Question

read the following scene from trifles.
county attorney. let’s talk about that later, mr. hale. i do want to talk about that, but tell now just what happened when you got to the house.
hale. i didn’t hear or see anything; i knocked at the door, and still it was all quiet inside. i knew they must be up, it was past eight o’clock. so i knocked again, and i thought i heard somebody say, “come in.” i wasn’t sure, i’m not sure yet, but i opened the door—this door (indicating the door by which the two women are still standing), and there in that rocker—(pointing to it) sat mrs. wright. (they all look at the rocker.)
what would be one advantage of watching this scene as opposed to reading it?
○ the audience would not have to infer the characters’ moods, which could make the characters seem more genuine.
○ the audience would actually see what the characters look like, which could alleviate unnecessary mystery.
○ the audience would not have to interpret the setting, which could make the conflict of the story more evident.
○ the audience would actually watch all of the characters turn to stare at the rocker, which could enhance the mood of the scene.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: When reading, audiences still need to infer moods, but watching doesn't eliminate inference entirely. So this is incorrect.
• Option 2: The characters' appearance isn't the main focus here, and the mystery isn't about their looks. Eliminate.
• Option 3: Interpreting the setting is still needed when watching (e.g., understanding the room's layout). So this is wrong.
• Option 4: In the scene, the stage direction says "They all look at the rocker." When watching, seeing the characters turn to stare at the rocker can enhance the mood (e.g., tension, curiosity) better than just reading the direction. This makes sense.

Answer:

D. The audience would actually watch all of the characters turn to stare at the rocker, which could enhance the mood of the scene.