Question 1.

Duke: I am sorry for thee : thou art come to answer

A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.

(i) Who is 'thee' in the first line? Where are they and why?

Ans. The 'thee' in the first line refers to Antonio. They are right now in the court
for the case between Antonio and Shylock. Antonio has forfeited the bond so
Shylock is liable to take a pound of flesh from Antonio's body.

(ii) Who is being spoken about? Why is this person being described in such a
manner?

Ans. The duke is talking about Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. As Shylock is
an unfeeling and ruthless Jew and his hatred for Antonio is so strong that he
has forgotten humanity, and in spite of the duke begging for mercy for Antonio
he is not ready to give up his bond. His heart is filled with hatred with no place
for mercy.

(iii) Who is the 'adversary' referred to here? What does the Duke mean by
'stony adversary' and 'in human wretch'?

Ans. The adversary referred to here is Shylock. By 'stony adversary' and

'inhuman wretch' the Duke means that Shylock is stone hearted and he does
not possess the feelings of humanity.

(iv) Who are the other people present? Who enters the scene next? What are his
demands and why?

Ans. The other people present are Bassanio, Gratiano, Salerio and the officers
of the court. Shylock enters the scene next. He only wants his bond and nothing
else. He was offered twice the amount due, but he only wants a pound of
Antonio's flesh. His hatred for Antonio is so deep that nothing else can satisfy
him but his life.

(v) Whose arrival is awaited? Does this person turn up? Why?

Ans. The duke is awaiting the arrival of a learned doctor, Bellario, from Padua
whom he has called to determine the case. Since Doctor Bellario is unable to
come he sends a letter stating that he is sending a learned lawyer in his place.
Therefore instead of Bellario comes the learned lawyer.

(vi) Give details of the person who comes. How does this person change the
present situation?

Ans. The person who comes in place of Bellario is actually, Portia dressed as a
lawyer. With her wit and intelligence, she turns the tables against Shylock.
Antonio wins the case and he also gets half of Shylock's property. As per the
bond, Shylock can have a pound of flesh, nothing less and nothing more and
while cutting this pound of flesh he has to make sure that he doesn't shed even
a single drop of blood. This, of course was not possible, therefore, Shylock has
to accept what the state of Venice decides.

Question 2.
Antonio: I am a tainted wether of the flock,
Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground; and so let me.

(i) Under what circumstances does this dialogue take place?

Ans. This dialogue takes place when Shylock's case against Antonio seems to
be going against Antonio. The Duke's personal appeal to Shylock has produced
no effect on him and Bassanio's pleading with Shylock has also failed to serve
any purpose.

(ii) The listener has been given a task by the speaker. What is it? Why does he
say that?

Ans. Antonio asks Bassanio to write his epitaph because that would be the
most suitable task for him as he is his best friend and no one can understand
him better than Bassanio.

(iii) Why is Antonio willing to die?

Ans. Antonio thinks himself to be a useless man now when he was bankrupt
and has completely lost his flourishing business. He compares himself to a
sheep which gets infected with some disease and his continued presence in the
flock of sheep can prove to be dangerous to the other sheep as well. It would be
better if the infected sheep dies. In the same way, Antonio would like to die
instead of continuing to live and cause endless anxiety to his friends like
Bassanio.

(iv) What feelings does this piece of dialogue arouse in your heart?
Ans. This piece of dialogue provokes sympathy for Antonio and respect for
Bassanio. A deep pity has been aroused at the fate, which Antonio is on the
edge of meeting and we certainly admire Bassanio for his sincerity towards his
friend who is in profound dilemma.

(v) Who enters the scene next? What news does this person bring?

Ans. Nerissa, dressed as the lawyer's clerk, enters the scene next. Nerissa has
come with a letter from Bellario, a renowned Doctor of law. The letter states
that since Bellario is unwell he is sending a learned lawyer by the name of
Balthazar to handle the case.

Question 3.
Partia: Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less, nor more
But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more,
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance
Or the division of the twentieth part
Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,
Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.

(i) Who are the two people in conversation ? The speaker lays down a
condition, what is it?

Ans. The two people i e in the conversation are Portia, disguised as the lawyer
and Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. As per the bond, Shylock can take only
a pound of flesh. It does not permit him to take a single drop of blood. He must
weigh a pound of flesh, accurately, without shedding even a 'jot of blood.
(ii) Another person, present here, applauds the speaker for his judgment. Who
is this person? Why does he react in this manner?

Ans. Gratiano, a friend of Bassanio and Antonio who are also present in the
court, is very happy when Portia comes out with this condition. When Portia
allows Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio's body, nearest to his
heart, Shylock is very happy and calls Portia a great judge, Daniel. But now
seeing that the tables have turned against Shylock, he applauds and makes fun
of Shylock and ridicules him.

(iii) What would be the penalty if the law is broken? Give details.

Ans. If Shylock sheds a single drop of blood while taking his pound of flesh, as
per the bond, then all his property would be confiscated, and he would have to
face a death sentence. His life would be at the mercy of the Duke. Finally, the
duke spares Shylock's life and half his property goes to the state of Venice and
the other half, which was to go to Antonio, is given to Lorenzo and Jessica, on
Antonio's request. Shylock is made to sign a deed in which half his property is
bequeathed to his daughter and son-in-law. Also, Shylock has to turn into a
Christian. Therefore, he is left completely defeated and drained.

(iv) The tables have turned. How? Who is responsible for it?

Ans. Portia's wit and intelligence turn the tables against Shylock. Antonio has
lost all hope and is sure that the Jew will take his revenge and Antonio will
have to pay the penalty of breaking the bond with his life. Shylock is all ready
to take his pound of flesh when he is stopped by Portia stating that Shylock can
only have a pound of flesh without shedding a single drop of blood. Shylock
has no choice but to let go of his enemy. In fact, he not only has to forget about
getting his principal but also loses all his property and has to face the
humiliation of turning into a Christian. All this happened because of Portia.

(v) Characterize the speaker.

Ans. The speaker, Portia, is a woman of substance. Her beauty matches her
intelligence, clearly defying the phrase, 'beauty without brains'. She is quick-
witted, beautiful and intelligent and comes as an antidote to Shylock's malice.
However, in the beginning of the play, we do not see her potential because she
is engrossed in her father's will. But here also we realize that she is an obedient
daughter. She is fun-loving as we can see in the 'ring episode', but here also she
is sensible enough to stop the fun before it goes too far.

Question 4.
Lorenzo: The moon shines bright : in such a night as this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
And they did make no noise, in such a night
Troilus methinks mounted the Trojan walls,
And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.

(i) Who is the other person present? Where are they right now? What has
brought them here?

Ans. The other person present is Jessica, beloved of Lorenzo and the daughter
of the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Right now, both are in the garden of
Portia's palace in Belmont. Shylock's hatred for Christians did not allow
Lorenzo and Jessica to get married therefore she fled from her father's house
with her Christian lover, Lorenzo.

(ii) In what mood is the speaker? What kind of a night is it?

Ans. Lorenzo is in a very romantic mood. The night is moon lit and the sky is
full of stars. There is sweet wind blowing and the trees are dancing in the
breeze. The night is soft and quiet.

(iii) The speaker speaks of Troilus and Cressida. Who are they? Why is he
reminded of them?
Ans. Troilus was a Trojan warrior, who was separated from his beloved,
Cressida, when she was taken into the enemy (Greek) camp. He is reminded of
these two lovers because the night is romantic and apt for lovers to meet. The
way he wants Jessica, even Troilus would be longing for Cressida.

(iv) Which other people are mentioned by the two people in conversation? Give
details.

Ans. The other couples mentioned by Lorenzo and Jessica are Pyramus and
Thisbe, Dido and Aeneas, Medea and Jason. Thisbe, seeing the lion, ran and
dropped her scarf. The lion mauled the scarf and seeing that bloody napkin,
Pyramus thought that Thisbe was dead and he stabbed himself. The queen of
Carthage, Dido, was deserted by her lover, Aeneas, so she stood at the sea-
bank waving a willow. Medea, the enchantress, loved Jason so she restored his
father back to youth.

(v) Who enters the scene, next? What news has he brought?

Ans. Portia's servant Stephano, enters the scene. He brings the news of, the
arrival of Portia, his mistress, along with Nerissa, before the break of day,
stopping by at small shrines by the roadside praying for a happy married life.

Question 5.
Portia: You were to blame-I must be plain with you-
To part so slightly with your wife's first gift;
A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger,
And so riveted with faith unto your flesh.
I gave my love a ring and made him swear
Never to part with it:

(i) Who is the speaker blaming and for what?

Ans. The speaker of the above lines is Portia. She is blaming Gratiano,
Nerissa's husband, for parting with the ring that his wife had given him. He
had promised Nerissa that he would never part with the ring under any
circumstances.

(ii) What is the speaker boasting about? What shocks the speaker?

Ans. The speaker, Portia, is boasting about the love and commitment that her
husband has for her. She says that she can swear by anything that if it were
her husband, he would have never parted with his ring under similar
conditions. Portia is shocked to hear from Gratiano that Bassanio had ended
up giving his ring to the lawyer who had saved Antonio's life.

(iii) How does the speaker react to this revelation? What conditions does the
speaker put down and for whom?

Ans. Portia is shocked and she can't believe that Bassanio could part with such
a precious gift as this one. Portia threatens her husband, Bassanio that she
would not come to his bed till she sees the ring. She shows her anger and
displeasure and tells Bassanio that she is sure that he has given the ring to a
woman and not a man. She also threatens Bassanio that if that lawyer ever
came near her she would become as liberal as Bassanio with the lawyer and
give him her body, her husband's bed and everything else.

(iv) Who is 'my love'? What has this person done? How does this person
justifies himself?

Ans. 'My love' here refers to Bassanio, Portia's husband. Bassanio has given
his ring to the lawyer who saved Antonio. The ring had been given to Bassanio
by Portia saying that he would never part with the ring, under any
circumstances. Bassanio justifies himself by saying that had Portia known
why, for whom and how unwillingly he had given away the ring she would
never have been so displeased.

(v) who comes to the rescue of these people? What promise does he make?
Ans. On seeing the couples fight, Antonio feels that he is responsible for all this.
He promises the two ladies that their husbands will never again break their
promises which he swears by his soul. Antonio is the security.

Question 6.
Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:-
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

(i) Who was Abou Ben Adhem? What is meant by 'may his tribe increase'?

Ans. Abou Ben Adhem was an 8th century Sufi mystic of royal lineage from
Balkh. He loved his tribesmen who treated him as their spiritual leader and
pioneer. They followed his teachings based on great ideals and values such as
peace, mutual harmony, and service of the deprived and downtrodden. 'May
his tribe increase', used as a parenthesis here, basically implies a wish for the
growth of people who followed his teachings and adopted the path shown by
him.

(ii) Describe the phrase that has been used by the poet to describe the great
charm of the angel?

Ans. In this stanza, the poet uses the phrase 'like a lily in bloom', to describe
the great charm of the angel. This is an example of simile. In this figure of
speech, something is compared with some other thing of a different type. Here,
the poet compares the charm of the heavenly angel with the beauty of a
blooming lily, which is a flower.

(iii) Describe the imagery of the scene.

Ans. The imagery of the scene depicted in this stanza is profound and
suggestive. The opening line introduces Abou Ben Adhem with a parenthesis
that signifies his tall spiritual stature, faithfulness and devotion to great ideals
and values. It is followed by the descriptions of his moonlit room and the
otherworldly charm of the angel through images that are fascinating and
comprehensible.

(iv) What does the last line mean here?

Ans. It means that Abou Ben does not react like a common human, to the
presence of the angel. As he champions the great value of peace and has a great
faith in God. He has done no wrong and so is not scared or frightened at the
presence of the angel in his room. He is a brave person who can even face the
most unusual things in life.

(v) Give the significance of the 'book of gold' in the poem.

Ans. The 'book of gold' basically signifies a divine book of records including the
names of all people who love God. Its significance lies in the fact that it keeps
the list of only those people who love God with pure hearted devotion and
dedication. When Abou Ben Adhem is told by the angel that his name is not
there on the list of people who love God, he is not worried. He is confident that
the book of gold keeps the record of those who love their fellow men or the
humankind. This implies that the book of gold is not a straight record of people
who love God, but one that lists people who love and follow the greatest ideals
that lead one to the path of God.

Question 7.
All round the field spectators were gathered
Cheering on all the young women and men
Then the final event of the day was approaching
The last race about to begin.

(i) What sport event is referred to earlier in the context?

Ans. The sport event referred to earlier in the context is 100 metre-race. This is
the most popular of all events and is organised as the last or concluding one in
any sports competition.

(ii) What does the poet's reference to the spectators, who have gathered to
watch the event, imply?

Ans. The spectators were in a very cheerful and encouraging mood. They were
passionate and curious to see their favourite contestants touching the finish
line. They have been simply referred to as 'young women and men'. This
suggests that at least the visible majority of them are young. This also suggests
that 100-metre race is very popular among youngsters in general.

(iii) Which event was about to begin?

Ans. The event that was about to begin was the 100 metre-race. There was a
huge and enthusiastic crowd of spectators waiting eagerly for the contestants
to start running. The air was filled with excitement as everyone was keenly
looking forward to welcoming the most outstanding sprinters claiming the top
three medals.

(iv) Which phrase has been used by the poet to describe the venue or the place
where the event is going to take place? What does this imply?

Ans. The phrase used by the poet to describe the venue is 'the old field'. It
implies that this field is the preferred venue for the most important of all
athletic events. It's also possible that any other field, which could have been
referred to as 'the new field', might not be fully prepared to organize this event.

(v) What does this stanza tell you about the temperament of the spectators?
Ans. According to the poet, the spectators who have assembled are passionate
and ardent lovers of the game. They are very excited and are eagerly looking
forward to watch the proceedings of the event and the performance of athletes
participating in it.

Question 8.
A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand
times to be crushed again. And this was the way life was forever on the planet
Venus, and this was the schoolroom of the children of the rocket men and
women who had come to a raining world to set up civilization and live out
their lives.
"It's stopping, it's stopping!"
"Yes, yes!"

(i) Why were the children so excited?

Ans. The children had been living on the planet Venus where the sun shone
once in seven years and it was the day when the sun was about to shine.
Thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the
other with rain, with the drum and gush of water with sweet crystal fall of
showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come
over the islands.

(ii) What was the impact of the rain?

Ans. The impact of the rain was very severe under which thousand forests had
been crushed and many more grown thousand times to be crushed again. This
was the way of life on the planet Venus forever. Also heavy concussion of
storms led the tidal waves to come over the islands. The continuous downpour
changed the air of the atmosphere that made everybody look dull and pale.

(iii) Why didn't the children remember the sun?

Ans. The children had been living on the planet where the sun shone only once
in seven years and that day the rain was stopping. These children did not
remember a day when there wasn't rain. They were all nine years old but there
had been a day, seven years ago when the sun came out for an hour and
showed its face to the shocking world, but they could not remember this as at
that time they were only two years old.

(iv) What did the children dream about the sun?

Ans. The children had almost lost the remembrance of sun. Sometimes at night,
they dreamt and remembered gold or yellow crayon or a coin large enough to
buy the world with. They thought they remembered blushing in the face, and
warmness in the body, in the arms and legs and trembling hands.

(v) How was their dream shattered?

Ans. The children dreamt about the sun but their dream came to an end and
they awoke to the sound of drum. The endless shaking down of clear bead
necklaces in the form of rain upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forests
and their dreams were shattered. The day before, they had read about sun in
the class. Its appearance was like a lemon and it was hot. They had even
written small stories, essays or poems about it. It was like a flower that
bloomed for just one hour.