Doubt: A Parable

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. As revealed in the play’s subtitle, John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt is a parable. What is a parable? What famous parables have you encountered? What literary or ideological contexts are usually associated with this form of storytelling?

Teaching Suggestion: A parable is a simple story that teaches a religious or ethical lesson. Parables are most commonly associated with religious literature and scripture. The parables in the gospels are particularly famous, as Jesus uses them to illustrate some of his most famous spiritual lessons. It may help to discuss some examples of famous parables (e.g., the parables of the blind men and the elephant, the prodigal son, or the boy who cried wolf) to help students understand the basic elements of this device.

• This article and video from the National Catholic Education Commission define the characteristics of parables, especially in the context of the Bible.
• “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” from the Gospel of Luke is one of the most famous parables in the New Testament.