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ICSE Notes 2017 : English Paper 2 (English Literature) (Hiranandani Foundation School (HFS), Thane)(mov act 5 Q&A)

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Kabir Nasir
Hiranandani Foundation School (HFS), Thane

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ACT V SCENE 1. 1. Jessica: In such a night Did Thisbe ..away. Lorenzo: In such a night Stood Dido .Carthage. (i) Which topic is being discussed in the extract? Ans: Lorenzo says that it was on a moonlit night like this that long time ago, Troilus climbed the walls of Troy and sent forth sighs of love towards the tents of the Greeks, visible in the moonlight, where his beloved Cressida was sleeping that night, the night of her departure. Cressida was a Greek maiden, the daughter of Calchas, a priest in the Grecian army besieging Troy. Troilus was one of the sons of Priam, the King of Troy. During the Trojan War, Cressida had been captured by the Trojans. She and Troilus fell in love, and vowed eternal fidelity. Soon after Cressida was exchanged for three Trojan princes captured by Diomede, a Greek hero. Cressida swore to remain constant and Troilus swore to rescue her. However, she soon gave her affections to Diomede. For along time, every night Troilus stood on the walls of Troy looking at the Greek camp. Shakespeare uses the name of Troilus as a symbol of fidelity while Cressida stands for inconsistency. (ii) Who is Thisbe? What is meant by fearfully o ertrip the dew ? Ans: Thisbe was a beautiful maiden of Babylonia. Pyramus, who also belonged to the same place, loved her. They lived in adjoining houses, but their parents would not let them marry. So they managed to converse with one another through a hole in the garden wall. One moonlit night they arranged to meet secretly at Ninus s tomb, in a forest outside Thisbe arrived there rst, but hearing the roar of a lion, she ran away in terror, dropping the mantle on the ground in her hurry. The lion seized the mantle and tore it, staining it with the blood of an ox it had just killed. Pyramus arrived on the scene and saw the torn blood-stained mantle of Thisbe. He concluded that Thisbe had been devoured by the lion and stabbed himself. Thisbe recovered from her fright and returned to the tomb. She saw the body of Pyramus and also slew herself. Both became symbols of faithful lovers. Jessica says that it was on a moonlit night like this when Thisbe, with a heart throbbing with fear, came daintily stepping over the dewy grass. The bright moonlight showed her the shadow of a lion, before she saw the lion herself, and warned in time, fled away in terror. (iii) Who is Dido? Why is she standing with a willow in her hand? Ans: Dido was the queen of Carthage and the foundress of the city. After the Trojan War, the ship of Aeneas, a Trojan prince, was driven to the coast of Carthage. He was hospitably entertained by Dido and stayed here for a time. She fell in love with him, but he was bidden by the gods to leave Carthage and go to Italy. Aeneas cruelly deserted her and set sail secretly by night. Dido was heartbroken. She built a funeral pyre, set re to it and died in the flames. Lorenzo says that on a moonlit night like this, Queen Dido stood on the wild sea shore, carrying in her hand a willow wand, the emblem of forsaken love, waving to her lover, Aeneas in his ship, vainly appealing to him to return to her. 2. Lorenzo In such a night .........................As far as Belmont. Jessica In such a night ................................ And ne er a true one. (i) What did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew in such a night? Ans: Lorenzo says that on such a bright night as this, Jessica left her rich old father, Shylock the Jew and ran away with a penniless husband from Venice and came to Belmont. The word steal means to run away stealthily. It also means to rob . Lorenzo uses the word steal mischievously to say that Jessica not only ran away stealthily but also stole her father s money and jewels. (i) What precautions were taken by Jessica and Lorenzo to ensure that she could escape from her father s house undetected? Ans: The precautions taken by Lorenzo and Jessica were that she disguised herself as a page-boy who would be a torch bearer at the masquerade and therefore would be able to escape undetected. (ii) How did Jessica s father react to her escape? What were Jessica s feelings just before her elopement? Ans: Jessica s father Shylock was found running up and down the streets shouting aloud, My daughter! My ducats! He also disturbed the Duke with his complaints and forced the Duke to go with him to search Bassanio s ship. Along with all these, he send another trusted Jew Tubal to search for his daughter. Just before her elopement with Lorenzo, Jessica was sad for she failed as a dutiful daughter. But she reasoned that her life was made miserable by her father and she felt ashamed being his daughter for the way he behaved with others and therefore, was happy to be able to escape from the stifling atmosphere of Shylock s house. (iii) What was the role played by Lorenzo in Jessica s escape from the Jew? Ans: Lorenzo helped Jessica to escape by arranging for a masquerade before Bassanio s departure and by helping Jessica to disguise as a page boy so that she can escape from the house unnoticed. (iv) What do Venice and Belmont stand for? What does the elopement of Lorenzo and Jessica from Venice to Belmont signify? Ans: Belmont literally means beautiful mountains while Venice was an important commercial city. The elopement signifies a shift from wealth to love. Jessica was the daughter of a rich Jew, but chose to live a life of poverty for the sake of love. 3. Stephano Stephano is my name; and I bring word ............................................................. For happy wedlock hours. Lorenzo. (i) Who comes with her? Where does this scene take place? Who is Stephano? What message does he bring? Ans: This scene takes place in Belmont, at an avenue in Portia s house. He brings the news that his mistress will reach here in Belmont before daybreak. (ii) According to Stephano, what has his mistress been doing during her absence from home? Ans: According to Stephano, his mistress is now wondering about the Holy Crosses in the church, where she kneels and prays for happiness in her married life. (iii) In reality, what has she been doing during her absence? Who accompanied the mistress? Ans: In reality she had travelled to Venice disguised as a lawyer in order to help Bassanio save his friend Antonio from the treacherous clutches of the shrewd Jew, Shylock. She was accompanied by Nerissa, who was disguised as the young lawyer s clerk. (iv) What role did Portia s maid play in the company of her mistress? Ans: Nerissa is Portia s lady in waiting and a close confidante. She is a smart lady with a sharp tongue and has a true sense of humour. Many of her remarks are intended to assist Portia in giving appropriate answers. Portia confides her happiness as well as sorrows to her and trust her implicitly. She sympathises with Portia s frustration at being constrained by her father s will, and participates in Portia s expression of dissatisfaction with the list of suitors. When Portia goes to Antonio s trial disguised as a lawyer, Nerissa accompanies her, disguised as a lawyer s clerk. Nerissa makes an excellent foil for Portia. She is happy in Portia s happiness and feels distressed when Portia is troubled. Almost a mirror image of Portia, Nerissa imitates the action and embraces the value of Portia. Having been a companion to Portia for a long time, Nerissa has developed her mistress temper and gaiety. If Portia becomes a lawyer in the trial scene, she becomes a clerk. If Portia gives a ring to Bassanio, she gives a ring to Gratiano. If Portia gets back the ring from Bassanio, so does Nerissa from Gratiano. 4. Lorenzo How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! ............................................................................... Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins; (i) Who speaks these words? Where is he now? To whom is he speaking? Ans: Here, Lorenzo is the speaker. He is in the garden outside Portia s house. He is speaking to Jessica. What has the speaker said about music in this extract? Ans: This is a reference to the music of the spheres, the theory, taught by Pythagoras. According to this theory, each planet in its revolution was supposed to produce a certain note. The different sounds be produced in conjunction formed a regular scale or harmony. This resulted in what was termed the music of spheres. Here Shakespeare imagines that stars connecting earth and heaven by means of this harmony. Lorenzo tells the musician to sing a song to awaken Diana, the goddess of the moon. He tells them to sound their sweetest notes till they reach the lady Portia travelling homeward, so that the melodies may bring her back home. (ii) According to the speaker what effect does music have on animals? What is the effect of lack of music on men? Ans: Lorenzo says that one should observe savage and untamed beasts, or a number of wild, unbroken young horses, rushing madly over the plains, prancing (iii) wildly about with clamorous cries, full of energy and fierce strength. Even they come quickly to a stand still and remain quietly listening, gazing calmly with eyes which lately were so fierce, if they only hear the tones of the bugle ring out, or if they are within hearing of any sweet melody being played. So powerful is the influence of music over even the untamed spirits. Lorenzo says that if a man has no love for music or whose soul music is incapable of responding to the beauty of sweet harmonies, then he is capable of treachery, intrigue and dishonesty. His spirit has no spark of brighter feelings; it is lifeless like the world sleeping at night. His emotions are sordid, and as dark as hell. Such a man should never be trusted. (iv) What is the effect of music on the person to whom these words are addressed? Ans: Lorenzo may be referring to Shylock who hated music. He had an austere, puritanical attitude that music is a rather sinfully frivolous thing. (v) According to the Elizabethan view of music, what are the orbs said to be doing? Why can t human beings hear the music of the heavens in this life? Ans: This is a reference to the music of the spheres, the theory, taught by Pythagoras. According to this theory, each planet in its revolution was supposed to produce a certain note. The different sounds be produced in conjunction formed a regular scale or harmony. This resulted in what was termed the music of spheres. Here Shakespeare imagines that stars connecting earth and heaven by means of this harmony. As they move, every star, even the smallest one, is producing sweet music which is in concert with the cherub host of heaven who sing in praise of the Almighty. Such harmony also exists in human souls which are immortal; but when the souls are shut up in human bodies, we cannot hear it. The perishable flesh surrounds the soul and deadens the sound, so the heavenly tones are inaudible to our ears. 5. Lorenzo: .......................................... therefore the poet ........................................................................ Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music. Who is Orpheus? What effect did the music played by Orpheus have on objects in nature? Ans: Orpheus was the son of the muse, Calliope. He was a famous poet of Thrace. He was presented with a lyre by Apollo and instructed by the muses in its use .He enchanted with its music not only the wild beasts, but also the trees and rocks upon Olympus so that they moved from their places to follow the sound of the golden harp. He accompanied the Argonauts on their expedition in search of the golden fleece and lulled to sleep the dragon guarding the golden fleece by his music .He went to Hades to seek his dead wife Eurydice and his music so charmed Pluto that he returned her to her husband on condition that he must not look back until they had reached the upper world. Unfortunately, Orpheus was too impatient; he looked back and thus lost her forever. (i) (ii) What does Lorenzo say about the man who has no sense of music? Ans: Lorenzo says that if a man has no love for music or whose soul music is incapable of responding to the beauty of sweet harmonies, then he is capable of treachery, intrigue and dishonesty. His spirit has no spark of brighter feelings; it is lifeless like the world sleeping at night. His emotions are sordid, and as dark as hell. Such a man should never be trusted. (iii) What is referred as Erebus? Why is it used in the extract? Ans: According to the classical mythology, the home of the dead or an area of darkness near hell is known as Erebus. The reference is used by Lorenzo to prove that a man who does not love music or is not affected by its melody is only fit for treachery, intrigue and ruin. His thoughts are as dark as night and his emotions are as dark as Erebus. 6. Gratiano About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring .................................................... Upon a knife, Love me, and leave me not. Nerissa What talk you of the posy, or the value? .................................................................. And that it should lie with you in your grave: (i) What is meant by a hoop of gold and a paltry ring ? Ans: A hoop of gold means a simple circlet of gold and a paltry ring means an insignificant ring. These lines are spoken by Gratiano to pacify Nerissa as he has given away the ring given by her to the lawyer s clerk ,which has angered her. (ii) What information does Bassanio give to describe the ring? Ans: Bassanio tells Portia, if she had been acquainted with the one who received the ring and if she knew the man for whose sake he gave it, if she would but think what good reason he had for giving the ring, if she could imagine how reluctantly he parted with the ring when he found that in no other way could he satisfy him, then Portia would be less angry with him. He is so earnest in his explanation that he ends every line with ring . (iii) What promises was made by Gratiano when he had got the ring from Nerissa. To whom did he give the ring? Ans: When Nerissa gave Gratiano the ring, he had solemnly vowed that he would never part with it during life and that after his death it would be buried in the grave with him. He gave the ring to the young lawyer s clerk as a mark of gratitude for saving Antonio. (iv) State where the ring is at present? In what way is the ring, the cause for the quarrel between Gratiano and Nerissa? Ans: The ring is at present with Nerissa. The entire episode of confusion and quarrel takes place because Gratiano along with Bassanio are completely unaware of the fact that it was Portia and Nerissa who disguised themselves as the young lawyer and the clerk. (v) How can you conclude from the extract that Nerissa was very angry with Gratiano? Ans: When Portia accuses Bassanio for being unfaithful, Nerissa too joins and says that she too will not consider him as a husband unless he is able to produce the ring. (vi) How is the Ring episode linked with the theme of love and loyalty? Ans: The ring given by Portia and Nerissa to Bassanio and Gratiano were not just the testimony of their love for one another, the rings were also symbols of trust and loyalty. Even though they both tricked the men to get the rings, the fact that they gave them proved to be an act of betrayal, for both of them had vowed never to part with the ring. 7. Portia: If you had known the virtue of the ring, I ll die for t, but some woman had the ring. (i) About which ring is Portia speaking? Ans: Portia is speaking about the ring which she had given to Basanio as a token of their love and which he has given away. When was the ring given away and by whom? What arguments does Portia give to show that Bassanio should not have given away the ring? Ans: The ring was given by Bassanio, when the young lawyer who was Portia in disguise, refused to have anything other than the ring as charges for the legal assistance which finally saved Antonio s life. Portia continues to rhyme with the word ring at the end of every line in a teasing way and tells him if he had been acquainted with the special qualities possessed by the ring, if he knew half the virtues of the woman who bestowed it on him, if he had considered how he was in honour bound to keep it as he has vowed, he would never have given it away. If he had opposed the judge s request with any earnestness what ever, surely he would not have been so persistent or so wanting in good feeling as to press him for a thing which he holds almost sacred. She tells Bassanio she is forced to agree with Nerissa that he had given the ring to some woman. (ii) (iii) Explain how reluctantly Bassanio gave away his wife s ring? What compelled him to part with the ring? Ans: Bassanio tells Portia, if she had been acquainted with the one who received the ring and if she knew the man for whose sake the gave it, if she would but think what good reason he had for giving the ring, if she could imagine how reluctantly he parted with the ring when he found that in no other way could he satisfy him, then Portia would be less angry with him. He is so earnest in his explanation that he ends every line with ring . Bassanio explains the circumstances under which he parted with the ring. Bassanio says that he swears by all that is most sacred to him, that he never gave the ring to a woman, but to a most learned doctor of the civil law. He would not accept any fee, even when Bassanio offered the whole sum of three thousand ducats due to the Jew .All he asked for was the ring .Initially he refused to give it to him, although he was the very one who had saved Antonio s life. He left the court angry and disappointed .Bassanio could not appear so ungrateful. He was overwhelmed with feelings of shame at his apparent thanklessness. A sense of gratitude prompted him to show courtesy. He could not allow his reputation to be tarnished with ingratitude on his part .Bassanio therefore felt compelled to send a messenger after him with the ring he so much wished to have. Bassanio begs Portia to forgive him. He swears by the stars above them, that if she had been present, she would herself have entreated Bassanio to let the worthy doctor have the ring. (iv) What else did Bassanio offer instead of the ring? Ans: Bassanio instead offered to pay the three thousand ducats which he and Antonio initially owed to the Jew Shylock. (v) Who else in the play has given away his ring? What reasons did that person give for doing so? Ans: Gratiano too had given away his ring to the young lawyer s clerk who was Nerissa in disguise. Gratiano tells Nerissa that he gave the ring to a boy who was a little, short youth no taller than Nerissa. He was the clerk to the young lawyer and he talked, coaxed and entreated him to give him the ring in payment for his services, until Bassanio could not be so hard hearted as refuse him any longer. 8. Antonio: Sweet lady, you have given me life and living For here I read for certain that my ships Are safely come to road. Portia How now, Lorenzo! My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. Nerissa Ay, and I ll give them him without a fee, .. After his death, of all he dies possess d of. Lorenzo Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people. (i) How has the sweet lady given Antonio life and living? Ans: Antonio refers to Portia as the sweet lady and says that she has not only given him a new life by saving him from the clutches of the shrewd Jew Shylock ,but through her letter , he has also came to know that three of his ships with valuable cargo has reached the harbour thereby giving him back his means of living too. (ii) What is a special deed of gift ? Give its contents. Explain the implications of without a fee in the sixth line of the extract. Ans: The special deed of gift is the legal document which Nerissa hands over to Lorenzo which states that all the property that Shylock possesses shall be bequeathed to them as a gift by Shylock. Nerissa says that she is going to give this legal document which she and Portia have drawn in their favour, without charging them anything for their services. (iii) On whose request was the deed made? On what condition was the deed made? Ans: The deed was made on Antonio s request. The deed was made on the conditions that in return for their favour, Shylock will convert to Christianity and secondly, he makes the will in the very court, leaving all his possessions to his daughter and son-in-law after his death. (iv) What is meant by manna ? What manna was dropped in the context? Who are the starved people? Ans: Here manna means food. The manna that was dropped like God drops food from the heaven for the hungry people, is the deed through which Lorenzo and Jessica becomes the owner of Shylock s possessions. The starved people here are Lorenzo and Jessica who do not have much worldly possession and are presently forced to be working as attendants in Portia s house. (v) How does the ring-episode create an atmosphere of comedy as well as joy? Ans: The ring episode creates sufficient humour as the two ladies are successful in outwitting their partners and takes away the rings from them. Later when they reach Belmont, they pretend to be very angry and feigns being betrayed in love when both Bassanio and Gratiano fail to prove that the rings were given to two young men. When finally Antonio intervenes, Nerissa and Portia produces the same rings and the confusion is resolved. This brings about joy and happiness as all lovers are united.

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