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655-705 (Hard)|   Inference|                                          
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Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at CentralTheater, was wri 10 Mar 2018, 23:07
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Could you please break down the question stem and explain it? Especially "best serve as part of an argument that"? Does it mean to infer?
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Could you please break down the question stem and explain it? Especially "best serve as part of an argument that"? Does it mean to infer?
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It is an inference/conclusion question.

Question stem: The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that

What this means: The given considerations support the argument that ... i.e. the information given to us will best be a part of which of the following arguments? i.e. what is the author trying to say by giving you this information?
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Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at CentralTheater, was wri 04 Jul 2021, 20:16
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AndrewN

I need help in understanding the meaning of option D.

Director's claim :- The play that is being performed today cannot be more closer than it is to the original production.
Harlequin :- His style resembles that of Marx. But Marx's style was also not of 20th century but of 16th century.So harlequin's style is also old school.


(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim
In my opinion actor's performance suggests that the style is copied even in modern day. This evidence serves against (counter to)the director claim that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater.
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AndrewN

I need help in understanding the meaning of option D.

Director's claim :- The play that is being performed today cannot be more closer than it is to the original production.
Harlequin :- His style resembles that of Marx. But Marx's style was also not of 20th century but of 16th century.So harlequin's style is also old school.


(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim
In my opinion actor's performance suggests that the style is copied even in modern day. This evidence serves against (counter to)the director claim that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater.
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Hello, warrior1991. You have things a little mixed up at the end, so I will do my best to explain (D) in the context of the passage.

Quote:
Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx’s comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that

(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim
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How about we start with the answer choice? Everything up to the verb phrase of the main clause, does not serve, is about the character Harlequin and how the actor plays that character. We are not concerned with specifics yet. Meanwhile, the noun phrase at the end of the answer choice, evidence against the director's claim, draws attention to the claim in question. Lucky for us, we see that the second line of the passage starts with the director claims, so all we have to do is match information. Evidence against the claim would work to negate it, as in,

this production is not as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater

Now, since our verb phrase in (D) tells us not to go against the claim the director made, we should leave it intact and consider it valid. So, do both halves of (D) surrounding the verb phrase work in tandem? Does the portrayal of Harlequin fall in line with the way the character may have been portrayed in eighteenth-century Italy, when the play was written? In a word, yes. It is possible, according to the passage. Why? Because the modern-day actor playing Harlequin seems to do so in the style of Groucho Marx, but the passage informs us that this comic style was not just around in the 1700s in Italy, but that it was very much within a two-century-old comic acting tradition. Thus, the Groucho-esque portrayal of Harlequin by the modern-day actor would not fly in the face of the claim the director has made. The story checks out, and that is why (D) is the answer (in addition to other answers failing to build accurately off the passage).

I hope that helps. Thank you for thinking to ask.

- Andrew
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Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx’s comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that

(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play

(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina

(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy

(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim

(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx
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Question stem, rephrased:
Which of the following is best supported by the passage above?

Apply the NEGATION TEST.
When the correct answer is negated, the passage will be contradicted.

D, negated:
The performance of the actor in La Finestrina serves as EVIDENCE AGAINST the director’s claim [that the production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater].
According to the passage, the actor gives a performance...within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy -- SUPPORTING the director's claim that the current production is similar to the original production of the 18th-century Italian play.
The negation of D contradicts the information in blue.
Since we cannot negate D without contradicting the passage, we know that D is a statement supported by the passage.

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D
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Would an expert be able to direct me to similar Official Guide problems that have the same or a similar question stem?

I found the wording of the question ("The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that") to be very confusing, and I am hoping to practice more problems in this nature.

Thank you in advance.
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Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at CentralTheater, was wri 03 Sep 2022, 06:41
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woohoo921

Would an expert be able to direct me to similar Official Guide problems that have the same or a similar question stem?

I found the wording of the question ("The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that") to be very confusing, and I am hoping to practice more problems in this nature.
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It's just an inference question, woohoo921. You can search GMAT Club for other official inference questions (also known as 'draw a conclusion' questions).
How can we tell what this question is asking?
The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that...
The words "part of an argument" imply that the passage above is not a complete argument. Why not? What's it missing? It must be missing a conclusion (if it had a conclusion, it'd be an argument).
What are the "considerations"? Those are the facts, or the premises.
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avigutman
woohoo921

Would an expert be able to direct me to similar Official Guide problems that have the same or a similar question stem?

I found the wording of the question ("The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that") to be very confusing, and I am hoping to practice more problems in this nature.
It's just an inference question, woohoo921. You can search GMAT Club for other official inference questions (also known as 'draw a conclusion' questions).
How can we tell what this question is asking?
The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that...
The words "part of an argument" imply that the passage above is not a complete argument. Why not? What's it missing? It must be missing a conclusion (if it had a conclusion, it'd be an argument).
What are the "considerations"? Those are the facts, or the premises.
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Hi avigutman - is (D) really an inference however ?

(D) is another claim if you ask me. The claim in (D) cannot be prooven right nor can the claim in (D) be prooven wrong
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jabhatta2

Hi avigutman - is (D) really an inference however ?
(D) is another claim if you ask me. The claim in (D) cannot be prooven right nor can the claim in (D) be prooven wrong
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Please pay close attention to the words boldfaced below, jabhatta2:
Quote:
(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim
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So, A does not serve as evidence against B.
Does that seem to you like something that is particularly difficult to prove (that obviously depends on the nature of A and of B, but, all else being equal, what do you think)? How *big* of a claim is that, really?
Let's look at an analogy: My big muscles do not serve as evidence against the claim that I drink excessively.
Is that true? Well, just because I have big muscles, does that necessarily mean that I don't drink excessively?
No! There are plenty of heavy drinkers with big muscles.
In other words, this part of your post is incorrect:
jabhatta2
The claim in (D) cannot be prooven right nor can the claim in (D) be prooven wrong
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A claim of this sort
Quote:
A does not serve as evidence against B.
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is by default true if it can't be proven false.
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I totally disagree. Sixteenth-century theatre is DIFFERENT from that of 18th century. In what way do we take as given that a performance placed 2 centuries before the "original production" supports the argument?
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Sofiaxcvfc
I totally disagree. Sixteenth-century theatre is DIFFERENT from that of 18th century. In what way do we take as given that a performance placed 2 centuries before the "original production" supports the argument?


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I completely understand your confusion about the timeline! This is actually a common point of confusion in this question. Let me help clarify the key insight you're missing.

The Critical Timeline Understanding:

When the passage says the Italian comic tradition "began in sixteenth-century Italy," it doesn't mean it ended in the 16th century. Think of it like this:


  • 16th century: Italian comic acting tradition starts
  • 17th century: This tradition continues and evolves
  • 18th century: The tradition is still active when La Finestrina is written
  • 20th century: Groucho Marx uses a style rooted in this same continuing tradition


The Logic Flow:
Step 1: The director claims the current production is historically accurate to the 18th-century original.
Step 2: Someone might object: "But the actor playing Harlequin performs like Groucho Marx (20th century) - that can't be historically accurate!"
Step 3: The critic's defense: "Actually, Marx's style comes from the Italian comic tradition that was already established and active in the 18th century, so this performance style IS historically appropriate."

Why Answer (D) is Correct:

The critic is arguing that the Marx-like performance doesn't contradict the director's claim of historical accuracy because:

  • The Italian comic tradition that began in the 16th century was still the dominant style in 18th-century Italian theater
  • Marx's 20th-century style was derived from this same tradition
  • Therefore, a Marx-like performance is actually consistent with how it would have been performed originally

Your Misconception: You're thinking of the 16th and 18th centuries as completely separate theatrical eras, but theatrical traditions span centuries. It's like saying "Shakespeare began writing in the 16th century" - his influence didn't stop in 1600; it continued through the 17th, 18th, and beyond.

Key Takeaway for GMAT CR: When passages mention when something "began," always consider that it likely continued beyond that starting point. The GMAT often tests whether you can track continuity and evolution of ideas, traditions, or practices across time periods.
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Hello! For "Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx" is this talking about the actor in the current modern performance of the play? or the original actor in the original play? Thank you!
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Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at CentralTheater, was wri 04 Jan 2026, 21:15
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The passage is referring to the actor in the current modern production, not the original 18th-century performance.

Textual Clues:
  • "now at Central Theater" → current production
  • "this production" → the one being reviewed today
  • "the actor who plays" → present tense = currently performing

eaat
Hello! For "Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx" is this talking about the actor in the current modern performance of the play? or the original actor in the original play? Thank you!
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Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx’s comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that

(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play

(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina

(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy

(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim

(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx

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Conclusion question:

(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play
Irrelvant, can't really conclude this

(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina
Nope nothing supports this

(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy
Even if this is not the case argument makes sense. Eliminate.

(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director’s claim
This has to be true, if this isn't true then argument won't make sense.

(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx
Can't conclude this Eliminate.
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