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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. At the beginning of Scene 8, what does Simone implore Marat to stop doing?

2. According to Marat in Scene 11, where did the aristocrats allow the poor to die slowly?

3. From what French town does Corday reside?

4. Which character's name does the Chorus chant in unison during Scene 7?

5. What was Jacques Roux's former profession?

Short Essay Questions

1. What point about social status does the Herald make when he introduces the Singers?

2. How does the unrest begin in the Epilogue?

3. How do the actors' mental afflictions affect their performances?

4. What is the nature of Marat's life in 1793?

5. What horrors does Corday witness in Scene 10?

6. What proclamation about nationalism does Sade make in Scene 18?

7. What satirical argument does Sade make about the aristocracy at the end of this section?

8. Why is Coulmier outraged by Marat's Liturgy?

9. In Scene 28, how do the Singers tell Marat he could avoid his death?

10. Why does Coulmier stop the play in Scene 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Marat/Sade, Peter Weiss creates a compelling dynamic for his cast: many of his cast members are mentally disturbed, and their psychological infirmities affect their roles in the play-within-the-play. Write an essay on this dynamic in three parts:

Part 1) What is the infirmity of the actor playing Marat? How does this infirmity make him particularly appropriate for the role? How does this infirmity limit his movement on the stage?

Part 2) What is Charlotte Corday's ailment? How does this affect her ability to play her role in the play-within-the-play? How do the other characters onstage interact with her?

Part 3) What is Duperret's mental infirmity? How does this affect his interaction with Corday? How does the Herald deal with him in his scene's with Corday?

Essay Topic 2

The portrait of Napoleon looms above the playing space through the entirety of The Marat/Sade. What does this symbol represent in the world of the play? What is Sade's attitude toward this totalitarian figure? Are there other figures onstage that represent Napoleon's power, and what is their role in the play? Write an essay on the above prompts.

Essay Topic 3

Interruptions are common throughout the Marat/Sade. The play-within-the-plsy is stopped several times int he middle of the action. Write an essay about these interruptions:

Part 1) Coulmier is the character that most often interrupts the action of Sade's play. What are his concerns and grievances? How are they received by the actors and Sade? Are these concerns well-founded?

Part 2) Which inmates interrupt the performance? Why dot hey do so, and how do these unexpected interruptions reflect something essential about the action onstage? What effect do they create?

Part 3) There is one planned interruption in the play-within-the-play, right before the death of Marat. Why does Sade include this interruption? How is it intended to inform the action of the final moments of the play?

(see the answer keys)

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