Question

by august strindberg
august strindberg (1849 - 1912) was a swedish playwright and novelist. in this short story, he references gounod and bellini, composers who wrote operas based on shakespeares romeo and juliet, like many other composers of the time. strindberg was also known to have been influenced by shakespeare himself.
(1) one evening the husband came home with a roll of music under his arm and said to his wife
(2) \let us play duets after supper!\
(3) \what have you got there?\ asked his wife
(4)
omeo and juliet, arranged for the piano. do you know it?\
look at the image of the stage at an old provincial theater. imagine the scene in the passage acted out on stage.
how might a live action performance of the story help the audience better understand the characters?
a. by allowing the audience to see the characters when they were young
b. by allowing the audience to understand the characters interactions
c. by allowing the audience to follow the conversations between the characters
d. by allowing the audience to hear the music the characters are reacting to

Explanation:

A live stage performance adds non-verbal cues like tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language that reveal character dynamics. Option A is irrelevant as the text doesn't reference the characters' youth. Option C is incorrect because the audience can follow conversations through the written text too. Option D is not the key here, as the core of understanding the characters in this short exchange lies in their interaction, not just the music. A live performance emphasizes how the characters engage with each other, which deepens audience understanding of their relationship and personalities.

Answer:

B. by allowing the audience to understand the characters' interactions