Q and A

1. Go back and reread the description of the house, the elms, etc in the beginning of the
play. How does his description match a traditional Greek play? How is it different?

It matches it because it describes things. It is different for the lack of chorus.

2. Each of the following characters suffers from definitive moments of HUBRIS. How
do each manage to overcome their HUBRIS? Abbie, Eben, and Cabot

Cabot overcomes it by dropping Abbie and Eben at the end.

Abbie overcomes it by killing her son.

Eben overcomes it by taking responsibility for his son’s death.

3. While this play is certainly not a modernization of one Greek play, it is a combination
of many. What traits and qualities of characters from Greek plays that you have read
(hint...especially a play you might have recently read...) do each of the three primary
character possess? In other words, compare the three characters in this play to
characters in classic Greek plays, and explain your answers.

Eben is to Oedipus because it is his blindness to his situation that leads to his son’s death and wife’s arrest.

Cabot is Creon because he re-enters Eben’s life and triggers the events that follows by bringing reality to him.

Abbie as Oedipus’ Mother because she dupes Eben just like how Oedipus’ mother duped him.

4. What does Eben's MAW represent? Consider what role she plays in the actions of
Eben and Abbie?

A Guardian Angel type of character

5. Why did Eben choose to have a relationship with Abbie when he all along suspected
that nothing good could possibly come from it?

It was another thing his father had. He wanted to take something that meant a lot to his father(Abbie) just like how his father took something from him(his mother).

6. Cabot is so fond of saying that "God is hard." What does he mean by that, and how
does this relate to the classic Greek plays?

Cabot means that God is a harsh God that is tough and takes nothing from anybody and punishes the soft/wicked in the eyes of Cabot and rewards people like him. How does this relate to greek plays? The Gods were always part of the fate of the person. If said-person wasn’t serving the Gods in greek theatre, they were met with a cruel fate.

BONUS: What does Californ-i-a represent, and why did Cabot want to go there, only to later say that he didn't want to go there?

Californi-a represents this new promise for a better life for Cabot. He wanted to get away from the hell he was living in to a pleasurable heaven. He changes his mind upon seeing that it would make no difference.