Question

Answer briefly the questions that the passage follows:

Caliban:

I prithee let me bring thee where crabs grow, And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts, Show thee a jay’s nest, and instruct thee how  To snare the nimble marmoset. I’ll bring thee To clust’ring filberts, and sometimes I’ll get thee Young scamels from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?

1. To whom is Caliban speaking these lines?     [1]
2. Briefly describe the circumstance under which he had met them.     [2]
3. Who does he think they are? Why?     [2]
4. To which other person had Caliban shown such a slavish attitude? What had the result been?     [2]
5. How do his present listeners respond to his words?     [2]
6. Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:     [1]
   snare, marmoset

Answer 1

1. Caliban is speaking these lines to Trinculo and Stephano.
2. Caliban was gathering wood when Trinculo appeared. Caliban thought that he was a spirit sent by Prospero and hid under his gabardine. Trinculo, fearing the storm, also hid inside it. At this time, Stephano came with a bottle in his hand and was surprised to see a creature with two heads and four legs.
3. Stephano thinks there are strange creatures on the island, maybe a monster with four legs and two voices. He thinks so because he is unaware of the fact that Trinculo has crept into the gabardine in which Caliban had taken refuge. Caliban thinks they are divine creatures sent by Prospero to torment him, as he has never seen many human beings in his life. He thinks Stephano is a god with a celestial drink in his hand.
4. Earlier, Caliban had shown a slavish attitude to Prospero. He showed him all the places on the island with clear water and delicious fruit. He brought him berries, fetched water, and did all the menial jobs. However, in the end, he. starts resenting being dominated and hates Prospero for his high-handed ways. Prospero snatched the island from him and confined him to a rock.
5. The listeners did not pay much heed to Caliban, and Stephano tells Caliban to hold his bottle and lead. the way.
6. ‘Snare’ is a trap, and ‘marmoset’ is a monkey.