ACT I Quiz — Trifles

Why does Lewis Hale originally visit the Wright farmhouse?

• To deliver a load of potatoes to John Wright
• To ask John Wright about sharing a party telephone
• To investigate a report of suspicious activity
• To check on Mrs. Wright after a recent illness

How was John Wright killed?

• He was shot with a gun kept in the house
• He was poisoned with contaminated preserves
• He was strangled with a rope around his neck
• He was struck with a blunt object while sleeping

What do the women find that reveals the likely motive for the murder?

• A threatening letter hidden under the floorboards
• A dead canary with a wrung neck wrapped in silk
• A diary describing years of physical violence
• A bloodstained knife concealed in the cupboard

What does the Sheriff say when the County Attorney asks if there is anything important in the kitchen?

• "There might be something worth investigating here."
• "Nothing here but kitchen things."
• "The women should search while we go upstairs."
• "We should bring in a detective for this room."

What detail about the quilt alerts the women that something is wrong?

• The quilt pattern is different from local traditions
• The fabric has been torn and crudely repaired
• One block has wild, erratic stitching unlike the rest
• The quilt has been left unfinished for many months

How does Mrs. Hale describe Minnie Foster before her marriage?

• A quiet, studious girl who kept to herself
• A lively town girl who sang in the choir and wore pretty clothes
• A hardworking farmhand admired for her independence
• A deeply religious woman devoted to her community

What does Mrs. Hale do with the dead canary at the end of the play?

• She hands it to the County Attorney as evidence
• She buries it outside the farmhouse door
• She hides it in the pocket of her large coat
• She places it back in the sewing basket under the quilt

Which of these events actually occur in the play Trifles?

Which of these details are true about the Wright household as revealed in the play?

In the play, Hale says "women are used to worrying over trifles." What does "trifles" mean?

• Things of little importance or value
• Household chores and daily routines
• Disputes between married couples
• Small items of evidence in a legal case

Mrs. Hale hopes the house is more "red-up" upstairs. What does "red-up" mean?

• Painted or decorated with bright colors
• Heated and warmed by a fire
• Tidied up and put in order
• Repaired and fixed from damage

The County Attorney speaks "facetiously" at the end of the play. What does "facetiously" mean?

• With genuine sympathy and concern
• In a harsh and accusatory manner
• With careful legal precision
• In a joking or flippant way about a serious matter