Patterns are an important element of The Verge. What patterns do you notice in your life? What social and psychological patterns can you identify in society or in your own actions or habits? Are there any of these under which you feel trapped?

Expressionism uses distortion and exaggeration to convey the inner life of a character. It can be thought of as seeing the world through a character’s eyes. If you were to design an expressionistic set of the way in which you see the world, what would it look like? What elements would be distorted and why?

Research the women’s suffrage movement. Who were some of the leaders of this movement? What were their arguments for giving women the right to vote? What were the main arguments presented by the opposition?

The Verge takes place during the time of Prohibition. Research this period in American History. What groups were strongly in favor of Prohibition? What groups were against it? Why did each side hold their particular views? What changes did the period of Prohibition cause in United States society?

Carefully read Susan Glaspell’s description of Claire’s tower at the beginning of act II of The Verge. What do the visual elements of the tower symbolize? If you were to direct this play, would you follow Glaspell’s description? If so, why? If not, how and why would you change the way the tower is supposed to look?

Research Sigmund Freud. How did he change the way mental illness was treated? At the time, his theories were considered quite revolutionary. Do you think they still seem revolutionary today? Why, or why not?