English 9
Date ___________
Name _______________________
Period _____________
“Arsenic and Old Lace” Study Guide
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Explain the following:
arsenic ~ ___________________________________________________
old lace ~ ___________________________________________________
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The __________________ is Brooklyn, New York on Halloween night.

Here is a list of the main characters. At the end of the movie, you will be required to
write a characterization for each of these people on the lines provided.
A. Mortimer Brewster ~ _________________________________________
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B. Elaine Harper ~ ____________________________________________
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C. Jonathan Brewster ~ _________________________________________
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D. Aunt Abby Brewster ~ ________________________________________
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E. Aunt Martha Brewster ~ ______________________________________
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F. “Teddy Roosevelt” Brewster ~ ___________________________________
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G. Dr. Einstein ~ _____________________________________________
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Use POQuITA (Part Of the Question In The Answer) to answer these questions with
complete sentences as the lines indicate.
Mortimer Brewster is an author. He wrote several books and plays. Some of his
titles are The Bachelor’s Bible and Marriage, A Fraud and A Failure.
1. What is ironic about what he is doing at the opening of the movie? (HINT: It is the
reason why he is sneaking!)
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2. Write down at least three phrases characters use to describe Aunt Martha and Aunt
Abby. _____________________________________________________
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3. Teddy blows his bugle and screams, “_______________” as he runs up the stairs.
4. What worry do the aunts have concerning Teddy?
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5. Teddy thinks that he is __________________________. He thinks that the
basement is really the country of ________________. He is digging another
_____________________ down there.
6. _____________________ is hidden in the window seat. What is the attitude of
the two aunts toward what is in the window seat?
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7. Mortimer and Elaine are now _______________ to each other. They are going to
_________________________ for their __________________________.
8. _______________________ finds a picture of Jonathan. Even the thought of
him is enough to _____________________ her!
9. What is the conversation about evil Jonathan foreshadowing?
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10. Mortimer talks about a play that has a dead body in it. Then he opens the window
seat. What does he find in the window seat? ___________________________
This is an example of __________________. Mortimer thinks that _________
is responsible for the dead body, but ___________________ are really
responsible.
11. The aunts explain to Mortimer what they do and why.
What do they do? _____________________________________________
What types of men do they do it to? _________________________________
What reason do they give for why this is acceptable behavior? _______________
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Who is really crazy in this household? ________________________________
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12. What is done with the bodies? _____________________________________
How is Teddy “used” by the aunts to cover up their “activities”? ______________
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Teddy thinks that all the men died from ______________________________.
13. Think about Mortimer’s reaction to all of this information. Describe how his opinion
of Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha changes.
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14. Explain what is ironic, and yet very appropriate, about the elderberry wine.
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15. When Mortimer saves Mr. Gibbs’s life, his aunts are very __________________!
16. Mortimer has to have a very stern talk with them!
He tells them that what they are doing is against the ______________.
It is not right; it is ____________________.
It is not a _____________________ thing to do.
It is a very bad __________________________!
They just don’t agree with him.
17. Two men come to the door. Match the characteristics to the man.
Jonathan Brewster
Dr. Einstein
___________ tall and ugly
___________drinks a great deal
___________ plastic surgeon
___________ scarred face
___________ looks like Boris Karloff (who played really creepy characters)
18. What is in the rumble seat (open back seat) of their car? ___________________
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19. ________________ shows up at the house just as Jonathan and Dr. Einstein are
putting the body of Mr. Spinoza into the cellar.
20. By the way, Jonathan used to torture Mortimer by shoving _____________ under
his finger ________________.
21. Jonathan tried to ___________________ Elaine in the cellar.
22. Aunt Abby gets upset because, although she has murdered twelve men, she would
never stoop so low as to tell a ____________. And anyway, Aunt Abby and Aunt
Martha did not murder those gentlemen… It’s their _________________!!!
23. The aunts and Jonathan get into an argument over who has ______________
more ______________.
24. By now, Mortimer is coming unhinged. He wants to call off his wedding to Elaine.
Why? ______________________________________________________
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25. _______________ tries to save Mortimer’s life by getting him to ___________.
26. Mortimer refuses to leave, and he begins to talk about a play. What is happening to
Mortimer while he is telling Dr. Einstein the plot of the play?
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27. The policeman arrives, but he will not untie Mortimer until Mortimer listens to the
play he wrote. What is happening while the policeman is telling Mortimer the plot of
the play HE wrote? ____________________________________________
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28. Meanwhile, the police sergeant is on the telephone talking to his boss about the
problems with _______________. Jonathan overhears the conversation and
thinks the police are discussing ________________.
29. Teddy is going to be sent to Happydale. It is a ________________________.
30. The aunts are extremely upset. If Teddy goes to Happydale Sanitarium, what do
they want to do, too? ___________________________________________
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31. Elaine overhears the conversation about the thirteen men dead in the cellar. She
sneaks down in to the _____________________ to see for herself.
32. Mortimer silences her screams by ___________________ her.
33. Well!!! Mortimer is no longer worried about being married to Elaine and having
children. What important fact did he learn about Aunt Martha, Aunt Abby, and his
brothers Teddy and Jonathan? ____________________________________
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34. The very last statement made by Mortimer is: “I am the ____________of a cook!”