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प्रश्न
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
| Portia: Away then! I am lock'd in one of them: If you do love me, you will find me out. Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof. Let music sound while he doth make his choice; Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end, Fading in music: |
- Where does the scene take place?
What does Portia mean when she says, If you do love me, you will find me out? [3] - What TWO words would you use to describe Portia's feelings at this point? Give a reason for your answer. [3]
- Explain Portia’s reference to ‘swan-like end'. [3]
- Later in the scene, Portia gives Bassanio gift.
What does she give him? What does this gift symbolise? [3] - What is the theme of the song sung in the background when Bassanio makes his choice?
How is the theme reflected in the choice he makes?
What does Bassanio find in the casket that he chooses? [4]
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उत्तर
- The scene takes place in Belmont, at Portia's house, specifically in the room where the caskets are kept.
Portia means that if Bassanio truly loves her, he will successfully choose the correct casket containing her portrait, thus "finding her out." This implies that true love will guide him to see beyond the superficial and make the right choice, leading to their union. - Anxious: Portia expresses a sense of suspense and nervousness as she awaits the outcome of Bassanio's choice. Her future and romantic fate are contingent on his decision, highlighting her vulnerability and anxiety during this crucial moment.
Hopeful: Despite her anxiety, Portia is hopeful that Bassanio will choose correctly. Her instructions for music to play and her comments about finding her out if he loves her suggest that she believes in the possibility of a favorable outcome, reflecting her hope and desire for a union with Bassanio. - Portia's reference to a "swan-like end" in this scene from "The Merchant of Venice" employs a poetic metaphor that alludes to an ancient belief about swans.
In this context, Portia employs the metaphor to explain how, should Bassanio choose the incorrect casket and therefore miss the chance to wed her, his failure will be like the last moments of a swan: dignified, graceful, and distinguished by beauty (here symbolised by the fading music). It implies that Bassanio's choice should be moral even in defeat and accompanied by a lyrical form of grief, so reflecting the contradictory moment of a swan's dying song. This picture accentuates Bassanio's choice's dramatic and emotional weight, therefore stressing its relevance not only to their possible marriage but also to the thematic resonance of real love and last sacrifice. - Later in the scene, after Bassanio successfully chooses the correct casket and thereby wins Portia's hand in marriage, Portia gives him a ring as a gift. This ring is not merely a token of love but also carries significant symbolic weight.
Symbolism of the ring:- Commitment and Trust: The ring symbolizes Portia's commitment and trust in Bassanio. By giving him the ring, she is entrusting him with her love and her future, essentially binding her life to his.
- Test of Fidelity: Portia makes it clear that the ring should never leave Bassanio's finger, warning him that if he were to lose or give it away, it would signify the end of their love. This condition places the ring as a test of Bassanio's fidelity and constancy.
This gesture of giving the ring thus deepens the emotional stakes of their relationship and establishes a recurring motif in the play about the importance of trust and fidelity in marriage.
- The theme of the song that plays as Bassanio makes his choice centers on the distinction between outward appearances and inner truth. The song lyrics caution against being deceived by the external allure of things, which can be misleading, and emphasize that true value often resides within what might seem less appealing outwardly. This message aligns with the broader themes of "The Merchant of Venice" concerning the nature of true worth and the dangers of superficiality.
The theme of the song is directly reflected in Bassanio's decision to choose the lead casket. Despite its unattractive and modest appearance compared to the gold and silver caskets, Bassanio chooses it, demonstrating his understanding that true worth is hidden beneath the surface. This choice reflects the song's message that the most valuable treasures are often concealed behind a plain exterior, a lesson about the deeper essence of true value.
In the lead casket, Bassanio finds Portia's portrait and a scroll. The scroll contains a poem celebrating his correct choice and elaborating on the theme of inner value over outward appearance. The portrait symbolizes his success in winning Portia's hand, confirming that his choice, guided by love and a deeper understanding of true worth, was the right one.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
Thinking about the Text
Answer these question.
At last a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does he say it?
(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?
What does he plant who plants a tree? a
He plants a friend of sun and sky;b
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard____
The treble of heaven's harmony_____
These things he plants who plants a tree.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow:
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good , what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr.Tod,the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin,Pigling Bland,
And Mrs.Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr.Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
Read the lines given above and answer the question given below.
Which animal characters does Dahl mention?’
Of the seven hundred villages dotting the map of India, in which the majority of India’s five hundred million live, flourish and die, Kritam was probably the tiniest, indicated on the district survey map by a microscopic dot, the map being meant more for the revenue official out to collect tax than for the guidance of the motorist, who in any case could not hope to reach it since it sprawled far from the highway at the end of a rough track furrowed up by the iron-hooped wheels of bullock carts. But its size did not prevent its giving itself the grandiose name Kritam, which meant in Tamil coronet or crown on the brow of the subcontinent. The village consisted of fewer than thirty houses, only one of them built from brick and cement and painted a brilliant yellow and blue all over with
gorgeous carvings of gods and gargoyles on its balustrade, it was known as the Big House. The other houses, distributed in four streets, were generally of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other unspecified material. Muni’s was the last house in the fourth street, beyond which stretched the fields. In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of sheep and goats and sallied forth every morning driving the flock to the highway a couple of miles away.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Where was Muni’s house located?
Mr. Oliver, an Anglo-Indian teacher, was returning to his school late one night on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. The school was conducted on English public school lines and the boys – most of them from well-to-do Indian families – wore blazers, caps and ties. “Life” magazine, in a feature on India, had once called this school the Eton of the East.
Mr. Oliver had been teaching in this school for several years. He’s no longer there. The Shimla Bazaar, with its cinemas and restaurants, was about two miles from the school; and Mr. Oliver, a bachelor, usually strolled into the town in the evening returning after dark, when he would take short cut through a pine forest.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why was the school where Mr Oliver worked called the Eton of the East?
Mrs. Thompson did not reply, but presently turned towards the little chamber where her husband had deposited Maggie; and, pushing open the door, went quietly in. Joe did not follow; he saw that, her state had changed, and felt that it would be best to leave her alone with the child. So he went to his shop, which stood near the house, and worked until dusky evening released him from labor. A light shining through the little chamber windows was the first object that attracted Joe’s attention on turning towards the house: it was a good omen. The path led him by this windows and, when opposite, he could not help pausing to look in. It was now dark enough outside to screen him from observation. Maggie lay, a little raised on the pillow with the lamp shining full upon her face. Mrs. Thompson was sitting by the bed, talking to the child; but her back was towards the window, so that her countenance was not seen. From Maggie’s face, therefore, Joe must read the character of their intercourse. He saw that her eyes were intently fixed upon his wife; that now and then a few words came, as if in answers from her lips; that her expression was sad and tender; but he saw nothing of bitterness or pain. A deep-drawn breath was followed by one of relief, as a weight lifted itself from his heart.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What attracted Joe’s attention after he returned from the day’s work?
Joe did not see the Guardians of the Poor on that day, on the next, nor on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account, for in less than a week Mrs. Joe Thompson would as soon leave thought of taking up her own abode in the almshouse as sending Maggie there.
What light and blessing did that sick and helpless child bring to the home of Joe Thompson, the poor wheelwright! It had been dark, and cold, and miserable there for a long time just because his wife had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so became soar, irritable, ill-tempered, and self-afflicting in the desolation of her woman’s nature. Now the sweetness of that sick child, looking ever to her in love, patience, and gratitude, was as honey to her soul, and she carried her in her heart as well as in her arms, a precious burden. As for Joe Thompson, there was not a man in all the neighbourhood who drank daily of a more precious wine of life than he. An angel had come into his house, disguised as a sick, helpless, and miserable child, and filled all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What had changed Mrs Thompson?
Imagine you are the hermit. Write briefly the incident of your meeting the king. Begin like this: One day I was digging in my garden. A man in ordinary clothes came to see me. I knew it was the king...
According to Charlie, what lives the longest.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
|
Bassanio: Portia: |
- Who is on trial?
Why is this person on trial? [3] - Explain in your own words Bassanio’s request to portia in the given extract.
What reason does he give for his request? [3] - How does Portia respond to Bassanio's request? What TWO reasons does she give for her response? [3]
- Who does Bassanio refer to as ‘this cruel devil’? What is this person's response to Portia’s words in the given extract? [3]
- How is the ‘cruel devil’ punished at the end of the trial?
How fair, in your opinion, is this punishment? Justify your response. [4]
