When was Shaw awarded Nobel Prize? What did he do with the prize money? Ans: He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1925, but he gave away the prize money to start the Anglo-Swedish Literary Foundation.
What is ‘the New Drama’? Ans: ‘The New Drama’ is a type of drama that started at the end of the 19th century and which deals with realistic social issues instead of the idealism of the traditional drama.
What is ‘New Theatre’? Ans: It is a theatrical organization that was established in London in 1891 in order to popularize the intellectual dramas of Ibsen and Shaw.
What is the importance of the year 1885 in Arms and the Man? Ans: The year 1885 is important because the war between Serbia and Bulgaria took place in that year. The war started on Nov 14 and ended with the defeat of Serbia on Nov 19 at Slivnitza.
What is the Dragoman Pass? Ans: It is a mountain pass in the west of Bulgaria. It provides an easy passage between Bulgaria and Serbia.
What is a Turkish ottoman? Ans: It is a cushioned seat or sofa without a back or arms. It was first used in Turkey.
How does Sergius become the hero of the hour and the idol of the regiment? Ans: By defeating the Serbians at Slivnitza, Sergius becomes the hero of the hour and the idol of the regiment.
How does Sergius win the battle at Slivnitza? Ans: Sergius wins the battle at Slivnitza by means of his cavalry attack. When Sergius attacks the Serbs with his cavalry soldiers, the machine gun of the Serbs suddenly stops functioning. So Sergius becomes able to defeat them.
What is an opera? Ans: An opera is a type of drama in which the actors make their Speeches in musical verse, not in prose. Thus and opera is a musical drama.
What kind of girl is Louka? Ans: Louka is a spirited woman. She is proud, bold, and haughty. Though a maid-servant, she has not the spirit of a servant.
What is Tsar? Ans: Tsar is the title of the Emperor of Russia before 1917.
“Nine soldiers out of ten are born fools” — Who is the speaker? Why does he say this? Ans: The Man who enters Raina’s bedroom at night says this. Here he means that most of the soldiers are very foolish persons. He says this to encourage Raina that She can easily deceive the Bulgarian soldiers who are about to enter her room in search
What kind of soldier is the Man (Bluntschli) who enters Raina’s bedroom at night? Ans: He is a professional soldier.
What is a professional soldier? Ans: A professional soldier is a person who takes soldiering as a profession. He fights for money.
Why does Raina offer chocolate creams to the Man (Bluntschli)? Ans: When the Man (Bluntschli) tells Raina that he always carries chocolate in the battle instead of cartridges, she offers him chocolate creams out of sympathy.
How according to Bluitschli can one recognize an old soldier? Ans: According to Bluntschli, an old soldier can be recognized from the contents of his pistol cases and cartridge boxes, where he carries some food.
Who was Don Quixote? Ans: Don Quixote was the romantic hero of the novel of the same name by the Spanish writer, Cervantes. He attacked a windmill in action taking it as a giant.
How does Raina pride in the Petkoff family? Ans: Raina prides on the Petkoff family by saying that it is the richest, and best-known family in Bulgaria.
Who was Ernani? Ans: Ernani was the titular hero of an opera of the same name by Giuseppi Verdi, an Italian composer.
On what condition did Bluntschli agree to stay in Raina’s – room? Ans: Bluntschli agreed to stay in Raina’s room on the condition that Raina must inform her mother about his presence in her room.
Why does Raina call Bluntschli a chocolate cream soldier? Ans: Raina sarcastically calls him a chocolate cream soldier because he carried chocolate instead of cartridges on the battlefield.
Who is Nicola? Ans: Nicola is the servant-man of the Petkoff family.
What, according to Nicola, is the secret of success in service? Ans: According, to Nicola, to have the soul of a servant is the secret to success in service.
How long is Nicola in the service of the Petkoff’s? Ans: Nicola is in the service of the Petkoff’s for ten years.
What is cognac? Ans: Cognac is the best quality of French brandy obtained from wine made at Cognac, a town in France.
What is Byronism? Ans: Byronism denotes the model of life set forth by the romantic poet, Lord Byron.
Who is described as a Byronic hero in Arms and the Man? Why? Ans: In Arms and the Man Sergius is described as a Byronic hero for his brooding on the constant failure.
Why did Sergius resign from his service? Ans: As he was not promoted to a general, he felt that injustice had been done to him. So he resigned from his service.
What, according to Sergius, is the secret of successful fighting? Ans: According to Sergius, the secret of successful fighting lies in attacking one’s enemy when the enemy is weaker and keeping out of danger when the enemy is stronger.
When does Sergius’s “higher love’ vanish? Ans: After talking about ‘higher love’ Raina leaves Sergius for five minutes to get her hat. He takes his eyes slowly away from Raina and sees Louka, and his higher love vanishes at the sight of Louka.
Why did Sergius challenge Captain Bluntschli to a duel? Ans: Sergius challenged Bluntschli to a duel because Bluntschli was his rival in Raina’s love.
Who are ‘the half dozen Sergiuses’? How? Ans: Sergius is half a dozen men in one. He has six selves—a hero, a buffoon, a humbug, a blackguard, a coward, and a jealous man.
Why does Louka tell Sergius that she is worth six of Rainas? Ans: Louka tells Sergius that Raina makes love to another person behind their back of Sergius. She also tells him that Raina is a liar and a cheat while she herself is not. So she is six times superior to Raina.
How does Petkoff feel in his military coat? Ans: Petkoff feels uncomfortable in his military coat. In his military coat, he feels as if he were on parade, inspecting some soldiers.
What does Petkoff bet Catherine on the old coat? Ans: Petkoff bets that if the old coat is found in the blue closet, he will buy for Catherine any piece of jewelry she chooses from Sofia. But if it is not found there, she will have to forego a week’s housekeeping money.
Who loses the bet on the old coat? Why? Ans: Petkoff loses the bet. When he went to the blue closet, the coat was not there. So he did not find the coat. Afterward, the coat was placed there by Catherine. So Nicola finds the coat there.
On what occasions does Raina tell lies? Ans: Raina tells lies twice. (a) When she hid him behind the curtains of her bedroom, she lied to the Russian officer that he was not there. (b) The story of the ice pudding was her second lie.
Why does Raina tell lies on two occasions? Ans: Raina tells lies on both the occasions to save Bluntschli’s ” life—on the first occasion to save his life from the hands of the Russian officer and on the second occasion from the hands of Sergius.
How did Bluntschli know Raina’s real nature of telling lies? Ans: Bluntschli knew Raina’s real nature of telling lies by his common sense and experience of the world.
What is Bluntschli’s reaction to the news of his father’s death? Ans: Bluntschli is not moved by the news of his father’s death. He is a practical-minded man. So he calmly receives the news remarking that his father has left him a lot of things.
Why does Sergius decide to marry Louka? Ans: When Sergius comes to know from Louka that Raina is in love with Bluntschli and is going to marry him, he (Sergius) feels that he is being befooled by all. In his bitter disillusionment, he decides to marry Louka and declares his decision by saying “Remember: You belong to me.”
Why does Sergius refuse to fight his duel with Bluntschli later on? Ans: When it is revealed that Sergius was making love with Louka behind Raina’s back, he refuses to fight with Bluntschli on the ground that Bluntschli is so cold a man that he cannot inspire him to fight with him.
How does Raina remove her photograph from the pocket of her father’s coat? Ans: While helping her father in wearing the coat, she skillfully takes away her photo and throws it on the table before Bluntschli who covers it with some paper even before the eyes of Sergius.
Who was Stolz? Ans: Stolz was Bluntschli’s late friend. Bluntschli told him about his midnight adventure in a Bulgarian lady’s bedroom and he told Petkoff and Sergius about it.
How does Louka become Sergius’ ‘affianced wife’? Ans: After Nicola breaks his engagement to Louka, she feels insulted and accuses Sergius of setting the example, Sergius asks her to forgive him. She timidly gives her hand to her and he Kisses it. With this touch, she becomes his affianced wife according to his earlier promise.
What according to Raina, is ‘higher love’? Ans: According to Raina, higher love is spiritual love. It is a state of the mind of a person who could not do anything based on or think anything ignoble when the person he/she loves is in his/her mind.
How old is Raina? Ans: Raina is twenty-three years old.
Why do Raina’s parents agree to marry their daughter off to Bluntschli? Ans: They agree to marry their daughter off to Bluntschli when they come to know that Bluntschli possesses a lot of wealth.
Who is the man in the title of the play Arms and the Man? Ans: Bluntschli.
Why did Bluntschli enter Raina’s bedroom? Ans: Being chased by the Bulgarians, he enters Raina’s bedroom to take shelter and save his life.
When did the Servo-Bulgarian war take place? Ans: The Servo-Bulgarian war took place in 1885.
Why did G.B. Shaw write Arms and the Man? Ans: G.B. Shaw wrote Arms and the Man to condemn war and its glorification, and to prove that marriage is a biological necessity, not romance.
From where did Raina derive her romantic ideas about Sergius? Ans: Raina derived her romantic ideas about Sergius from her reading of the romantic poetry of Byron and Pushkin, the English and the Russian poets, and her seeing of the sentimental operas in Bucharest.
What is a cavalry charge? Ans: Cavalry charge is an attack made by horse soldiers.
How old is Captain Bluntschli? Ans: Bluntschli is thirty-four years old.
“What an army!”—Who says this? Ans: Bluntschli says this.
Who is Raina’s mother? Ans: Raina’s mother is Catherine Petkoff, an energetic and dominating woman with black hair and eyes.
What is ‘Professional’ to Bluntschli? Ans: Soldiering is professional to Bluntchli.
Who is Louka? Ans: Louka is the maid-servant of the Petkoffs.
What is the background of Arms and the Man? Ans: The play is based on the historical war between Bulgaria and Serbia fought in 1885.
What does ‘arms’ in Arms and the Man suggest? Ans: In Arms and the Man ‘arms’ suggests war.
Why does Raina not want to let Bluntschli stay in her room? Ans: Raina doesn’t want to let Bluntschli stay in her room because he has said something insulting about Sergius’ cavalry charge.
What is Slivinitza? Ans: Slivnitsa is a town in western Bulgaria that took place during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.
Who is a Chocolate Cream soldier? Ans: Captain Bluntschli is the Chocolate Cream soldier.