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Unit 38 • Class 12Compulsory English (Eng.004)
One Act Play 1: A Matter of Husbands
एकाङ्की नाटक १: पतिहरूको कुरा
Ferenc Molnár’s witty drawing-room comedy demonstrating theatrical manipulation as a clever actress deceives a suspicious young wife to preserve her own affair.
Lesson Summary & Key Concepts
Hungarian dramatist Ferenc Molnar’s sharp, witty one-act comedy explores marital insecurity, theatrical deceit, and the porous line between stage illusion and reality. When an earnest young wife confronts a glamorous actress over an alleged affair with her husband, the actress uses her formidable stagecraft to manufacture an elaborate deception, leaving the naive wife thoroughly reassured even as the hidden husband waits in the boudoir.
Core Themes & Main Ideas
1
Theatrical illusion versus domestic reality: the world as a stage of calculated pretense
2
The power of psychological manipulation and storytelling over naive suspicion
3
Dramatic irony: the audience and actress share a truth concealed from the earnest wife
4
The contrast between an ordinary woman (vulnerable, honest) and an actress (poised, deceptive)
5
The theater dressing room as an intimate, ambiguous setting of masks and secrets
Key Figures & Historical / Literary Personalities
The Famous ActressWorldly, poised, and quick-witted theatrical star
Uses her masterly acting skills and psychological insight to convince the young wife that the affair was purely an invented husbandly comedy.
The Earnest Young WomanSuspicious, naive, and emotionally distraught wife
Arrives seeking to reclaim her husband, only to be completely disarmed by the actress’s persuasive performance.
AlfredThe unseen husband of the Earnest Young Woman
Hides quietly in the actress’s boudoir throughout the confrontation, emerging only after his wife departs satisfied.
Textbook Exercises & Solutions
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High-Yield Exam Focus Questions (1)
Practice questions curated specifically for One Act Play 1: A Matter of Husbands.
Exam FocusExam Preparation Question5 Marks
Exam Rationale: CDC Specification Grid Section 2 (Literature - One Act Plays): Ferenc Molnár’s drawing-room comedy analyzing theatrical deception, psychological manipulation, and dramatic irony.
Model Answer & Key Marking Points:
Key Criteria Needed for Full Marks:
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Quick Revision Takeaways
Common Exam Pitfalls to Avoid
⚠️ Common Error: Thinking the actress was telling the truth about the husband’s innocent intentions.
✓ Correct Approach: The actress’s explanation was a complete fabrication to deceive the wife and protect their illicit relationship.
Why: The twist ending explicitly reveals Alfred emerging from the actress’s private boudoir.