Trifles: The Rise of Modern Feminism on the Stage, Part 1

Question 1

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. I didn’t hear or see anything; I knocked at the door, and still it was all quiet inside. I knew they must be up, it was past eight o’clock. 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. (They all look at the rocker.)How does the underlined stage direction affect the mood of the scene?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

A: The emphasis on the rocker creates a tense mood as everyone is reminded of where Mrs. Wright calmly sat as she discussed her dead husband.

Question 2

Which stage direction from part one of Trifles most adds to the suspenseful tone?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

D: MRS. PETERS (starts to speak, glances up, where footsteps are heard in the room above. In a low voice.)

Question 3

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. Well, she looked queer.COUNTY ATTORNEY. How do you mean—queer?HALE. Well, as if she didn’t know what she was going to do next. And kind of done up.Which word has a meaning similar to “queer” as it is used in this excerpt?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

B: strange

Question 4

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.SHERIFF. Nothing here but kitchen things. (The County Attorney, after again looking around the kitchen, opens the door of a cupboard closet. He gets up on a chair and looks on a shelf. Pulls his hand away, sticky.) COUNTY ATTORNEY. Here’s a nice mess. (The women draw nearer.) MRS. PETERS (to the other woman). Oh, her fruit; it did freeze. (To the Lawyer). She worried about that when it turned so cold. She said the fire’d go out and her jars would breakWhat do the underlined stage directions suggest about the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

C: They share a bond as women and are instinctively curious.

Question 5

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?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

B: It emphasizes the fact that death is a difficult subject for Mr. Hale and causes him discomfort.

Question 6

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles. MRS. HALE (abruptly moving toward her). Mrs. Peters?Which best describes the effect of the word “abruptly” in the excerpt?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

A: The use of the word abruptly heightens the conflict by revealing to the reader that Mrs. Hale is becoming increasingly anxious.

Question 7

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?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

B: to indicate a character’s tone of voice

Question 8

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?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

D: He is eager to relay the details of the incident with as much accuracy as possible.

Question 9

Which of the following stage directions from part one of Trifles is designed to express emotion?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

D: MRS. HALE (stiffly).

Question 10

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).What is the primary purpose of these stage directions?

Revolt · Accepted Answer

B: to direct actions that take place onstage

Trifles: The Rise of Modern Feminism on the Stage, Part 1 Answers

More from this Course

TRY EDGENUITY HACKS