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प्रश्न
Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box to complete the summary of the poem:
King Richard the Second, had surrendered to his (a)______cousin, Bollingbroke. He experienced deep distress at the horror of his circumstances. In that desperate situation, he speaks of (b)______, (c)______, (d)______and other things connected with death. He spoke of how people leave nothing behind and can call nothing their own, except for the small patch of (e)______, where they will be buried. King Richard yielded to dejection and talked of all the different ways in which defeated kings suffer how some had been deposed, (f)______in war, (g)______by their wives and so forth. He attributed this loss of lives to (h)______, who he personified as the jester who watches over the shoulder of every ruler, who mocks kings by allowing them to think their human flesh, was like (i)______brass. However, Death penetrates through the castle walls, silently and unnoticed like a sharp (j)______, thus bidding (k)______to him and all his pride forever. Finally, Richard appealed to his soldiers not to mock his mere flesh and blood by showing (l) ______and respect to him. He added that he too needed bread to live, felt want, tasted (m)______and needed (n)______. He concluded thus, urging his men not to call him a (o)______as he was only human, just like the rest of them.
| barren-earth | friends | graves | slain |
| rebellious | poisoned | worms | grief |
| impregnable | epitaphs | death | farewell |
| reverence | king | pin |
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उत्तर
King Richard the Second, had surrendered to his (a) rebellious cousin, Bollingbroke. He experienced deep distress at the horror of his circumstances. In that desperate situation, he speaks of (b) graves, (c) epitaphs, (d) worms, and other things connected with death. He spoke of how people leave nothing behind and can call nothing their own, except for the small patch of (e) barren earth, where they will be buried. King Richard yielded to dejection and talked of all the different ways in which defeated kings suffer how some had been deposed, (f) slain in war, (g) poisoned by their wives and so forth. He attributed this loss of lives to (h) death, who he personified as the jester who watches over the shoulder of every ruler, who mocks kings by allowing them to think their human flesh, was like (i) impregnable brass. However, Death penetrates through the castle walls, silently and unnoticed like a sharp (j) Pin, thus bidding (k) farewell to him and all his pride forever. Finally, Richard appealed to his soldiers not to mock his mere flesh and blood by showing (l) reverence and respect to him. He added that he too needed bread to live, felt want, tasted (m) grief and needed (n) friends. He concluded thus, urging his men not to call him a (o) king as he was only human, just like the rest of them.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
What happens to the poet when he visits someone for the third time?
How is the poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror?
Explain the following lines with reference to the context.
I want to be what I used to be.
Do you think the narrator is heroic? Why?
The poet is satisfied just watching the heroic deeds of others. What could be the reason?
Why would the referee ask whether there was a doctor in the stands? What stands is he referring to?
Explain the following with reference to the context in about 50–60 word each.
They do not ever in their dealings Consider one another’s feelings…
Find words from the poem that convey the following ideas:
- connected together
- spread over the surface of the ground in a straggling manner
- make out or understand
- slender woody shoots growing from branches or stems of trees
Read the following line and identify the figure of speech used in each extract.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran.
Read the following line and identify the figure of speech used in each extract.
What Man has made of Man?
Does Nature affect a person’s thoughts and feelings? Explain.
What is Macavity expected to be doing after committing a crime?
Give an account of Macavity’s destructive mischief.
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
‘It must have been Macavity!’ but he’s a mile away.
- What is Macavity blamed for?
- Where is he?
Pick out all the pairs of rhyming words used in the poem.
Who are the ‘deserving ones’?
Read the given line and answer the question that follow.
We are proud of the position we hold; humble as we are
- What is the speaker proud of?
- How is the speaker both humble and proud?
- Pick out the alliteration in these lines.
Discuss the following topic in groups of five and choose a representative to sum up the view and share them with the class.
Successful people neither brood over the past nor worry about the future.
The historical background:
The poem is an extract from William Shakespeare’s play King Richard the Second. The play is based on true events that occurred towards the end of the 14th century.
Richard II was crowned the King of England in the year 1367. He continued to be the British Monarch until 1399, when he was deposed by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who crowned himself King Henry the Fourth in the same year. Shakespeare’s play is a dramatic rendition of the last two years of King Richard II’s life. In this brief span of time, he was ousted from his royal position and sent to prison, where he died in captivity.
The following extract is set in the Coast of Wales. King Richard and some of his followers awaited the arrival of the Welsh army [after facing defeat at the hands of his cousin, Bolingbroke], of about 10000 warriors. But to their shock and surprise, they received the message that the army was not coming to their rescue. His followers tried to boost their King’s courage against the news, only in vain. When Richard came face to face with the reality of his terrible fate, he spoke the following verse, famously known as the “Hollow Crown” speech in theatrical circles. In it, King Richard is reminded of the power of Death that overshadows everything else, including the power of rulers, and renders them as powerless as any commoner at a moment’s notice.
Fill in the blank with appropriate word from the box and complete the statement suitably:
The fortress was ______and could not be conquered by the enemies.
Complete the passage given below, with suitable words from the box:
Lima, a (a)______and (b)______woman, kept (c)______at her colleagues and went on taxing them with hard labour. Though they were (d) ______to her, she being their head, they were offended and filled with (e)______. It so happened, that Lima was (f)______from her high position due to a serious blunder she had committed. Lima, having lost all her (g)______and glory, realized how arrogant she had been. She gave up her pride and with (h)______sought an apology from everyone. She thus turned over a new leaf and bid (i)______to them.
| farewell | ceremonious | deposed |
| reverence | vain | pomp |
| conceited | sorrow | scoffing |
What are the various functions and objects given up by a defeated king?
Bring out King Richard’s feelings when he was defeated.
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about 5 to 8 line:
“How can you say to me, I am a king?”
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following line from the poem:
“And yet not so – for what can we bequeath
Save our deposed bodies to the ground?”
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following line from the poem:
“How can you say to me, I am a king?”
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following line from the poem:
“Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!”
Pick out the alliteration from the following lines:
“Comes at the last, and with a little pin…”
Based on your reading of King Richard’s speech, answer the following questions in about 100 - 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required to present and justify your point of view.
Death has been cited in many ways in this monologue. Identify the poetic devices used in those references.
Based on your reading of King Richard’s speech, answer the following questions in about 100 - 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required to present and justify your point of view.
Who does the future generations remember easily - the victor or the vanquished? Give reasons. Also, cite relevant references from King Richard’s speech.
