Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Although there are a number of male characters referenced in the play, Lorca chooses to have them remain offstage and out of view of the audience. Even Pepe, who is central to the workings of the plot, never appears.

• Why did Lorca choose to portray only women onstage in this play? (topic sentence)
• Find 1-2 examples from the text, as well as the above resources, to substantiate your point.
• How does the women-focused dialogue connect with the larger theme of Sexual Repression in the play?

2. As a playwright, Lorca’s work touched on issues that challenged conventional thinking in early-20th-century Spain.

• What point is this play making about the dangers of class inequality and the status quo?
• Find 1-2 examples from the text to substantiate your argument.