Lamb to the
Slaughter
Name _____________________________________ Section ______
PLOT
Label and
Summarize
Setting
Sketch it
Summarize it
Conflict 
•
What is the strongest type of conflict? ___________________________
• Why? ______________________________________________________
Figurative Language 
Column 1 on pg 380  “She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel – almost as a sunbather
feels the sun – that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together.”
What 2 types of figurative language are being used above?
1. _______________________________________ 2. ______________________________________
Roald Dahl uses almost no figurative language in this story. Why do you think that might be?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Lamb to the Slaughter  pg 2 of 4
Characters 
Name
Protagonist or Antagonist? Why?
Flat or Round? Why?
Dynamic or Static? Why?
Characterization – How does the Author reveal character?
What’s the character
like?
Based on what lines of
text?
Type of
Characterization
Based on which
definition?
Direct
Mrs.
Maloney
Indirect
Direct
Mr.
Maloney
Indirect
Mary Maloney is a MURDERER, but most readers are sympathetic to her. What are three things that the
author did to make us “take her side”.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________________
Irony
Dramatic
Situational
Verbal
Definition
Definition
Definition
Example with page number
Example with page number
Example with page number
Lamb to the Slaughter  pg 3 of 4
Pick One
Pick One
Critical Thinking Questions:
1. What decade/era do you think the
text represents? Based on what clues.
2. What is the most ironic thing about
his story to you?
3. What do you think Patrick told his
wife when she came home? Why was
it a bad time to tell her this?
4. Why is the title of the story
important? What does it mean?
State Test Questions
_____1. Which of the following is not a clue about the
time period in “Lamb to the Slaughter”?
a) Mrs. Maloney does not work
b) After work drinks
c) Knowing the grocer
d) Affairs and divorce
_____6. The first paragraph of the story on page 379
is establishing
a) Character
b) Conflict
c) Setting
d) Plot
_____2. Discussing the murder weapon while eating
the lamb is an example of which type of
irony?
a) verbal
b) situational
c) dramatic
d) no irony
_____7. In the last paragraph on page 379, the author
reveals the character of Mary Maloney
through
a) her appearance.
b) her own thoughts.
c) her actions.
d) Both A and C.
_____3. “Lamb to the Slaughter” is written from
which point of view?
a) first person
b) third-person objective
c) third-person limited
d) third-person omniscient
Read the passage below
_____4. If “Lamb to the Slaughter” were set in
modern day, which aspect of the plot would
likely be affected?
a) Mrs. Maloney would not drink while
pregnant
b) The police would not come to the home
c) Mr. Maloney would not want a divorce
d) Mrs. Maloney would not cook a big dinner
_____5. In “Lamb to the Slaughter,” during what
portion of the plot does the reader realize
that Mr. Maloney wants a divorce?
a) exposition
b) rising action
c) climax
d) resolution/denouement
“Lamb to the Slaughter” is the tale of a devoted wife
who lives to please and care for her husband. She
watches the clock toward the end of each day
because she can’t wait for him to come home.
Unfortunately, her husband is not as devoted and
asks for a divorce one evening. His wife is
devastated by this news and snaps. She picks up the
frozen leg of lamb she was going to fix for dinner and
bashes him over the head with it, killing him instantly.
She quickly formulates a plan to get away with his
murder and the story culminates with the feeding of
the murder weapon to the police.
_____8. The passage above is an example of a(n)
a) Paraphrase
b) Summary
c) Critique
d) Excerpt
Name _____________________________________ Section ______
You’re the Defense Attorney!
Convince me (the judge & jury) that the Mrs. Maloney is not guilty due to temporary insanity.
•
•
Come up with three main reasons and support them with quotes from the text for a 5 paragraph essay.
Use persuasive language.
Start by picking three quotes
from the text to serve as the
three main points of your
case.
Quote or Quotes
How does this quote support Mary
Maloney’s temporary insanity case? Which
persuasive verbs will you use to convince
the judge/jury?
Quote #1  (Hint: You may
want to look for quotes that
explain how Mrs. Maloney felt
about her husband at the start
of the story)
Quote #2  (Hint: You may
want to look for quotes that
describe how Mr. Maloney
treats his wife)
©
Quote #3  (Hint: You may
want to look for quotes that
describe how she felt during or
after the murder.)
Introduction
Point 1
Conclusion
Point 2
Point 3