Beyond the Horizon

Encyclopedia.com defines a tragedy as “a form of drama in which a noble hero (the protagonist) meets a fate inherent in the drama’s action.” To what extent are the tragic events of the play inevitable or a result of the central characters’ own free choices? Support your response with evidence from the play.

The horizon is a central recurring motif throughout the play. Trace the appearance of the horizon throughout the play and consider how O’Neill’s use of the image changes as the plot progresses.

In Act I, James Mayo warns Andy that he’s “runnin’ against [his] own nature” (146). Explore the real nature of one of the central characters (Andy, Rob, or Ruth) and how they diverge from their true self.

At the start of the play, Rob tells Ruth that when he was ill as a child and had to stay indoors, his “eyes would follow this road, winding off into the distance, toward the hills, as if it, too, was searching for the sea” (132-33). The land and sea are repeatedly juxtaposed throughout the play; what is the significance of this contrast?

Rob’s death carries a poignant message. What is this message? As the play draws to a close, does O’Neill offer any ray of hope for Ruth and Andy?

Ruth is the most enigmatic of the three main characters. At the beginning of the play, both brothers assume Ruth loves Andy, but she then surprises them by confessing she loves Rob. However, Ruth later says she made a mistake and loved Andy all along. Consider Ruth’s indecision—is it a tragic flaw? Why does Ruth marry Rob if she truly loved Andy?

A central theme of the Beyond the Horizon is the parent-child relationship. How functional or dysfunctional are the relationships between parents and their children in the play? What happens when these relationships break down?

Each of the play’s three acts has two scenes, and one is always set inside the Mayo’s farmhouse, while the other is set outside on Mayo land. What is the significance of the pattern of the interior and exterior settings?