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at the beginning of the story? 3. If Dickens had not told us anything before, what would we learn of Scrooge from his conversation with his nephew? 4. What would we learn from the visit of the gentleman who asked for a contribution? 5. What does his treatment of the carol singer tell us? 6. What does his treatment of his clerk tell us? 7. Has the author any reason for making the weather so unpleasant? 8. What reason do you think the author had for making Scrooge's rooms so gloomy? 9. What do we feel that Scrooge needs? 10. What is the author's plan for reforming him? 11. Class readings: description of Scrooge, page 182, line 19, to page 183, line 13; the nephew defending Christmas, page 185, lines 1 to 14; the clerk leaving the countinghouse, page 189, lines 3 to 26; description of Marley, page 193, lines 1 to 17; Marley and Scrooge, page 193, line 18, to page 198, line 20. 12. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: 'Change; palpable; Bedlam; Poor Law; Saint Dunstan; corporation; Belshazzar; Ward. 13. Pronounce: ironmongery; simile; homage; Parliament; inexplicable.

Stave Two. 1. Describe the Ghost of Christmas Past. 2. What did the Ghost say was its purpose in visiting Scrooge? 3. What did Christmas Past first show Scrooge? 4. How soon did Scrooge show that he was affected by what he saw? 5. What stories was the boy, Ebenezer Scrooge, reading? How do you know? 6. Of what did this vision of himself when a boy make Scrooge think? Of whom did the vision of his little sister remind Scrooge? 7. How did the vision of the happy Christmas Eve at Mr. Fezziwig's affect Scrooge? Of whom did this make him think? 8. Which of all the "shadows" made him feel most keenly what he had missed in life! 9. Class readings: description of the Spirit, page 201, line 33, to page 202, line 23; the Fezziwigs, page 208, line 24, to page 211, line 8; Scrooge and his former sweetheart, page 212, line 9, to page 214, line 1. 10. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: ferret; visitation; supplication; remonstrated; Ali Baba; sweep; apprenticed; negus; aspirations; dowerless; pinioned; brigands. 11. Pronounce: opaque; vestige; jocund; Genii; gainsay; corroborated.

Stave Three. 1. Describe the Ghost of Christmas Present. 2. Describe its throne. 3. Where did it take Scrooge? Where did they make the longest stay? 4. Which of these visits did you enjoy most? Why? 5. What feelings were awakened in Scrooge by these sights? 6. What effect did the Spirit have upon those whom it visited? 7. Select passages that made you smile as you read them. 8. Give instances which show that the Cratchits were a contented family and pleased with each other. 9. Why did the Spirit show Ignorance and Want to Scrooge? 10. Class readings: the Cratchits, page 223, line 26, to page 229, line 20; at Scrooge's nephew's, page 231, line 36, to page 236, line 34. 11. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: intervention; pitch-and-toss; brawn; twelfth-cakes; intricate; broadgirthed; squab; "bob"; threadbare; steeped; copper; cant; Baleful; moor; furze; capital; tucker; Catch; sidled; mulled. 12. Pronounce: manslaughter;

predicament; lolling; bedight; bow; whereat; elicited; almshouse.

Stave Four. 1. Describe the last of the Spirits. 2. What did this Spirit show Scrooge? 3. What was the "hidden purpose" of the Spirit in having Scrooge overhear the conversation of former business associates? 4. What was the effect upon Scrooge of seeing people carry away his goods and of listening to the dialogue of Joe, the laundress, the charwoman, and the undertaker's man? 5. What did the visit to Caroline's home and to Bob Cratchit's show Scrooge? 6. When the Spirit took him to the churchyard, why was Scrooge so anxious to know whether what he had seen were things that will be or that may be? 7. Did he receive any answer to his pleading? 8. What promises did he make? 9. Did Scrooge need the visit of this last Spirit? Why? 10. Class readings: thoughts on Death, page 246, line 31, to page 247, line 4; in the churchyard, page 252, line 14, to page 253, line 22. 11. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: beetling; pent-house; charwoman; calling; screw; hoarding; hob; repleted; intercourse. 12. Pronounce: gills; disgorged; offal; sepulchers; flaunting; brooch; obscene; inexorable.

Stave Five. 1. What did Scrooge do to make sure that he was alive? 2. What tells you that he had really suffered in the night? 3. How did he express his joy at being alive? 4. Who received his first attention? 5. How do you account for the "wonderful happiness" at the nephew's? 6. How did Scrooge show that his repentance was real? 7. Class readings: Scrooge awakes, page 253, line 23, to page 256, line 37; Scrooge and the portly gentleman, page 257, lines 10 to 36; Scrooge and his nephew, page 258, lines 5 to 33; Scrooge and Bob Cratchit, page 259, lines 1 to 32. 8. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: Laocoon; piping: bishop; malady. 9. Pronounce unanimity; feign; borough; abstinence.

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1. Compare the condition of workers in this story with working conditions at the present time. 2. Compare the loyalty of Bob Cratchit to his employer with that of some modern worker of whom you have heard or

read. 3. In your study of Civics you have learned of laws which your state has enacted for the improvement of working conditions in industry; make a list of these and report upon them to the class. 4. Book reviews of Sweetser's Ten Boys from Dickens and Ten Girls from Dickens, assigning the characters to different pupils. 5. Class discussion of Browne's Short Plays from Dickens. 6. Make a report on Cruikshank's illustrations of Dickens's characters and of Arthur Rackham's illustrations for A Christmas Carol, showing the class some of these pictures.

Dramatization

Dickens called this story "A Christmas carol in prose"; how does its message compare with that of the original Christmas carol, "Peace on earth, good will toward men"? Why did Dickens divide the story into "staves" instead of chapters? After you have read A Christmas Carol through silently and have enjoyed the class readings and discussions, you will find pleasure in dramatizing it for a Christmas program. The conversation in the story will furnish you ideas for the dialogue. Use the words of Dickens whenever possible. The descriptions and the story itself offer suggestions for costumes and for acting. The scenes indicated below afford a large number of pupils an opportunity to take part; the different scenes may be assigned to groups and worked out independently of each other.

Act. I. Scrooge on Christmas Eve.

Scene 1. In Scrooge's countinghouse. A visit from the nephew
Scene 2. In Scrooge's room. Appearance of Marley's ghost.

Act II. The Spirit of Christmas Past, showing Scrooge “shadows of the things that have been."

Scene 1. The school of Scrooge's childhood.

Scene 2. Christmas at the fezziwigs'.

Act III. The Spirit of Christmas Present, showing Scrooge the universal happiness at Christmas time.

Scene 1. Christmas at Bob Cratchit's.

Scene 2. Christmas at the nephew's.

Act IV. The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come, showing Scrooge the effect his death has upon those who knew him.

Scene 1. In Joe's shop.

Scene 2. In the churchyard.

Act V. Scrooge awakes transformed on Christmas morning.

Scene 1. In his room giving orders for Christmas cheer.

Scene 2. At his nephew's.

Scene 3. Next morning at the countinghouse.

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HIPPOLYTA, queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
PHILOSTRATE, master of revels to Theseus

EGEUS, father to Hermia

HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, betrothed to Lysander

LYSANDER, betrothed to Hermia

DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia

HELENA, in love with Demetrius

OBERON, King of the fairies

TITANIA, Queen of the fairies

ROBIN GOODFELLOW, or Puck

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ACT I

SCENE I. Athens. The palace of Theseus.

Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, with others.
The. Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in
Another moon; but, O methinks how slow
This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager

Long withering out a young man's revenue.

Hip. Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow

10 New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.

The.

Go, Philostrate,

Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals;

15 The pale companion is not for our pomp.
Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword,
And won thy love, doing thee injuries;
But I will wed thee in another key,

20

[Exit Philostrate

With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.
Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS
Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned Duke!

The. Thanks, good Egeus; what's the news with thee?
Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.
Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord,
25 This man hath my consent to marry her.

Stand forth, Lysander-and, my gracious Duke,
This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child.
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rimes,
And interchanged love-tokens with my child.
30 Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung

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