Study Questions
1. Is the Bride happy about her impending marriage? Why or why not?

2. What can be inferred from Leonardo’s treatment of his horse?

3. Why does Leonardo think that his relationship with the Bride ended?

4. How are Death and Life contrasted in the dialogue?

5. Is the Mother confident that her son and relatives will prevail in the feud to follow?

Answers
1. The Bride is not happy. She compares the marriage to “misery.” This is because she still has strong feelings for Leonardo.

2. Leonardo drives the animal too hard. He does not care whether it lives or dies. He has no thought for the consequences of his actions or who might be injured. He is also very anxious to see the Bride.

3. Leonardo accuses the Bride of no longer being interested in him because he is poor.

4. The Mother constantly dwells on murders that have occurred. The images she invokes, knives and daggers, are in contrast to the conversations she has with the Father concerning future offspring.

5. The Mother is not confident that her son will prevail. She has dwelled on death and murder for the entire play, wanting to shelter her son. As the scene ends, she cannot call him to revenge without the premonition that he will join his father and brother. Her irresolute orders are an indication that her son will not emerge from the confrontation alive.