Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. So I knocked again, and I thought I heard somebody say, “Come in.” I wasn’t sure, I’m not sure yet, but I opened the door—this door (indicating the door by which the two women are still standing), and there in that rocker—(pointing to it) sat Mrs. Wright. What can you infer about Hale based on both the dialogue and stage directions in this excerpt?
Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.COUNTY ATTORNEY (with the gallantry of a young politician). And yet, for all their worries, what would we do without the ladies?What is the primary purpose of these stage directions?
Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.SHERIFF (unbuttoning his overcoat and stepping away from the stove as if to the beginning of official business).How does the use of the word “official” in this stage direction affect the mood of the scene?
Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.MRS. HALE (examining the skirt).What does the word “examining” mean in the stage direction?
Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.COUNTY ATTORNEY. Dirty towels! (Kicks his foot against the pans under the sink.) Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?What does this excerpt emphasize about the character of the County Attorney?
Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. Well, my first thought was to get that rope off. I looked . . . (Stops, his face twitches.) . . . but Harry, he went up to him, and he said, “No, he’s dead all right, and we’d better not touch anything.”How does the use of the word “twitches” in the stage direction most affect this scene?
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