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PLAYS AND SCRIPTS

See below a list of available texts that fall under these categories to find practice material for.

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TEXTS

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A Midsummer Night's Dream
by William Shakespeare

SHORT ANSWER

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  1. What does the quote "And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays." mean?

  2. What does the quote "Cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make females mad." mean?

  3. What does the quote "enough: hold or cut bowstrings" mean?

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SHORT ESSAY

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  1. Discuss the meanings of the play's title, A Midsummer Night's Dream.

  2. Gender issues are significant in this drama. What differences are there in the roles and behaviours appropriate to women and men? Do these gender differences still exist today or are they examples of outdate stereotypes?

  3. Lysander and Demetrius are almost mirror images of each other, yet they have some noticeable differences. Using excerpts from the text, compare and contrast these two characters and explain the significance they had in the plot.

  4. What is the significance of magic and fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream? Why would Shakespeare introduce such fantasy into the play?

 

EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. How does A Midsummer Night's Dream explore love as being unpredictable?

  2. How does A Midsummer Night's Dream explore love as a source of conflict?

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Cosi
by Louis Nowra

SHORT ESSAY

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  1. How does Lewis enable the audience to understand the complexities of Nowra's world?

  2. The use of humour in Nowra's play accentuates the pathos we feel for all the characters. Discuss with reference to staging of the play.

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EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "The characters in Cosi are flawed regardless of whether they are sane or not." To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your response, make detailed reference to Cosi.

  2. "They are normal people who have done extraordinary things, thought extraordinary thoughts." Cosi depicts the 'insane' characters are heroes. To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your response, make detailed reference to the statement and text.

  3. "Cosi is an important drama that uses a range of theatrical conventions, language styles and innovations to explore the human experience." Explore  this statement.

  4. How has Louis Nowra used dramatic techniques to communicate the cultural, political and social themes of his play Cosi?

  5. "Distinctive ideas are at the heart of all dramas." - Louis Nowra. Explore this statement. In your response, make detailed reference to Nowra's play Cosi.

  6. "A play's resonance is measured by the ability of it to explore thematic concerns relevant to the contemporary world." Discuss this statement.

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King Henry IV
by William Shakespeare

SHORT ESSAY 

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  1. How has Shakespeare used doubles in King Henry IV P1 to create dramatic irony in the play?

  2. "Despite Shakespeare's attempts to establish Hal's heroism, the prince remains first and foremost a dishonest exploiter of others." Do you agree? Explain your answer.

  3. The play features two types of rebellions. What are they, and what is their significance to the story?

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EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "Great leadership demands great personal sacrifice." To what extent does Henry IV support this statement?

  2. "Literature cannot be appreciated without empathy and without acknowledging uncomfortable truths." To what extent does this statement apply to King Henry IV?

  3. "Yet herin I will imitate the sun." - Prince Hal (P1). Analyse the ways in which the responsibilities of political leadership are explored in King Henry IV P1. In your response, make detailed reference to the play as a whole.

  4. "Shakespeare's King Henry IV P1 is primarily an examination of the new style of leadership that arose with the Renaissance." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

  5. "In King Henry IV P1, Shakespeare explores how ordinary citizens are often sacrifice for the benefit and personal gain of people in power." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

  6. "Hal is a reflection of Shakespeare's evolving London." Evaluate this statement with direct reference to Shakespeare's play King Henry IV P1 and Hal's relevance to the play as a unified whole.

  7. Critically evaluate how the dramatic form of King Henry IV P1 contributes to its distinctiveness and enduring value.

  8. Although King Henry IV P1 shows triumph over rebellion, the play's greater interest lies in the world of disorder. Discuss.

  9. Comedy steps into the play of history and is crushed. To what extent does this view align with your understanding of King Henry IV.

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King Lear
by William Shakespeare

SHORT ESSAY

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  1. Assess the importance of the theme of loyalty in King Lear.

  2. Critically examine Lear's changing relationship with Cordelia.

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EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "A particular emphasis on the roles of Lear's daughters has been a feature of a number of modern productions of King Lear." How valid are such interpretations of the play?

  2. "King Lear discusses universal ideas that still resonate today." To what extent do you agree with this statement? Make detailed reference to the text in your response.

  3. "Through its portrayal of the human experience, Shakespeare's King Lear reinforces the significance of order." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

  4. "Shakespeare's King Lear is a play of redemption in which the King moves from moral blindness to a clearer vision of what really matters." Discuss this statement.

  5. "King Lear is not only a tragedy of parents and children, of pride and ingratitude; it is also a tragedy of kingship." Discuss this statement with reference to power relations in the play.

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Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
 

SHORT ESSAY

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  1. The fantastical and grotesque witches are among the most memorable figures in the play. How does Shakespeare characterize the Witches? What are their thematic significance?

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EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "The murder of Duncan contributes to the destruction of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth." How is the process of destruction dramatized in the play as a whole?

  2. How does Shakespeare explore how the pursuit of power can impact the individual in their wider world? In your response, make detailed reference to Macbeth.

  3. To what extent is Macbeth responsible for his own downfall?

  4. Sahkespeare's Macbeth is an enduring play because it represents provocative and intruging ideas. Explain how this is evident with reference to how key ideas from the play are represented.

  5. How are dramatic techniques used to explore Macbeth's relationships with the women in the play?

  6. "Macbeth is a play about courage, which asserts the triumph of good over evil." To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your response, make detailed reference to the play.

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Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare

SHORT ESSAY

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  1. How do lies and deceit factor into the development of the plot?

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EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing is designed to both support and challenge the socio-economic values and attitudes of the Elizabethan era." Discuss this statement wiht close reference to the text.

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Othello
by William Shakespeare
 

EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. Explore the theme of jealousy in Othello. How does Shakespeare portray jealousy's destructive power through the characters' actions and decisions.

  2. Analyse the role of manipulation and deceit in Othello. How does this contribute to the tragic outcome of the play?

  3. Discuss the significance of race and identity in Othello. How does Othello's status as an outsider influence the events of the play, and how is his racial identity explored by other characters?

  4. "Shakespeare's Othello presents us with sinister and cynical views of human relationships that continues to engage modern audiences." To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your response, make detailed reference to Othello.

  5. "Jealousy is at the core of all the tragic events that occur in Othello." Explore the dramatic function of jealousy in Othello. In your response, make detailed reference to the play and relevant contextual factors.

  6. "Irony is a powerful device that Shakespeare uses to heighten the tragedy of Othello." Discuss Shakespeare's use of irony in the play and the impact it has on the reader.

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Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah
by Alana Valentine

EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. How have representations of identity been constructed in Valentine's Shafana And Aunt Sarrinah to affirm representations and challenge stereotypes about culture and faith?

  2. "Transitions can result in shifts in attitudes and beliefs." Discuss this statement making detailed reference to Shafana And Aunt Sarrinah.

  3. Analyse the relationship between cultural perspectives and how they have an impact on individual identity. In your response, make detailed reference to Shafana And Aunt Sarrinah.

  4. "The complex nature of Australian identity is defined by its cultural diversity." To what extent is this true of Shafana And Aunt Sarrinah?

  5. Analyse how langauge is used in Shafana And Aunt Sarrinah to express community identity.

  6. To what extent does Shafana And Aunt Sarrinnah disrupt assumptions about culture?

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The Crucible
by Arthur Miller

EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "I can almost tell what the political situation in a country is when the play is suddenly a hit there - it is either a warning of tyranny on the way or a reminder of tyranny just past." - Arthur Miller. How has The Crucible provided new insight on shared human experiences over time?

  2. "Miller's 17th century Salem is a place rife with anxiety; it is a community in the midst of great social change and flux, where social structures are weakening. Some parts of the community feel as if they are losing control - the world isn't the same as it was." - Douglas Rintoul. Evaluate how The Crucible challenges widely held assumptions on human society.

  3. "The Crucible seeks to underline misjudgments as common human experiences not to criticize or divide, but to educate and unite." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

  4. "Whilst The Crucible is clearly a response to Miller's context, it also contains enduring messages about human behaviours and motivations." How does this statement reflect your understanding of human experiences represented in Arthur Miller's The Crucible?

  5. "Fear is the primary motivation within the human experience." To what extent does this statement represent your understanding of the human experiences represented in The Crucible?

  6. "Texts are known to explore human flaws that are uncomfortable yet simultaneously wonderful." Evlauate how Arthur Miller's use of representation in The Crucible explores the above statement. In your response, make detailed reference to the text.

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The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare

EXTENDED RESPONSE

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  1. "Allowing Shakespeare to stand as it is - warts and all - has a purpose: it  exposes the nastier side of society and a past that we, in the 12st century, need to know about to ensure we don't repeat it." - Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore. Evaluate how The Merchant Of Venice challenges widely held assumptions on human society.

  2. "The Merchant Of Venice seeks to underline discrimination as a common human experience not to criticize or divide, but to educate and unite." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

  3. "All that glistens is not gold; Often you have heard that told." How is the motif of money central to human experiences in Shakespeare's play?

  4. "I've always been suspicious of collective truths." - Eugene Ionseco. To what extent do collective truths warrant our suspicion? Discuss in relation to the human experiences presented in The Merchant Of Venice.

  5. "No one is truly free; we are enslaved not by others, but by ourselves." To what extent does The Merchant Of Venice support this statement? Explore your response with detailed reference to the text.

  6. "Storytelling hints at human imperfections. Where there is perfection, there is no story to tell." Use the above statement to consider how stories about human experiences can challenge assumptions or ignite new ideas. Discuss with close reference to The Merchant Of Venice.

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