. How does Martha describe Nick and Honey?

6. Describe Martha's monologue concerning her one true love.

7. Describe Martha when she returns to the main room and how the guests react.

8. How does George set Martha up for embarrassment as he opens the door?

9. What is George's reasoning that his son hates Martha?

10. Describe Martha's emotional confession.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Repetition of phrases is a central component of Albee's writing. Write an essay about the purpose of this repetition. Defend your position with paragraphs about the following repeated phrases:

Part 1) Snap

Part 2)Truth and Illusion

Part 3) She's slim-hipped

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the use of violence in the play, both physical and verbal. Which is more effective in the narrative? Use specific examples from the play to defend your position.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following to write an essay:

1.) To what extent are Nick and Honey surrogates for the audience? What can characters who are not acclimated to the setting of the play have in common with the viewer and what can they do that the viewer cannot? Cite examples from the text to justify your thesis.

2.) How did George and Martha come to the point at which they are when the play begins? Begin with a description of their living arrangement, and use individual events in their marriage as a frame for the essay.

3.) How do we grow to understand George and Martha as sympathetic characters by the end of the play when almost all they say is a lie? Write an essay in the defense of unreliable protagonists, citing specifics from the text as evidence.

(see the answer keys)

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