Arsenic and Old Lace

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Arsenic and Old Lace has one setting–the Brewster family home.

• How are the themes supported by the play’s setting? (topic sentence)
• Explain how the play’s themes of Family Loyalty Versus Independence, The Absurd Comedy of Contradictions, and The Endurance and Risks of Love are supported by the play’s single setting.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why the Brewster family home is an appropriate setting for the play based on the central conflict.

2. In the play, it is revealed that Jonathan and his aunts are murderers.

• How do Jonathan and his aunts’ relationship to violence differ? (topic sentence)
• Describe how Jonathan and the aunts approach murder differently. Then explain how Jonathan and the aunts are alike in their commission of murders.
• In your concluding sentences, describe how the differences between these characters add to the comedic effect of the play.

3. At the play’s conclusion, Kesselring implies that the aunts will continue to victimize older gentlemen.

• How does ending the play with the suggested murder of another victim change the view the audience has of the two aunts? (topic sentence)
• Explain whether audiences will perceive Abby and Martha differently after the conclusion of the play and whether Abby and Martha are redeemable despite their propensity for evil.

In your concluding sentences, explain why Kesselring ends the play in the way he did.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Describe Elaine, her upbringing, and her personality. How is Elaine alike and different from the Brewsters? What does Elaine represent to Mortimer? Is Mortimer justified in hiding the truth from Elaine? What information finally frees Mortimer to marry Elaine? What does this say about Mortimer’s perspective on the Brewsters compared to what he thinks about Elaine?

2. Explore the use of contradictions in Arsenic and Old Lace. What characters and plots are contradictory to one another? What entertainment purpose do the contradictions serve in the play? How do contradictions serve as a disguise for some of the characters? What forms of comedic value can be gleaned from the contradictions in the play?

3. Abby and Martha are nearly identical in their characterization. Why do you think Kesselring chose to write two aunts instead of one? How does the relationship between the aunts set them apart from their victims? Why are the characters of the aunts endearing to the audience and other characters in the play despite their murderous intent?