Discussion Questions for Video Excerpt 3 Merry Christmas, Bob! | ELA and Theatre

Discussion Questions for Video Excerpt 3: Merry Christmas, Bob!

by SAM MAUCERI

Thomas J. Cox and Larry Yando as Cratchit and Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” at Goodman Theatre. Photo by Liz Lauren.

The following questions were written to accompany this excerpt from the 2019 production of “A Christmas Carol.” You may find them particularly useful in ELA and Theatre classrooms.

This scene takes place once Scrooge has learned to be more generous. In this scene, Scrooge plays a joke on Bob Cratchit by pretending to be his old self, before revealing his change in character. b. What adjectives would you use to describe Scrooge’s character in the beginning of the scene? i. What do you see the actor playing Scrooge doing physically to embody these adjectives? ii. What do you hear the actor doing vocally to embody these adjectives? c. What adjectives would you use to describe Scrooge’s character in the later part of the scene? i. What do you see the actor playing Scrooge doing physically to embody these adjectives? ii. What do you hear the actor doing vocally to embody these adjectives?

Below is a picture of Freytag’s Pyramid. The pyramid is used to outline the major plot points that appear in most dramatized stories from beginning to end. In what section of the pyramid (and the play) do you think this scene takes place?

Rising Action Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

Inciting Incident Exposition

Over the course of a play, an audience typically expects to see the protagonist change in some way. This character’s journey is referred to as a character arc. What are some elements that make a compelling character arc? What roles do a character’s objective and the obstacles that prohibit the achievement of that objective play in creating a compelling character arc?