Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Define the term “sexual repression.” Does this term apply equally to all genders and/or sexes? Why or why not? What are some of the reasons that sexual repression is a recurring theme in history? What are some of the institutions that perpetuate this repression?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider the play’s theme of Sexual Repression in a broad context. The repression—or the withholding and/or denying—of one’s sexuality is a reoccurring theme throughout Western history. Many monotheistic religious institutions encourage monogamy between a man and a woman, placing a high importance on one’s virginity prior to the marriage. However, the reality of this is a double standard, as men are often not held to the same standard as women when it comes to chastity and premarital sex. Furthermore, the social expectation of the sexual experience focuses on the man’s pleasure, as opposed to the woman’s. In fact, a common belief is that men must be the instigators of sex, since they cannot control themselves, and it is women’s duty to resist and be in control of their own urges in order to please men.