The Mousetrap

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Act I, Scene 1, Pages 1-15

Reading Check

1. What song is playing in the opening scene?

2. What do Mr. and Mrs. Ralston do for a living?

3. Who was murdered, according to the newspaper article?

4. What is Christopher singing when he first meets Mrs. Boyles?

5. Whom does Mr. Ralston invite to leave the manor if she feels dissatisfied?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the importance of the novel’s setting? How does weather play a role in the events that occur?

2. How does the author create suspicion surrounding Mr. and Mrs. Ralston?

3. How is Christopher characterized? How does he get along with the other characters?

4. How do the characters in the guest house respond to Mrs. Boyle? Why do they respond this way?

5. What does Mr. Paravicini say at the end of the act to change the mood of the play? Does this make him a likely suspect? Why or why not?

Paired Resource

“How to Write Like the Best-Selling Author of All Time”

• This 5-minute video explores the methods used by Agatha Christie to create her mysteries.
• Shared themes include The Construction of Identity and The Conventions of Detective Fiction.
• What is the importance of the setting in Christie’s novels? How does she duplicate this setting in her plays? Why does Christie create characters that are unknown to one another? Why is Christie criticized for her harmful stereotypes?

Three Blind Mice

• This 3-minute video explains the history behind the rhyme “Three Blind Mice.”
• Shared themes include The Legacy of Trauma.
• What is the rhyme “Three Blind Mice” based on? How is the rhyme connected to the events that occur in Christie’s play?

Act I, Scene 2, Pages 15-33

Reading Check

1. How does Miss Casewell describe her political standing when Mrs. Boyle asks her if she’s a socialist?

2. Who calls Monkswell Manor from the Berkshire Police?

3. Who arrives at the manor wearing skis?

4. Why is Mrs. Boyle skeptical of Trotter’s position on the police force?

5. What is the last name of the children who may be involved in the investigation?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Major Metcalf’s disposition differ from Mrs. Boyle’s?

2. How does Miss Casewell respond to Mrs. Boyle’s questions? Does this make her a likely suspect? Why or why not?

3. How do Mollie and Giles respond to the news that the police department is sending an officer to their home? Does this make them likely suspects? Why or why not?

4. How do the tenants respond when they learn of the call from the police?

5. What is Mrs. Boyle’s connection to the Caldwell case? Why might she be targeted by the killer?

Paired Resource

The Essential Elements of Mystery Fiction

• This article explores 10 elements of the mystery fiction genre.
• Shared themes include The Construction of Identity, The Legacy of Trauma, and The Conventions of Detective Fiction.
• What are the important elements of mystery fiction? How does Christie use these elements in her play?

Revision of Classic Novels

• This article explores stereotypes in classic novels and describes public scrutiny following these changes.
• Shared themes include The Construction of Identity, The Legacy of Trauma, and The Conventions of Detective Fiction.
• Why is there a controversy surrounding the editing of classic literature? How does Christie’s play portray harmful stereotypes? What argument is made by Christie’s grandson regarding the editing of her works?

Act II-Appendices, Pages 34-65

Reading Check

1. Whom does Giles suspect Mollie is having an affair with?

2. What does Giles discover in Mollie’s glove, implicating her in the murder?

3. What item has been stolen from Trotter?

4. What is Sergeant Trotter’s true identity?

5. Who murdered Mrs. Boyle and Maureen Stanning?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Trotter explain the significance of the rhyme “Three Blind Mice”?

2. Why are Christopher and Paravicini targeted by the characters as likely suspects directly after Mrs. Boyle is murdered?

3. Whom does Mollie cast suspicion on during an interview with Trotter? Why are each potential suspects?

4. What is the connection between Mollie and Christopher’s characters?

5. Why is Mollie the final intended victim of the murderer?

Recommended Next Reads

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

• This play is about eight strangers who are stranded on Soldier Island under the guise of meeting or helping Mr. Owens, only to discover there is a murderer on the island.
• Shared themes include The Construction of Identity and The Conventions of Detective Fiction.
• Shared topics include nursery rhymes, mystery, and isolation.
• And Then There Were None (novel) on SuperSummary

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

• This novel is about a 23-year-old woman who goes to live with her aunt and uncle who own the Jamaica Inn. There she attempts to unravel the mystery of ship wreckers on the island.
• Shared themes include The Construction of Identity and The Legacy of Trauma.
• Shared topics include mystery, murder, and suspense.
• Jamaica Inn on SuperSummary