Teacher Guide

Rhinoceros Lesson Plan

Introduction to Rhinoceros

At the beginning of Rhinoceros, a rhinoceros appears on the streets of a small French town, startling the inhabitants, particularly Berenger. Slowly, Berenger and his colleagues realize that the rhinoceroses are humans transformed, made clear when one of their co-workers becomes a rhinoceros; before long, Berenger's best friend Jean turns into a rhinoceros, and the town is overrun with the beasts. More and more people choose to transform. Berenger is terrified, and loses his friends and eventually his lover Daisy as rhinoceroses take over; he begins to find himself ugly, as a human, but is determined not to give in.

Rhinoceros is perhaps playwright Eugene Ionesco's most famous play. It...

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