MCQ

1- a) brave, unspoilt by luxury and self-reliant

2- a) beware of my revenge and I will have my bond.

3- ii) He pretends to be jealous

4- a) Shylock’s inclinations are wolf-like, bloodthirsty, greedy and rapacious.

5- d) All of Shylock’s goods and lands would be liable for confiscation.

6- c) A blood stained cloak.

7- c) It reflects the glow and warmth that emanates from freedom he has to fly freely in
the sky

8- c) Metaphor for divine intervention.

9- c) Hyperbole

10-a) 1 is the cause for 2

11) display of great human compassion

12- The slippers were too large for her

13-c) 1, 4 3, 2

14- a) The narrator has used a technique called foreshadowing.

15- a) A light shining through the little chamber windows

16- d) Hitler’s Aryan Supremacy theory

Question-2

(i) Where is the scene set? Who enters the scene later? How does he recognise
Portia’s arrival? 3

Belmont, Avenue to Portia’s house

Lorenzo

By Portia’s voice
 (ii) What birds are mentioned by Portia before she gets recognized? What does she
say in connection with them? 3

Crow, lark, nightingale, goose, wren

Portia says that when we pay no attention to it, the hoarse voice of the crow sounds as
sweet as the melodious note of the lark. If the nightingale sings by day when every goose
is cackling, it will not be appreciated any more than the twittering wren. The true value of
a thing depends on the way it has been seen or heard at the most fitting time. Even good
things do not attain perfection and fail to deserve the praise due them simply because
they are not well-timed.

(iii) Explain: ‘A substitutes shines…..’ 3

The lines show Portia’s reflective nature, and give a final conception of her intellectual
powers. A substitute shines as brightly as a king until a king is back, and then the
substitute’s condition drains away, as an inland brook does into the river of waters. Here
Portia compares a substitute to Lorenzo and a king to Bassanio. Further, she also
interprets comparing the moon light with the greater glory. She adds that a King’s
substitute can never be the King. That a king’s substitute impresses us as long as the King
is not around.

(iv) Who has overheard Portia’? What does he say? 3

Bassanio has overheard Portia and he takes up the subject. He pays her a compliment by
saying that if she were to come forth at night after the sun has set, they would still have
day, even while the sun is lighting up the opposite side of the globe. He means to say that
the lustre of her beauty will dispel the darkness of the night, as it will illuminate the area.

(v) Describe the introduction of Antonio to Portia and state what was said on both
sides? 4

Bassanio introduces his friend, Antonio, to Portia, and tells her that he is the man to
whom he owes so much. He tells her to welcome him too.

Portia pretends she knows nothing about the trial and tells Bassanio that it is only right
that in all reason he should consider himself greatly indebted to him; for she was told
Antonio was greatly in debt to another for Bassanio's sake.

Antonio says that whatever the liabilities were, great or small; he has been completely
released from them.
Portia tells Antonio he is most welcome to their house but she must show him the warmth
of her welcome by deeds and not mere words. So she will put an end to speeches of
polite.

Question-3

(i) Who are these words addressed to? When? Why? 3

Bassanio
Gratiano expresses these words when his confession of his love with Nerissa gets
approved by Bassano.
Because Gratiano gets a wife
(ii) Who is the ‘mistress’ referred to? How did the master express his joy
when he won her hand in marriage? 3
Portia
On learning the success of his choice, Bassanio is at the height of his joy. He says
that he feels like one who is striving to win some contest, like one of two prize-
fighters. He hears the plaudits and the clamour of the crowd, but is too bewildered
by the struggle to be able to tell whether the applause is for him or not. Such is
Bassanio's condition, as he is yet uncertain whether he has won Portia or not. He
asks Portia to confirm, approve and sanction it and to return the kiss.
(iii) How had Gratiano wooed and won a wife? 3
Gratiano thanks Bassanio for his consent and tells him that he has been the means
of his having obtained one. He tells Bassanio that he is no whit behind Bassanio in
perceiving beauty. While Bassanio wooed the Lady Portia, Gratiano wooed her
lady-in-waiting. Just as Bassanio made a speedy courtship, so did Gratiano, for
Gratiano is no more inclined to delay than Bassanio. Bassanio's success or failure
depended upon his choice of the right casket and so did Gratiano's as well. After he
had exhausted himself in pleading and persuasion, and vowed affection till he
could speak no longer as the roof of his mouth was dry, at last he obtained a
promise from the fair Nerissa. The promise, if it still lasts, was that Nerissa would
love Gratiano, on condition that Bassanio had the good fortune to win the love of
her mistress.
(iv) Explain: ‘We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.” 3
Jason was the Greek hero who went with his companions, the Argonauts, to
Colchis and obtained the Golden Fleece.
Gratiano tells Salanio that Antonio will be glad to learn of their success with
Portia. Like Jason, they have won the Golden Fleece in quest of which they came.
In Act 1, Scene 1, Bassanio had compared Portia to the Golden Fleece and himself
to Jason on his voyage in search of the Golden Fleece. Though Gratiano was not
present when Bassanio said this, he had probably heard it in the course of
conversation among Bassanio's friends. When Gratiano uses the words 'we' and
'our', he actually refers to Bassanio's success with Portia and not to his own success
with Nerissa. He only accompanied Bassanio on his voyage in search of Portia, the
Golden Fleece.
(v) What unfortunate news is received at the end of the scene? Who is the
bearer? What is Bassanio’s reply? 4
Antonio’s shipwreck, Shylock’s refusal of 3000 ducats and his revenge

Salerio

Before Bassanio opens the letter he asks Antonio’s wellbeing.

Question 4

i. What reason did Mr. Joe Thompson give his wife for bringing the child
home? 3
Joe Thompson told his wife that the little child‘s mother had died and she
was left alone in the little hut. He informed her that nobody was ready to
take the bedridden girl and she could not walk to the Poor house on her own
as suggested by the others. It was getting dark so he decided to bring her
home and would take her to the Poor house after taking permission from her
guardians.
ii. How did Mrs. Thompson react when she saw Maggie? 3
Thompson is presented as an ill-tempered woman. When she saw her
husband bringing the poor girl in their home, she got mad at him. She
showed anger and astonishment to Mr. Thompson. She asked him the reason
behind bringing her home. She also asked him to leave her to the poorhouse
as soon as possible.
iii. What made Mrs. Thompson move towards Maggie in the little
chamber? 3
Joe asked Mrs. Thompson to be kind by giving an example of the lines in the
Bible (the views of Jesus Christ on how God rewards those who help little
children). He also reminded her of Maggie’s dead mother and loneliness,
pain and sorrow, which Maggie was undergoing at that moment. This
probably melted her heart and she went to see Maggie in the little chamber.
iv. What kind of person was Mrs. Thompson before Maggie came to her
life and how did her personality change in the latter part of the story? 3
Mrs. Thompson was a bitter and angry person before Maggie came to her
life. She had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so she had
become sore, irritable, ill-tempered and self-afflicting. After her arrival, she
became kind, affectionate and caring individual.
v. In what way was Maggie an angel in disguise? 4
Maggie was an angel in disguise. She came to the house of the Thompson‘s
disguised as a sick, helpless and miserable child and filled all its dark and
dreary chambers with the sunshine of her love. The miraculous effect that
Maggie’s presence had on the woman’s character and the happiness that she
brings to them proved her to be an angel in their lives.
Question 5

i. Bring out the girl's struggle of survival on that night. Explain. 3

She was bare feet and was sent out on a cold night to sell matches, which
was another form of begging at that time. No one bought matches from her
so she was unable to earn a single penny. She was shivering and hungry.
ii. It is seen that there is disparity in the society. Bring out two conflicts in
the context of the lesson? 3
During the Victorian Era, the middle class emerged and took over an
important percentage of work places. It is at this time, there appeared an
underclass, which remained unemployed and lived-in abject poverty. This
class resented both the aristocracy and the middle class. There existed a huge
gap between the financial condition of this class and the wealthy.
The children were regarded as miniature adults who were used for cheap
labour. In this story, the child is poor and motherless. She does not get any
affection or love form her father but is sent out in the biting cold to sell
matches. She became a victim of child labour and of physical abuse at the
hands of her father.
iii. What parallels can be drawn between the weather and the people? 3
The girl, suffering from the cold and the ignorance of the people around her
and maybe as a result of the social stratification of Victorian times, is still
capable of imagining certain things that would make her feel better about her
situation- huge Christmas trees, a table full of Christmas food and her
grandmother’s loving face.
Andersen portrays in this tale not only a realistic and crude view of society
in Victorian times, but also a deep criticism of social class differentiation.
During those times, children were not regarded the same way people regard
 them nowadays. Instead, they were viewed as ‘miniature adults’ and were
usually used for cheap labour.
iv. How does the Grandmother influence the little match girl's belief?
Bring out its effect. 3

The Little girl's grandmother was dead but was the only person, whom she
remembered fondly. She has been described as the only one who loved the
little girl. It seems that the little girl used to hear stories from her
grandmother as she remembered her grandmother's view about the stars
falling from the sky. The memory of her grandmother's helped her keep
warm while others ignored her.
The girl pleaded with her grandmother to take her to heaven and both of
them flew in brightness and in joy to be with God. The girl’s smiling face
after her death thus symbolizes a better afterlife.
v. Describe the girl as she encountered death. Can you replace the word'
death' with another word and justify the reason for it? 4
The little match girl who died of cold and hunger is referred to here. Her
cheeks had turned rosy because of extreme cold. Moreover, she has a
smiling mouth because her wish to be with her loving grandmother comes
true through her death. Her smile indicates that the girl is relieved of her
pain through divine redemption.

Question 6

(i) Describe the scene of the narrator’s entry. [3]

The speaker was welcomed with roses all the way and myrtle mixed in his path like mad. The
house-roofs seemed to heave and sway, with the people who had gathered to welcome him. The
church-spires flamed, bright flags decorated the church spires. The air broke into a mist with
bells and the old walls rocked with the crowd and cries. It was very festive.

(ii) Where is the narrator going? Why is he being taken there? What is said about the scene at
the house-tops and the windows now? [3]
The narrator was being led to Shambles’ Gate, to the scaffold. He is to be hanged to death for his year’s
“misdeeds”. There was nobody on the house-tops now, just a palsied few at the windows. Most people
had assembled at the Shambles’ Gate, by the foot of the scaffold.

(iii)Describe the physical condition of the narrator as he is being led there. How do people treat
him on the way? [3]
The narrator’s hands are tied at his back and the rope cuts into both his wrists behind. He is numb to
physical pain now, for he says, he thinks, by the feel, that his forehead bleeds, as the people are flinging
stones at him, at will, for all the misdeeds of the year.

(iv)How long has it taken for the narrator’s fortune to change? How does the weather seem to
reflect both the rise and fall of the narrator’s fortune? [3]
A year. It was bright and sunny that day, a year ago, when he was being welcomed with great
enthusiasm. A year later, he goes in the rain. The atmosphere is bleak and it is raining. The weather
seems to reflect what the narrator is going through.

(v) How does the poem end? What is the relevance of the title of the poem? [4]
The poem ends by the poet feeling safe in God’s hands. He thinks that God may ask him what else he
needs as he has already received his due from the world. The speaker is now free from the fickle-
mindedness of the crowd, and feels he has done his duty by the world, and ultimately will find peace in
God. He feels God will take care of him, since God knows he did no wrong. This comforting
knowledge makes him free and feel safe. After all, where can one feel safer than in the arms of the all-
knowing Almighty?
The title of the poem, ‘The Patriot’ is indicative of how a leader being patriotic, ambitious and
idealistic, has a meteoric rise to power, and is overwhelmed by the admiration and warmth of the
crowd. He is aware of having done what was expected of a patriotic leader, and there is a hint of how
he probably was too ambitious and reached for the sun, and gave it to his “loving friends” to keep. This
might be a hint of misplaced trust in his friends. Something went wrong along the way and the
overwhelming feeling that the patriot has in his mind now is that he has taken accountability and has
done what was possible to make things alright, “Nought man could do, have I left undone”. He worked
with zeal and enthusiasm, like a true patriot, for the country and the people, yet it has all come down to
this unfortunate state and he is being executed for his “misdeeds”. Such a stark contrast after a year, as
it took only a year for adulation to turn into hate.
The patriot indulges in a dramatic monologue about the harsh reality he faces even in the line of duty,
being punished for his ambition and ‘misdeeds’, and being largely misunderstood by the common
crowd. Public opinion is fickle, and life is uncertain.
Any suitable answer.

Question-7
1. How did the daffodils outdo the waves? 3

The poet says that the sparkling waves danced in the breeze, but the beauty of the bright
daffodils surpassed their beauty. The daffodils seemed to dance with the breeze with
much more liveliness and their sight seemed happier than the waves which did not bring
as much joy as the yellow flowers.
2. What is meant by jocund company? Which jocund company is the poet referring
to? Why does the poet find it jocund? 3

Jocund company means a cheerful company of someone. In this stanza the poet by
‘jocund company’ refers to the joyful company of the daffodils and the waves. He was
amazed at the beautiful vision and could not help to be happy. They were successful in
changing the pensive mood of the poet.

3. How does wealth come to the poet by looking at the scene before him? 3

The wealth comes to the poet by an uncountable happiness from the site of daffodils. Its
remembrance causes a transformation from the melancholy mood to a joyful mood and
fills the poet’s heart with happiness. Sweet memories from the scene which are more
valuable than money.

4. What according to the poet distinguishes the daffodils from the natural
surroundings? 3

In these lines the poet says that there are the other things which are producing the beauty.
But the happiness of the golden Daffodils is more than other natural scenes. The poet
wants to be here all the day. He thinks that their value is more than money.

5. What rhyme scheme is followed in the poem? Explain the lines: I gazed—and
gazed—but little thought what wealth the show to me had brought: 4

The rhyme scheme followed in the poem is “ababcc”.

The lines explain that the poet was so enchanted at the sight of golden daffodils that he
kept on looking at them. It appeared that he has received some sort of precious wealth as
a permanent kind of happiness far more valuable than money.