Articles and prepositions

 Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions 

1.One should always carry ....... umbrella in ........ monsoon.

Ans. an, the 

2. ........ power of speech is undeniable.

Ans. The 

3. Ajay was ashamed........his conduct.

Ans. of 

4. Rehan is a junior.........your brother.

Ans. to 

5. The man is used ...... eating non spicy food.

Ans. to

6. Sita’s brother is ........engineer in .........reputed company

Ans. an, a

7. I am attending an international seminar ..........England. 

Ans. in

8. Ravi made ......... error of judgment

Ans. an 

9. They live .......... Aryanagar colony .......... Mumbai.

Ans. at, in 

10. Raman is not eligible…....the post of assistant manager.

Ans. for

11. He was late by ..... hour for the meeting.

Ans. an 

12. He died .......cholera last night.

Ans. of 

13.The dog jumped …… his lap.

Ans. onto

14. The members were disgusted ......his rude behaviour.

Ans. at

15. An ideal political leader can live and die .........his beliefs.

Ans. for

16. We differed ........ taste and manners ....... the British.

Ans. in, from

17. Diya ran ........ the room.

Ans. into 

18. .......village chief has started .........utensil shop

Ans. The, a

19. The patient was admitted ........ the hospital.

Ans. to

20. The boy was admitted ........ class ten.

Ans. to 

21. He was accused ........ theft.

Ans. of 

22. Divya has been........America twice.

Ans. to

23. Rohan is ........ intelligent son of........poor farmer.

Ans. an, a 

 24. Neha lodged ........ F.I.R. against the cheat.

Ans. an

25. My son is.......M.A from Agra University.

Ans. an

26. She is .... honorary secretary of the club.

Ans. an

27. Students are not allowed to go ..........this boundary wall

Ans. beyond 

28. Rayan jumped ........ the pond.

Ans. into 

29. There is .........eucalyptus tree near my house.

Ans. a

30. ...........Ganges flows from .......Himalayas

Ans. The, the 

31. Joyita’s father is .........principal ....... our college

Ans. the, of 

32. She wrote ...... paper for ...... seminar

Ans. a, the 

33. He is ......captain in .......army.

Ans. the, an

34. Dr.Harshad is .......Urdu teacher.

Ans. an

35. This shop doesn’t have the toys I was looking ........

Ans. for 

36. The dog is grateful........ its owner.

Ans. to 

37. My brother’s birthday is ......... 5th November.

Ans. on 

38. Gandhiji was born.........the month……… October.

Ans. in , of 

39. The teacher distributed the sweets ……… all the children.

Ans. Among

40. There was light …….. the M.G.road, celebrating Diwali .

Ans. throughout 

41. The road led….. the forest.

Ans. along 

42. Go ….. the road to reach your destination.

Ans. by

43. …… the time he arrived, the meeting was over.

Ans. By

44. He chose to walk …….. the subway.

Ans. through 

45. The classroom is equipped ......... all the technical amenities.

Ans. With 

46. Cholera has broken ……. …… the village.

Ans. out, in 

47. She burst ……. tears while 

watching the video.

Ans. into

48. Day ……. day she is making tremendous progress in the field of science.

Ans. after

49. He was paid for his day…….day work.

Ans. to

50. Day……day all the hopes are going away.

Ans. by

51. The victims appealed ……. the court …… justice.

Ans. to, for

52. We have applied ..…… the post of Assistant Teachers in various schools.

Ans. for

53. One of my friends advised me ……… paragliding as it is too risky.

Ans. against 

54. The hackers backed ……. 

…….. cyber crime due to public awareness.

Ans. away, from 

55. The failures can not break him ……..

Ans. down

56. The thieves broke ……… his flat last night.

Ans. into

57. The prisoners tried to break …… 

……. jail last week.

Ans. out, of

58. She is trying to burn …….. calories by intense workout.

Ans. out 

59. The strike has been called ……

Ans. off 

60. One must carry …….. hard work …….. succeed in life.

Ans. on, to

61. The Principal wants his orders to be carried ……. to the letter. 

Ans. out

62. I need to check ……whether seats are available or not.

Ans. out 

63. I came ……. one of my school friends last night.

Ans. across

64. Nobody has come …… to do the job.

Ans. forward

65. I have to cut ……. ……. the amount of sugar I eat daily.

Ans. down, on 

66. I cut …….. the vacancy page from the newspaper.

Ans. out

67. She deals …….. the situation smartly.

Ans. with

68. The vendors deal …….. rice.

Ans. in

69. She can easily get ……. …….. new people.

Ans. along, with 

70. He is trying to get ……… that I am responsible for this.

Ans. at

71. I cannot get …….. from my responsibilities.

Ans. away

72. One needs to get …….. hard times to succeed in life.

Ans. by

73. He is getting …..…. the room without my permission.

Ans. in

74. The ink is not getting ……. my dress

Ans. off

75. I am getting …….. the train to Delhi.

Ans. on

76. She has a hard time getting…….   

 …….. her liabilities.

Ans. on, with 

77. The teacher asked the students to get ……. of the classroom as they made noise.

Ans. out 

78. She is getting …….. the flu gradually.

Ans. over

79. I am trying to get rid …… my anger.

Ans. of 

80. To get ….. early in the morning is good for your health.

Ans. up 

81. We have a get ……. last night with our relatives.

Ans. together 

82. One should not give …….. so easily without trying.

Ans. up

83. The army forced the vandalists to give ……. at last.

Ans. in

84. I had to go ……. a lot in my life.

Ans. through 

85. She had handed ……… her copy to the examiner.

Ans. in

86. Susan handed …… warm clothes to the needy people.

Ans. out

87. I am looking …… …….. the ideals of Swami Vivekananda.

Ans. Up, to

88. I was sincerely looking ……. …… ISRO’s success.

Ans. forward, to 

89. The meeting has been put …….

 till further notification.

Ans. off

90. Please put ……. the switch of the fan.

Ans. on

91. She put …….. all the candles before sleeping.

Ans. out

92. I can not put ….. ……. crimes against animals.

Ans. up, with 

93. This sad music is bringing me …………

Ans. down

94. The teacher called …….. me to answer the questions.

Ans. on

96. I was trying to come …….. the lid from the bottle.

Ans. apart

97. Don't count …….. somebody without knowing him/ her.

Ans. on

98. It's time to do …….  …….. all of these false allegations.

Ans. away with

99. Ajay dropped ……… to the third rank after being the consistent topper for five years.

Ans. back

100. I must drop …….. my brother to his office.

Ans. off 

101. The number of drop …….. candidates is more in science.

Ans. out 

102. The jar fall ……. 

Ans. apart

103. He had fallen …….. with his family.

Ans. out

104. I can not get …… your point .

Ans. across/ over 

105. My grandmother can get …….. fine in her new wheelchair.

Ans. around

Transformation of sentences

 Grammar Set 2 - Transformation of sentences 

1.There he tasted the first sweet joys of liberty. (Use the noun form of ‘tasted’)

Ans. There he had the taste of the first sweet joys of liberty.

2.They tried hard to win the match. (Make it complex)

Ans. They tried hard so that they could win the match.

3.What a beautiful piece ! (Make Assertive)

Ans. This is a beautiful place.

4.Good neighbours don’t behave like that. (Use the noun form of ‘behave’)

Ans. The behaviour of good neighbours is not like that.

5.As her father died, she became helpless. (Make it compound)

Ans. Her father died and she became helpless.

6.The siblings shared their clothes with each other and also their toys. (Use Not only…but also)

Ans. The siblings not only share their clothes with each other but also their toys. 

7.He works at night so that he can study during the day. (Make it simple)

Ans. He works at night to study during the day.

8.He is waiting for me eagerly. (Use noun form of ‘eagerly’)

Ans. He is waiting for me with eagerness.

9.He had a pleasant voice. (Turn into an exclamatory sentence)

Ans. What a pleasant voice he had!

10.You have to pay or you cannot leave this place. (Make it simple)

Ans. You cannot leave this place without paying.

11.He always answered his questions. (Make Negative)

Ans. He never left his questions unanswered.

12.He is so sick that he cannot speak. (Make it simple)

Ans. He is too sick to speak

13.As soon as she reached home,the rainfall started. (Use No sooner…..than)

Ans. No sooner had she reached home than the rainfall started.

14.He was proud of his name. (Use noun form of “‘proud”)

Ans. He took great pride in his name.

15.He put his hands on my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. (Make it Simple)

Ans. Putting his hands on my shoulders, he looked straight into my eyes.

 16.I knew about her previous activities. ( Make it complex)

Ans. I knew what her previous activities were.

17.In spite of being rich, he is humble. (Make it compound)

Ans. He is rich but he is humble.

 18. I bought a red dress for her. (Make it compound)

Ans.I bought a dress for her and it was red.

19. Isn’t it sunny outside?(Turn into an assertive sentence)

Ans. It is sunny outside.

20. She returned home at midnight. (Make it complex)

Ans. She returned home when it was midnight.

21. It was a perfect idea.(Turn into an interrogative sentence)

Ans. Wasn’t it a perfect idea?

 22. It will be wrong on our part to expect sympathy from him. (Change into a Negative Sentence)

Ans. It will not be right on our part to expect sympathy from him.

23.He accepted my proposal. (Make it Negative)

Ans. He did not reject my proposal.

24.It means he is dead. (Use the Verb form of ‘dead’)

Ans. It means he has died.

25. Will dance give us a livelihood? (Make it Assertive)

Ans. Dance will not give us a livelihood.

Voice Change(Grammar Set-1)

      Voice Change ( Grammar Set-1)

1.Who taught you this poem? 

Ans. By whom were you taught this poem?

2.Why are you making noise?

Ans.Why is noise being made by you?

3.Do you need a book ? 

Ans. Is a book needed by you?

4. Did he understand the lesson?

Ans. Was the lesson understood by him?

5. What are you teaching?

Ans. What is being taught by you ? 

6.Why are they tearing down the old theatre?

Ans. Why is the old theatre being torn down?

7.How do you write that word?

Ans. How is that word written?

8. Can you learn French easily?

Ans.Can French be learned easily?

9. Who teaches her geography? 

Ans.By whom is she taught geography?

10. We have warned you.

Ans. You have been warned.

11. She would have told you

Ans. You would have been told

12. The doctor gave him the advice to quit smoking.

Ans. He was given the advice to quit smoking.

13. He offered her the proposal of marriage.

Ans. She was offered a proposal of marriage.

14. I was taught by Shyam how to drive.

Ans. Shyam taught me how to drive.

15. He teaches us grammar.

Ans. We are taught grammar by him.

16. She was given a prize by her teacher.

Ans. Her teacher gave her a prize.

17. I have been informed of their decision.

Ans. They have informed me of their decision.

18. Marin drive is said to be the most wonderful beach in India.

Ans. People say that Marin drive is the most wonderful beach in India.

19. Scientists have not tested the new vaccine on humans yet.

Ans. The new vaccine has not been tested on humans yet.

20.Someone is abusing us.

Ans.We are being abused by someone. 

21. I will present my ideas at the conference tonight

Ans. My ideas will be presented at the conference tonight.

22. You shouldn’t speak to your neighbour in this arrogant manner.

Ans. Your neighbour shouldn’t be spoken to in this arrogant manner.

23. The student is taking extra time to complete the answer.

Ans.Extra time is being taken by the student to complete the answer.

24. The watchman has been bitten by a stray dog.

Ans. A stray dog has bitten the watchman.

25. Children like chocolates.

Ans. Chocolates are liked by children 

26. The school girls were flying a kite.

Ans. A kite was being flown by the school girls.

27. A jellyfish stung her while she was swimming.

Ans.She was stung by a jellyfish while she was swimming.

28. The Indian Army will have pushed back the opponent Army by evening.

Ans. The opponent Army will have been pushed back by the Indian Army by evening.

29. Transgenders are demanding their unique voting right.

Ans. Their unique voting right is being demanded by the transgenders.

30. Your impolite tone surprises me.

Ans. I am surprised at your impolite tone.

31. The migrants were ordered to leave the country by the authorities.

Ans. The authorities ordered the migrants to leave the country.

32. Everyone was laughing at the hunchback.

Ans. The hunchback was being laughed at by everyone

33. Smoke filled the room.

Ans. The room was filled with smoke.

34. The fire has been lit.

Ans. Someone has lit the fire.

35. Please shut the door and go to sleep.

Ans. You are requested to shut the door and go to sleep.

36. Give the child a nourishing diet.

Ans. The child should be given a nourishing diet.

37. Open the door.

Ans. Let the door be opened.

38. Kindly take your seat

Ans. You are requested to take your seat.

39. Promises must be kept.

Ans. One must keep one’s promises.

40. Prepare yourself for the worst.

Ans. Be prepared for the worst./ You must be prepared for the worst.

41. Don’t touch this switch.

Ans. This switch must not be touched.

42. We must respect the elders.

Ans. The elders must be respected.

43. Honey tastes sweet.

Ans. Honey is sweet when it is tasted.

44. I know him well.

Ans. He is well known to me.

45. Life is bitter.

Ans. Life is bitter when it is experienced.

47. She knows Vinod’s address.

Ans. Vinod's address is known to her.

48. They are playing cricket enthusiastically.

Ans. Cricket is being played by them enthusiastically.

49. They were regarded as the match made in heaven.

Ans. People regarded them as the match made in heaven.

50. The doctor advised him to take the medicine timely.

Ans. He was advised by the doctor to take the medicine timely.

LAQ from Nobel Lecture

 LAQ from Nobel Lecture 

1.Why did Mother Teresa say that poor people are great people? 

Or, 

In what ways does Mother Teresa appeal to the emotions of her audience? What stories does she share of her encounters with the poor in Kolkata? [1+5 = 6]

Or, “The poor are very wonderful people.” How does Mother Teresa establish this idea in her Nobel Lecture.

 Or,

“And she died with a smile on her face.” – What is the incident indicated herein?

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture, Mother Teresa appealed to the emotions of her audience by referring to the misery and wretchedness of human beings that she encountered while she was in Kolkata.

She gave an account that once in Kolkata , Mother and her sisters picked up four people from the streets. One of them was in a far more critical condition. Thus, Mother gave responsibility of the others in the hands of her sisters and had decided to nurse the fourth one herself. With utmost care she gave her best possible efforts to nurse the lady who was in critical condition. At last, the lady died, holding the hands of the Mother with a beautiful smile on her face, saying “Thank you”. Mother was touched with this encounter as the lady died without a single certain complaint of hunger, poverty or misery. As if she was content that at least she was taken care of in her last moments. 

Mother then cited another similar incident of a man who was brought to home by Mother and her co workers from the drain, half eaten by worms. He too seemed content with the care and love he was given. He said that he had been living on the street like an animal but he was about to die like an angel, loved and cared for. This gratitude made Mother feel overwhelmed.

In this regard, Mother also brought the reference of the empathetic Hindu Mother who shared the rice with the Muslim family as both the families were suffering from the pain of hunger. 

All these experiences made a lasting effect on her mind since nobody was complaining for another or cursed anybody or had any sort of grievances. They all had surrendered to the will of God and felt content with what they were given. Thus, she remarked that “the poor are very wonderful people.”

2. I had the most extraordinary experience with a Hindu family …” – What is the most extraordinary experience of the Mother?

Or, 

What story of neighbourly love does Mother Teresa narrate in her speech?

Ans. Mother Teresa, while discussing the quintessential goodness in human nature in her Nobel Lecture, brought out a reference of a Hindu family. She came to know from a certain gentleman that a Hindu family consisting of eight children are starving for a long period of time. Thus, she went to their home along with some rice. On reaching there, she could clearly see the pangs of hunger and scarcity in the eyes of the children. The mother of the children then kept some rice for her family and went away with the rest to a neighbouring house. When Mother Teresa asked her where she had been, the mother of those eight children replied that she went to give the rice to a Muslim family who too were starving for a significant period of time. This overwhelming gesture of sharing and neighbourly love made Mother deeply moved. Hence, she exemplified this incident to give the message that to love one’s neighbour is equivalent to one’s love for God.

3. “… I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.” – Discuss.

  Or,

“And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today.” – Explain.

 Or,

Why does Mother Teresa think ‘abortion’ to the greatest destroyer of peace? How does Mother appeal to fight abortion? [3+3=6]

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture, Mother Teresa vehemently opposed abortion and regarded it as the greatest destroyer of peace. She considered a child as a gift from God and by aborting him/ her one declares a war against the will of God. A mother is always conceived to be the safest place for a child. If a mother deliberately wishes to end the child’s life then there is hardly any place left for love and peace. Therefore, this act of abortion is no less than a homicide as it ends the prospect of a life. 

To fight this evil of abortion Mother Teresa came up with two solutions —- one is proper family planning so that any child must not be unwanted, another is to give the child to her. She counselled the virgin mothers to shun their shame and come forward to her. She assured them of all help and homes for their unwanted children through adoption and other possible means. At least, she would provide shelter and a loving roof over the head of these unwanted children.

4. Narrate the experience Mother Teresa had when there was great difficulty in getting sugar. [6]

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture, Mother Teresa narrated an overwhelming experience of sacrifice for a greater cause of humanity by an innocent boy. She narrated as once there was a scarcity of sugar in Calcutta. A little boy, therefore, told his parents that he would not eat sugar for three days as he wanted to collect the sugar and give it to Mother for her children. After three days when his parents brought him to the home of Mother Teresa. They had not met before and the boy could not pronounce her name properly but he knew clearly what he had come to do. He had come to spread his love for the poor children of home with his kind act of sharing. This is, indeed, a great message of humanity that the boy gave.

5. Narrate in your own words the experience of Mother Teresa in an old age home. [6]

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture Mother Teresa had deliberately pointed out the different aspects of humanity and where we should sensitise ourselves a little more. She narrated about her once visit to an old age home. What she noticed there was that despite being provided with all the necessary amenities and commodities for a comfortable living, there was no smile on the face of the inhabitants. Their eyes were looking towards the door, constantly in search of something. This made mother surprised and she asked her fellow sister the reason for their agony. The sister answered that they were waiting for their sons and daughters to come and visit them. But, unfortunately, it never happened as they were forgotten by their near and dear ones. They were hurt and thus not smiling.

6. Bring out Mother’s observation on drug-addiction particularly in the West. [6]

Ans. Mother Teresa in her Nobel Lecture discussed all the grave issues of the modern world including abortion, poverty, hunger, the problematic relationship of parent and child which blocks the progress of society. In this regard, she pointed out how the feeling of loneliness and a desperate want of love and affection leads the younger generation to drug-addiction. According to her, the parents in the modern world are so absorbed in their occupation that they hardly manage time for their children to spend with. Consequently, children are growing without the sufficient care and love from their parents. Instead, the parents are trying to feel the vacuum with material comforts and inessential luxuries. But that touch of affection remains missing. This leads the younger people to drug addiction and on a larger scale affects the overall wellness of the society. Therefore, she suggested the best possible solution to combat the situation is better family understanding and mutual care and love.

Long questions from My Last Duchess

 L.A.Q from My Last Duchess 

1.Discuss My Last Duchess as a dramatic monologue 

Ans. A Dramatic monologue is a type of poem in which through an abrupt beginning, an imagined speaker addresses and interacts with a presumed audience whose presence can be felt even through their silence. The speech is compressed into a single vivid scene and serves a narrative sense of the speaker’s history and psychological insight into his character.  

The poem begins with the monologue of the Duke of Ferrara, a historical figure from the Italian Renaissance,who pulls back a curtain to reveal the painting of his “last” wife to the emissary of a Count:

“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,

Looking as if she were alive.”

The Duke conflates the painting and his wife into an object of “wonder” to be possessed and shown off. Therefore, “she” is addressed as “that’s”, an object of Duke’s unquestionable authority and dominance. The word “last,” hints at his plans for a series of wives, which soon is made clear in the identity of the audience who were the emissary of the Count to bring forth a proposal of marriage along with a lucrative prospect of a handsome dowry. The silence of the audience also juxtaposes the verbosity of the Duke’s pride and affluence and his unreluctant violence against his wife on the suspicion of infidelity which is nothing but an excuse to conceal his dominance and destructive pride that demands a despotic obedience and surrender from his wife as per his will. The unveiling of the curtain ironically reveals the true colour of cruelty and psychological complexity of the Duke who hardly knows any difference between a human and an object.With a subtle narrative stroke, Browning finely conveys to the readers a source of the Duke’s motives—sexual rivalry for his wife’s attention, his avariciousness for dowry and his absolutism by showing Neptune taming the sea horse to the envoy, suggesting his desire to tame the “voice” of his women. All these aspects combined to make the poem one of the finest instances of a dramatic monologue.

 

2. Character of the Duke. 

Ans. Robert Browning has chosen the form of a dramatic monologue to encapsulate the psychic reality of a character within a few moments of his utterances. The voice that is only audible is that of the Duke of Ferrara entertaining an envoy of a count who is supposed to be his new in-laws. Apparently, the Duke intends to surmise the envoy with his tone, diction of words and a dominant presence only to create an impression of him to be sophisticated and a great connoisseur of arts. But, eventually, he, in the process of unveiling his ‘last’ duchess reveals the true colour of neurotic, domineering and possessive disposition. The aberrant psychology of the duke is noticed in the way he is jealous of everyone around the Duchess, even his poor "officious fools”. His dominance is articulated the way he impels an artist to complete the portrait within a day, leaving him no room for his artistic self expression. He wants the duchess to hold him on high pedestal and treat him with reverence for his favour of a “nine hundred years’ old” family name upon her. This shows how he is steeped in the pride of his prehistoric ancestry. Unfortunately, the duchess was too simple to comprehend his cruelty and consequently, he gave command and “all smiles stopped together”. For the duke everything around him is an object including his wife whom he considers nothing but a territory of his ownership and the failure of which leads to cold-blooded murder. The duke stands for exhibitionism to show off his prowess and possession of great pieces of art and his love for them as they have no “ voice”. His greed is evident in his mention of a lucrative dowry. But that is not enough to please him. What he wants is absolute docility from his wife, suggested by Neptune, taming the sea-horse, a symbolic replica of him who tames the “ voice” of his women.  

3. Character of the Duchess. Narrate the difference between the Duke's portrayal of the Duchess and the way you perceive her character.

Ans. The character of the duchess is modelled after Lucrezia Medici, the fourteen-year-old daughter of the Duke of Tuscany, who was believed to have been killed by her husband—the Duke of Ferrara. But, Browning uses the Duchess’s character to illustrate the detrimental effects of a patriarchal and moralistic view of Victorian society that used to conceive women as “an angel of the house” whose territory is confined within the domestic world. Through the Duke’s monologue, the poem highlights the oppressive dynamics of power and control that the Duke imposes upon her, treating her merely an object of his whims.Thus, the duchess is not much of a character in her own, rather she functions largely as an object to demonstrate the extent of the duke’s possessiveness. 

From the duke’s filtered biased eyes she was described as overly flirtatious, equally appreciative of everyone’s compliments, and easily impressed by both significant and trivial things. He views her as flawed as she did not conform to his expectations of submissiveness and deference. The “spot of joy” that the duke interprets as a sign of her infidelity, was nothing but a gesture of a shy woman in front of a stranger. Her simplicity and innocence is discernible in the following lines :

 “too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed.” 

Her smile , however pure, was considered by Duke to be his sole belonging and a denial to his oppressive mechanism. Thus he gave commands and “all smiles stopped together”. The duchess was courteous to all she came around despite their class and creed, and this starkly contradicts the duke’s maintenance of the hierarchy with his "officious fools” and the emissary of the count. Therefore, the Duchess despite being lifeless, seems quite alive in the representation of the duke and in the reception of the readers.

4. What role does the emissary play in the poem My Last Duchess? 

Ans. The unnamed emissary of a certain count plays the purpose of a silent audience pivotal to the structure of a dramatic monologue. As through the emissary, we, the readers, go through a growing sense of discomfort upon hearing the duke’s explanation of the Duchess and get acquainted with the true shade of the Duke himself. The silent emissary allows the space for the Duke to vent up his insolent pride in his prehistoric ancestry that turns him a despotic husband, a dominant master and above all a brutal man who does not hesitate to silent his wife forever when she doesn't seem to conform to his domineering expectations. It is through the emissary we get to see how the duke controls the gaze of his silent spectator to look around the objects of art he possesses with pride. The treatment of the emissary by duke evidently reflects his preference to maintain a hierarchy of power to make his subordinates treat him with deference. Like, the Wedding Guest in Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the White Man in Joseph Conrad’s Lagoon, the emissary silently leads to the revelation of the Duke's disposition and his past misdeeds but, here without a repentance. The silence of the emissary juxtaposes the verbosity of the duke and his absolute desire to tame the subordinate “voices” as Neptune “taming a seahorse.”

5. How does Browning deal with the theme of masculine gaze of patriarchy in Duke's treatment of the Duchess ? Or, What aspect of Victorian society is reflected through the narrative of the poem? 

Ans. A complete study of My Last Duchess can hardly be completed without understanding the pretext of the Victorian gender roles that used to look upon women “an angel of the house” or an object of a male gaze. In Victorian society the women were given a secondary role and her image was conceived as a mother, wife, daughter in terms of her relationship to her male relatives, allowing her no “room of their own”. This relegated women to the domestic and “immanent” role in the patriarchal hegemony. This dominant ideology of sexism led to the objectification of a woman who was treated as an inferior to man and therefore, an “object” to be looked upon. Thus, the Duke’s ego was not only self-fed but encouraged by the social milieu as well. His perspective about women was a product of his time. Hence, the duchess is represented to us from the biased perspective of the duke, filtered with male chauvinism and an insolent pride in prehistoric ancestry. The way he reveals that the duchess had incurred his displeasure by her expansive friendliness and her refusal to acknowledge his superiority in all things, it clearly reinstates the Victorian expectations from a woman to love, honour, and obey her husband as her marriage vows stated. Therefore, “the spot of joy” on her cheeks, her being too “easily impressed” and her growing “smiles” seemed to defy the prescriptive gender norms that Victorian society advocated. Consequently, the duke gave commands and “all smiles stopped together”. This articulation was a spectacle to generate a sense of “discipline and punishment” to reassert his power and affluence. Thus, the microcosm of a single duke’s psychic reality serves to portray the psychological phenomena of a time that conceived woman as an object of a male gaze and territory.

Three Questions SAQ

 

       Three Questions SAQ

1.What is the meaning of the word Tsar ? 

Ans. Tsar is a Russian word that denotes a king. 

2. What kind of short story is Three Questions?  

Ans. Three Questions is written as a Parable that contains a moral preaching in the form of a short story.

3. What were the three questions that occurred to the Tsar ? 

Ans. In Leo Tolstoy’s short story the three questions that occurred to the Tsar were— what is the right time for every action, who are the most important people to listen to and whom to avoid, and what is the most important thing to do. 

4. Why did the Tsar need the answer of his questions?

Ans. The Tsar sought the answer of his three questions so that he would not be failed in anything he might undertake in future and cope with any occurrence. 

5. What did the Tsar do once he had the thought to get the answer of the questions? 

Ans. Once the thought of having the answer to these critical questions occurred to the Tsar, he proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to anyone who would guide him with the answers.

6. How did the learned men differ in answering the second question of the Tsar ? 

Ans. As to the second question of the Tsar about the most important people to listen to, the learned me varied in their opinions. Some replied that the Tsar mostly needed his counselors to advise him, others said the priests, some regarded the doctors to be more important, while others said that the warriors are the most necessary men of all. 

7. How did the learned men differ in answering the third question of the Tsar ? 

Ans. As to the third question of the Tsar about the most important occupation, the learned men’s answers varied. Some replied in favour of science, while for others it was the skill in warfare. Others preferred religious worship to be the most important occupation.

8. Why did the Tsar give a reward to none ? 

Ans. All the answers of the learned men being different failed to satisfy the Tsar. So he agreed with none of them and gave reward to none.

9.Whom did the Tsar decide to consult ? 

Ans. The Tsar, being utterly dissatisfied with the varied answers of the learned men, decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom.

10. Where did the hermit live ? 

Ans. The hermit whom the Tsar wanted to consult to get the answers of his questions, used to live in a wood which he never quitted. 

11. Whom did the hermit receive ? 

Ans. The hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom, used to receive none but common folks. 

12. Why did the Tsar put on simple clothes? 

Ans. The wise hermit whom the Tsar sought to consult received only common folks, so the Tsar put on simple clothes, dismounted from his horse and left his bodyguard behind.

13. What was the hermit doing when the Tsar approached him ? 

Ans. When the Tsar approached the wise hermit he was digging the ground in front of his hut.

14. What did the hermit do on seeing the Tsar ? 

Ans. Seeing the Tsar the hermit greeted him and went on digging the ground in front of his hut. 

15. How did the hermit look ? / How was the condition of the hermit when the Tsar met him ? 

Ans. The hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom, was physically frail and weak and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little earth, he breathed heavily.

16. What did the hermit reply after listening to the questions of the Tsar for the first time? 

Ans. The hermit listened to the Tsar but replied nothing. He just spat on his hand and recommenced digging.

17. Why did the Tsar take the spade from the hermit and dig? 

Ans. The hermit was physically frail and weak and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little earth, he breathed heavily. The Tsar thought that he might be tired and felt mercy on him and took to the spade to dig.

18. What did the hermit do when he gave the spade to the Tsar ? 

Ans. The hermit thanked the Tsar to dig the ground for him and sat down on the ground. 

19. When did the Tsar repeat his questions for the second time ? 

Ans. When the Tsar had dug two beds, he stopped and repeated his questions to the hermit.

20. What did the hermit reply after listening to the questions of the Tsar for the second time? 

Ans. Listening to the questions of the Tsar for the second time the hermit again gave him no answer, instead he rose from the ground, stretched out his hand for the spade from the Tsar to dig.

21. When did the Tsar repeat his questions for the third time ? 

Ans. When one hour passed, and another, the sun began to sink behind the trees, the Tsar at last stuck the spade into the ground and sought answers of his questions from the hermit for the third time.

22. How did the Tsar implore/ request the hermit third time to answer his questions? 

Ans. The Tsar did humbly implore the wise men either to answer his questions or to tell him straight if the answers were not known to him, so that the Tsar would return to his home.

23. Who was coming from the wood ? 

Ans. The Tsar saw a bearded man come running out of the woods. 

24. What was the condition of the bearded man ? 

Ans. The bearded man who came running out of the woods, held his hands pressed against his stomach,as blood was flowing from under them. When he reached the king, he fell fainting on the ground, moaning feebly. 

25. What did the Tsar and the hermit do immediately to help the bearded man?

Ans. The Tsar and the hermit unfastened the man’s clothing as there was a large wound in his stomach.

26. From where was the blood flowing? 

Ans. The bearded man’s blood was flowing from a large wound in his stomach.

27. How did the Tsar nurse the wounded man? 

Ans. The Tsar washed the wound of the bearded man and bandaged it initially with his handkerchief and then with a towel given by the hermit. The Tsar again and again removed the bandage soaked with warm blood, washed it and rebandaged him till the blood ceased flowing. 

28. When the blood ceased flowing what did the man ask? 

Ans. When the blood ceased flowing, the wounded man revived and asked for something to drink.

29. What did the Tsar give the wounded man to drink? 

Ans. The Tsar brought the wounded man fresh water to drink and quench his thirst. 

30. Why did the Tsar bring the wounded man into the hut ? 

Ans. As the sun had set, it had become cool. So the Tsar, with the hermit’s assistance carried the wounded man into the hut and laid him on the bed.

31. Why did the Tsar have a sound sleep?

Ans. The Tsar was so tired from his walk and from the work he had done that he crouched down on the threshold, and also fell asleep so soundly that he slept all through the short summer night.

32. Which season is mentioned in the story ?

Ans. The story Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy carries reference to the season of Summer.

33. Who was the bearded man ?

Ans. The bearded man was the sworn enemy of the Tsar who sought revenge upon the Tsar for executing his brother and seizing his property.

34. How did the bearded man get wounded?

Ans. The bearded man resolved to kill the Tsar on his way back from the hermit as he was alone. But when the day passed and the Tsar did not return, the man came out of his ambush to look for the Tsar and incidentally came upon the Tsar’s bodyguard who recognized him and wounded him consequently.

35. What did the wounded man promise the Tsar?

Ans. Out of gratitude to save his life, the wounded man promised the Tsar to serve him as his most faithful slave, and would bid his sons to do the same. 

36. Why was the Tsar glad ? 

Ans. The Tsar was glad to have made peace with his enemy so easily, and to have gained him for a friend.

37. What did the Tsar promise the wounded man?

Ans. The Tsar promised the wounded man that he would send his servants and his own physician to attend him, and promised to restore his property.

38. Where did the Tsar go after departing from the wounded man?

Ans. Having taken leave of the wounded man, the Tsar went out into the porch and looked around for the hermit in an attempt to get the answers of his questions for the last time.

39. What was the hermit doing when the Tsar met him for the last time?

Ans. When the Tsar met the hermit he was outside, on his knees, sowing seeds in the beds that had been dug the day before.

40. What did the Tsar approach the hermit?

Ans. The Tsar humbly approached the hermit for the last time and prayed to him to answer his questions.

41. What is the most important time as per the hermit?

Ans. According to the hermit there is only one time that is important —-now. Because it is the only time when we have any power that can predict the future course of action.

42. What is the most important person as per the hermit?

Ans. According to the hermit the most necessary man is the one with whom we are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with anyone else.

43. What is the most important work as per the hermit?

Ans. The most important affair, according to the hermit, is to do that person good with whom we are present, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life.