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Mary Todd Lincoln
The prominent American actor, white supremacist, and Confederate sympathizer who famously assassinated Abraham Lincoln in Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865. In The America Play, a variety of people dressed as Booth repeatedly reenact the Lincoln assassination by shooting the Foundling Father throughout Act One. Notably, during these scenes, the dialogue and stage direction are actually written for “Lincoln” and “Booth,” which is a sort of commentary on not only the gap between actors and the roles they play, but also Booth’s profession and the theatrical setting of Lincoln’s murder.
John Wilkes Booth Quotes in The America Play
The The America Play quotes below are all either spoken by John Wilkes Booth or refer to John Wilkes Booth. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1: Lincoln Act
Quotes
“You sockdologizing old man-trap!”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
(A Man, as John Wilkes Booth, enters. He takes a gun and “stands in position": at the left side of the Foundling Father, as Abraham Lincoln, pointing the gun at the Foundling Father’s head)
A MAN: Ready.
THE FOUNDLING FATHER: Haw Haw Haw Haw
(Rest)
HAW HAW HAW HAW
(Booth shoots. Lincoln “slumps in his chair." Booth jumps)
A MAN (Theatrically): “Thus to the tyrants!”
(Rest)
Hhhh. (Exits)
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The America Play LitChart as a printable PDF.
John Wilkes Booth Quotes in The America Play
The The America Play quotes below are all either spoken by John Wilkes Booth or refer to John Wilkes Booth. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1: Lincoln Act
Quotes
“You sockdologizing old man-trap!”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
(A Man, as John Wilkes Booth, enters. He takes a gun and “stands in position": at the left side of the Foundling Father, as Abraham Lincoln, pointing the gun at the Foundling Father’s head)
A MAN: Ready.
THE FOUNDLING FATHER: Haw Haw Haw Haw
(Rest)
HAW HAW HAW HAW
(Booth shoots. Lincoln “slumps in his chair." Booth jumps)
A MAN (Theatrically): “Thus to the tyrants!”
(Rest)
Hhhh. (Exits)
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
BOOTH
LINCOLN
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
