Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best describes Martha’s tone when George cannot remember the name of the Bette Davis film?

A) Understanding

B) Perturbed

C) Amused

D) Apathetic

2. Which of the following words describes Martha and George’s relationship in Act I?

A) Tumultuous

B) Intimate

C) Timid

D) Platonic

3. After singing Martha’s new song, George notes to the guests that Martha believes that “[u]nless you carry on like a hyena, you’re not having any fun.” Which of the following literary terms is used in this quote?

A) Synecdoche

B) Symbolism

C) Simile

D) Soliloquy

4. Which of the following literary terms does George use consistently throughout the play?

A) Allegories of French parables

B) Allusions of historical periods

C) Anaphoras in poetry

D) Alliterations by British authors

5. Which of the following phrases best reflect George’s view of his work at the university?

A) Inescapable and monotonous

B) Exciting and perplexing

C) Confusing and overwhelming

D) Intriguing and joyful

6. Which branch of biology is referenced throughout the play?

A) Ecology

B) Genetics

C) Zoology

D) Botany

7. Which of the following phrases best describes what George and Nick’s fields symbolize respectively?

A) The powerful and weak

B) The past and the future

C) The positive and the negative

D)The hopeful and the disdained

8. Which of the following phrases best describes the types of conversation between George and Martha?

A) Filled with terse and coarse monosyllables

B) Packed with sweet and gentle words

C) Rife with intellectual and caustic witticisms

D) Laden with tenderness and desire

9. Which physical attribute of Honey do the characters continually reference throughout the play?

A) Her sharp elbows

B) Her slim hips

C) Her strong stomach

D) Her tiny waist

10. Which of the following reasons best describes why Nick says that George killed his parents?

A) He is referencing the story George told him earlier in the night.

B) He is certain George is a cold-blooded murderer.

C) He is trying to convince Martha to divorce George.

D) He is relaying a rumor about George that he heard at the party.

11. Which of the following motifs is consistently present throughout the play?

A) Bedsheets

B) Books

C) Games

D) Dancing

12. Which of the following facts does George continually bring up throughout the play?

A) That he is a Nobel Laureate

B) That he sailed on the Aegean Sea

C) That he believes in the importance of science

D) That he is younger than Martha

13. Which of the following words describe Martha’s characterization?

A) Demure

B) Dominating

C) Delightful

D) Domestic

14. Which of the following sentiments do both male characters struggle with throughout the play?

A) Emasculation

B) Eroticism

C) Ethnocentricity

D) Eagerness

15. What does the ending of the play imply?

A) That Martha will allow George to put their son up for adoption

B) That Nick has the courage to divorce Honey

C) That Martha has won the “war”

D) That each couple will return to their lives as they know it

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Consider the title of the play. Where does it come from? How is it referenced throughout the play?

2. How are the scenes structured in the play? For example, which characters interact with which? What do the titles of the acts mean? How does each act represent its title?

3. What is significant about the setting of the play “New Carthage?” How does that relate to George and his field of study?