Question

by florence henrietta darwin
the time is midsummer.
act i (excerpt)
a woodland road outside mary’s cottage… bunches of leaves and herbs hang drying around door and window. mary is heard singing within
mary. singing
i sowed the seeds of love,
and i sowed them in the spring.
look at the image of dried herbs and think about the setting of the play. the dried herbs are used as a prop onstage.
which choice provides the best explanation for why the playwright includes bunches of herbs as a prop in the play?
a. to emphasize the illness affecting lubin
b. to emphasize mary’s role as a healer
c. to symbolize the occasion of a wedding
d. to symbolize the countryside setting

Explanation:

Dried herbs are strongly associated with traditional healing practices, and their prominent placement around Mary's cottage, paired with her gentle, nurturing singing, directly signals her role as a healer. The other options lack textual support: there is no mention of Lubin's illness, a wedding, or the herbs being used solely to represent the countryside (the setting is already established as a woodland cottage).

Answer:

B. to emphasize Mary's role as a healer