Scenes

Question 1

Epigraph

Answer 1

Hart Crane
‘The Broken Tower’
A friend of Williams
Mirrors the charm and decay of play’s setting

Question 2

Scene 1

Answer 2

Intro to main characters and play’s setting
Begins with blue piano
Blanche and Stella reunion
Blanche monologue about Belle Reve
Blanche and Stanley meet
Ends with music of polka rising
And her fragile

Question 3

Scene 2

Answer 3

Begins with Blanche in bath - already seeking purification
Begins with blue piano flowing through open door
Stanley learns of loss of Belle Reve
He invades her bag
He interrogates Blanche
Ends with Blanche learning of pregnancy and leaving with Stella
Ends with “Red hot”, blue piano playing louder, a bellowing laugh from inside and hot trumpet

Question 4

Scene 3

Answer 4

Poker night
Blanche meets Mitch
New South
Row over radio
Stanley hits Stella
Ends with Blanche telling Mitch she needs kindness

Question 5

Scene 4

Answer 5

The battle for Stella is on
Shep Huntleigh introduced
Blanche describes Stanley without knowing he’s listening
Ends with Stanley and Stella embracing whilst blue piano rises and lights round them fade

Question 6

Scene 5

Answer 6

Highlights her deceptive nature
Writes letter to Shep Huntleigh
Steve and Eunice fight
Blanche discusses sexuality and fragility
Kisses boy
Ends with Mitch bowing and giving her roses - contrast to end of previous scenes
Her she has power

Question 7

Scene 6

Answer 7

Blanche and Mitch return from date quite lifelessly
Only Mitch and Blanche
Discuss Allan grey
Polka fades and she sobs at end

Question 8

Scene 7

Answer 8

Prepping for Blanches birthday
Blanche bathing
Stella and Stanley broken up with Blanche singing
Discuss Blanches past
Ends with Blanche getting out of bath and she is suspicious and scared
Piano goes into distant breakdown

Question 9

Scene 8

Answer 9

Birthday dinner
Mitch doesn’t come
Stanley gives Blanche bus ticket
Fight begins
Stella goes into labour
Ends with Varsouviana rising, lights fading and Blanche whisper singing

Question 10

Scene 9

Answer 10

Begins with Varsouviana playing and Blanche sitting alone drinking
Mitch confronts her about the rumours
She comes clean
He leaves her
Ends with her shouting fire for him to leave
She falls to her knees with distant piano is slow and blue

Question 11

Scene 10

Answer 11

Begins with Varsouviana
Blanche dressed as parody of self
Rape
Ends with trumpet and drums from Four Deuces playing loudly
New South overwhelming Old South

Question 12

Scene 11

Answer 12

Begins with poker game and Stella crying
Blanche believes she’s leaving with Shep Huntleigh
Doctor and Matron come fetch her
Stella breaks down
Mitch as well
Blanche taken
Stanley left with child and broken wife
No complete winner
Ends with blue piano mirroring first scene and creating cyclical image