Individual Tasks

1. Introduce the cast to the audience.

2. Give a piece of good literary translation of p.188

3. Retell in indirect speech pp.134-138.

4. Give the account of talks in act I as if you were Constance, Rose, Nina.

5. Dramatize the conversation between Crossman and Griggs (pp.145-149)

6. Describe the appearance of Constance Tuckerman (p.138).

7. Retell scene 1 Act 2 in the 3^rd person singular.

8. Dramatize the talk between Rose and Griggs. The 3^rd student will be a commentator.

9. Retell the 2^nd scene of act 2 as if you were Sophie.

Act3

1. Do you know the meaning of “to stand on” (p.217)?

2. What do you know about the connotations of the word “tough” in “You area tough little girl” (p.211) and “Tough break for the kid” (p.215)

3. Analyze the meaning of “buck” in “only that famous a men could buck having an open mistress” (p.213)

4. Analyze the structural division of the play: the beginning of the conflict, its climax and the catastrophe.

5. What can you say about the leitmotif of the play? By what word is it expressed the main idea of the play?

6. How would you formulate the main idea of the play?

7. What is your opinion of the end of the play? Is it convincing?

8. Griggs’ monologue (p.215) by heart.

9. What is your attitude towards Constance, general Griggs, Crossman, Sophie?

Individual tasks

1. Give a piece of good literary translation of p. 188.

2. Retell the 2^nd scene of Act 2 as if you were Sophie.

3. Dramatize the beginning of Act 3 p.195-199.

4. Retell pp.200-201 in indirect speech.

5. Give the gist of pp.212-219.

6. Imagine you are the teacher. Pick up 7-10 expressions which you consider new, interesting and important enough to be remembered. How will you work with your fellow-student so as to make them remember these expressions perfectly well?

7. How would you characterize Constance, Crossman, Nick, Sophie, Fred (5 persons)?

8. Compare the character of Mrs. Ellis and her daughter.

9. Hellman’s biography and literary career.

10. The peculiarities of Hellman’s language.

Orpheus Descending Acts I-II General questions and tasks

1. What can you say about stage directions?

2. How does the author reveal himself through them?

3. What prohibition is meant on p. 228?

4. Comment on Beulah’s words about the way the majority of people marry.

5. How did all the participants behave when a Negro Conjure man appeared?

6. How does the phrase “I’d like to be one of those birds” (p. 253) characterize Lady?

7. Monkey business – what does it mean?

8. To buy a valentine– what does it mean?

9. Do you agree with Val that we are sentences to solitary confinement inside our own skin for life?

10. Does Tennessee Williams reveal good knowledge of human soul when his Val says (p. 257): “What does anyone wait for? For something to happen, for anything to happen, to make things more sense”?

11. What is the meaning of “to wait on”?

12. How much is it a shot of a liquor?

Individual tasks

1. Describe the set of the scene.

2. Describe Carol’s appearance.

3. Describe Lady’s appearance.

4. Describe Val’s appearance.

5. Retell Scene I (act I) in indirect speech.

6. Dramatize Lady’s and Val’s conversation (Scene II, act I) (compress the dialogue into no more than 10-15 sentences).

7. Relate Carol’s monologue (p.238) as if you were Val.

8. Dramatize the talk between Lady and Val at the beginning of act II.

9. Retell Lady’s monologue (pp. 267-268) in indirect speech as if you were David.

10. Sum up all the events at act II.

Act III + final assignment

General questions

1. How does a trench coat look like?

2. What can you say about the tonality of the play?