Name: _________________________ Period: _______________

Into the Woods Study Guide

Directions: Answer the questions below with COMPLETE SENTENCES, anything less than that will not be
graded. Each question is worth 10 points.
1. What was the wish of the characters below in Into the Woods?
Baker & the Baker’s Wife: ______________________________________________________________________
Cinderella: __________________________________________________________________________________
Jack: _______________________________________________________________________________________

2. How was it accomplished? What resulted? Did these wishes actually obscure some other
needs felt by these characters?
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3. Can you describe a situation in which you would consider it acceptable to take advantage
of someone else in order to accomplish your own wishes?
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4. What is the meaning of the final line in Into the Woods when Cinderella says, “I wish…”?
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5. Does marrying the Prince solve Cinderella’s problems? Why?

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6. Does having the baby deliver happiness to the Baker and his Wife? Why?
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7. Does the money stolen from the Giant satisfy Jack and his Mother? Why?
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8. Does the return of her beauty redefine the Witch’s life in a positive way? Why?
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9. What does Into the Woods suggest about the worth of seeking perfection?
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10. Some of the characters in Into the Woods are driven by uncontrolled desires. Which
characters fit this description? What kinds of desires drive them? What happens as a
result of their failure to control these desires?
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Bonus Question (10 points):

Imagine one of the characters in Into The Woods had decided to sacrifice his or her wish
and had not pursued it. How would the tale have changed?
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