Holiday Homework for ISC 2

December 2024

Dear Students,

• Handwrite your response on ruled sheets and bring the script to the school for feedback.
• Ensure you understand the content fully before responding to the questions.
• Use specific evidence or quotations from the text to back up your main ideas.
• Present your work in a clear and organized manner.
• Make sure your responses adhere to the specified word count.
• This homework will take about 3 hours to complete.

MACBETH –WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

The guidelines have been specified in the question. You are expected to develop your answers
on the prompts given in the question.
You are required to answer within the specified word limit.
You must formulate your answers on the areas specified in the question.

1. How does Malcolm’s character grow and change over the course of the play?
Incorporate the following details and write your answer in a short paragraph of about
100-150 words. (Analysis)
a) Malcolm’s testing of Macduff in Act IV.
b) His generalship and the restoration of order through Macduff

2. In what ways does power corrupt in the play Macbeth? Discuss any one character who is
corrupted by power in the play.
Incorporate the following details and answer in 100-150 words. (Understanding)
a) The character’s traits before coming to power.
b) The character’s degeneration after coming into power.

The long answers given in this section, outline the correct approach and specify the areas
that the students must build their answers on.
These answers are notlimiting but only suggestive.
Any other correct interpretation supported by textual evidence will be accepted.

3. Do you agree with the view that Macbeth is fighting a lost battle against forces beyond
his control? Justify your point of view in about 200- 250 words by referring to the Acts
studied. (Evaluate)
You are expected to elaborate on the following ideas:
• Identify the “forces beyond his control.”
• State whether the forces are merely the witches or his “Overvaulting ambition.”
• Discuss the role of Macbeth’s soliloquies in brief to reflect the battle within
him.
 • Discuss Macbeth’s responsibility in reacting to the persuasion ofLady Macbeth
and the witches.
• Contrast Macbeth with Banquo and Macduff.
• Judge what happens to Macbeth as a result of the battle within and without.

4. When do you have flashes of sympathy and admiration for Lady Macbeth in the course of
the play? Explain by citing examples from the Acts studied. Write your answer in about
200-250 words. (Interpret)
You are expected to use the following approach to answer this question:
• Choose at least one example of each emotion.
• Explain Lady Macbeth’s actions/ role/ words in the chosen scene.
• Explain why the respective scene arouses Sympathy or Admiration.
• Focus on how the feelings are aroused in the reader- through words, imagery, actions and
so on.
• Suggest a plausible reason for such a portrayal.

PRISM- A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES

The guidelines have been specified in the question. You have to develop your answers on the
prompts given in the question.
You are required to answer within the specified word limit.
You must formulate your answers on the areas specified in the question within the prescribed
word limit.

5. The Medicine Bag traces the narrator’s attitude to his Sioux Grandfather, from mild
embarrassment to appreciation. Summarise the reasons for this embarrassment and the
change. (Understanding)
Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.
• Reasons for embarrassment.
• Specific reasons for the change in attitude.

6. Referring closely to the short story, The Cookie Lady, explore Mrs. Drew’s fascination
with Bubber. (Understanding)
Answer in 100-150 words Incorporating the following details.
▪ Mrs. Drew’s repeated interactions with Bubber
▪ Role of the cookies in the short story

7. Tarapada, the central character in the short story, Atithi, is a free soul who cannot be
restrained by the bonds of society. Examine this statement in 200-250 words.
(Analysis)

You are required to focus on the following areas in your answers:

• Cite examples of Tarapada’s love of freedom.
• Mention his interests and activities.
 • Describe his attitude to his own family and mother.
• Describe his reaction to music, nature and ordinary people.
• Comment on his relationship with Charusashi.
• Interpret his return to the world of Nature at the conclusion of thestory.

8. Discuss the absence of human characters in the story, There Will Come Soft Rains. How
does this absence contribute to the overall tone and message of the narrative? Answer in
200-250 words. (Analysis)

You are required to focus on the following areas in your answer.

• Discuss the portrayal of a dystopian world – almost post-apocalyptic

• Emphasise on the mechanical work of machinery/
robotseffortlessly carrying out their duties, even the mice are mechanical.
• Describe the complete, chilling absence of human presence- thewarmth, the
fallible aspect of human existence.
• Things are done at their assigned time and assigned manner.
• Ironically, the house is preoccupied with Time- a human construct,in the absence of
human beings.
• In the end, Nature prevails over technology.

RHAPSODY: POETRY

The prompts have been specified in the question.

You have to develop the answers on those prompts within the specified word limit.
You must formulate your answers on the areas specified in the question within the prescribed
word limit.

9. In what ways does the speaker’s cultural background clash with the landlady’s
expectations in the poem Telephone Conversation? (Understanding)
Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.
• The speaker’s conversation with the landlady.
• The undertones of racial and colour bias in the conversation.

10. Referring to the poem Tithonus, show how his immortality becomes a curse.
(Understanding) Answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.
• Circumstances leading to Tithonus receiving a boon.
• Reasons for the boon becoming a curse.

[Link] the comparison between death and sleep in the poem, Death Be Not Proud.
How does this metaphor contribute to the overall message of the sonnet? Write your
answer in about 200-250 words. (Analysis)

You are required to build your answer on the following areas.

 • Briefly explain how the poem is built on the common comparisonof death
and sleep.
• Use of words and imagery which underscores this similarity.
• Use of imagery to show that death is also weak and susceptible.
• How does eternal life after death negate the power of Death.
• Constant downscaling of the power and terror of Death
• Message that Death can be overcome and defeated

[Link] poem Beethoven explores the role of pain and suffering in the process of artistic
creativity and excellence. Justify this statement in 200-250 words. (Evaluate)

You have to address the following areas in their answers:

• Cite the words or lines which emphasise Beethoven’s suffering.
• Describe his anguish.
• Cite metaphors or imagery suggesting the connection between painand
artistic creativity.
• Describe how Beethoven overcame adversity.
• Provide evidence from the poem to describe the impact of his musicon
audiences.

Download these Competency Focused Practice Question given by the CISCE for REVISION.

[Link]

[Link]