Table of Contents
2012
- What are the six constituent parts in tragedy?
Ans: The six constituent parts of a tragedy are plot, character, thought, diction, music/chorus, and spectacle. - How did Oedipus blind himself?
Ans: He blinded himself with the golden brooches pinned with Jocasta’s dress. - What is play within a play?
Ans: “A play within a play” means a play that is being performed in the confines of another play. - When does Sergius ‘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. - What were Maurya’s last words?
Ans: “No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied” were Maurya’s last words. - What are the three unities of a play according to Aristotle?
Ans: ‘Unity of action’, ‘unity of time’, and ‘unity of place’, are the three unities of a play according to Aristotle. - What was the three tragic flow of Oedipus?
Ans: His pride is the tragic flaw of Oedipus. - Why did Bluntchli enter Raina’s bedroom?
Ans: Being chased by the Bulgarians, he enters Raina’s bedroom to take shelter and save his life. - Whose head was changed into the head of an ass?
Ans: Previous Syllabus Questions. - What was the profession of Bottom?
Ans: Previous Syllabus Questions. - When did the Servo-Bulgaria war take place?
Ans: The Servo-Bulgarian war took place in 1885. - What did the priest inform Cathleen and Nora?
Ans: The priest informs Cathleen and Nora that a body that may be their brother Michael has washed up on shore in Donegal, far to the north.
2013
- What is the English word for ‘mimesis’?
Ans: The English word for ‘mimesis’ is ‘imitation’. (Previous Syllabus Questions) - What is ‘Hamartia’ or tragic flow?
Ans: Hamartia is a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine. (Previous Syllabus Questions) - What is the best form of ‘discovery’ according to Aristotle?
Ans: (Previous Syllabus Questions) - How did Jocasta die?
Ans: Jocasta committed suicide by hanging a noose. - Why did Hippolyta have to marry Theseus?
Ans: (Previous Syllabus Questions) - What did Laius look like?
Ans: Laius was tall, a little gray in his hair and he looked a lot like Oedipus. - 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. - What is ‘Love-in-Idleness’?
Ans: (Previous Syllabus Questions) - 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 at Bucharest. - How many sons did Maurya have and who were they?
Ans: Maurya had six sons. They were Stephen, Shawn, Sheamus, Patch, Michael, and Bartley. - How did Bartley die?
Ans: When Bartley is riding the red mare with the grey pony running behind him, the grey pony knocks him over into the sea and he is carried by the strong high waves to the white rocks and dashed against them. - How do Nora and Cathleen become sure about the clothes of Michale?
Ans: Nora and Cathleen become sure about the clothes of Michael by the stitching of the stocking.
2014
- What is play within a play?
Ans: “A play within a play” means a play that is being performed in the confines of another play. - What colour is the flower Oberon wants?
Ans: (Previous Syllabus Questions) - Why was delphi famous for?
Ans: Delphi is famous for the oracle of Apollo and for accurate predictions of the future. - What is Galway fair?
Ans: It is a fair to be held at Galway, a western country of Ireland, just opposite of Aran Islands. - What did the chorus say at the end of the play ‘King Oedipus’?
Ans: The chorus says that no man can be called happy until he dies happily. - 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 base or think anything ignoble when the person he/she loves is in his/her mind. - What was written at the back of the photograph of Raina?
Ans: “Raina, to her Chocolate Cream Soldier: a Souvenir”. - Who was “Dog faced witch”?
Ans: The ‘Dog-faced witch’ was the Sphinx which had terrorized Thebes with its riddle before Oedipus came. - Who are the ‘Riders’ mentioned in the play ‘Riders to the sea’?
Ans: On the surface, the ‘riders’ are Maurya’s father in law, husband and her six sons. But on the general level the fishermen of the Aran Islands are all riders. - What is the message of ‘Riders to the sea’?
Ans: The message of the play is that no man at all can be living forever and we must be satisfied even at one’s premature death if one gets a decent burial. - What are the two major emotions of tragedy?
Ans: ‘Pity’ and ‘fear’ are the two major emotions of tragedy. (Previous Syllabus Questions) - What are the four essentials in characterization?
Ans: The character should be good, appropriate, life-linked, and consistent. (Previous Syllabus Questions)
2015
- What is the moral lesson in the play, “Oedipus Rex”?
Ans: The moral lesson in the play is that no man can be called happy until he dies happily. - What does Baroka foresee about the village?
Ans: Baroka foresees about the village that if the village is modernized he will not be able to show his power and satisfy his lust for any girl in the village. - What is Sphinx?
Ans: In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is a deadly monster with the head of a woman and its hind part is that of a lion with its tail as a serpent.
Or
Sphinx was the mythical monster whose head and breast were like a woman but the body was of a winged lion. - How old is Captain Bluntchli?
Ans: Bluntschli is thirty-four years old. - Who was regarded as Touchstone’s rival in love?
Ans: Touchstone regarded his own swo - What is cavalry charge?
Ans: Cavalry charge is an attack made by horse soldiers. - Of which village Baroka was the village chief?
Ans: Ilujinle. - What is the theme of Amiens’s song “Blow, blow thou winter wind”?
Ans: Betrayal, fake friendship and bitter realities of human life are the major themes of this poem. - “What an army!” – Who says this?
Ans: Bluntschli says this. - Where did Michael buy the stick for his mother?
Ans: Michael brought the stick for his mother from Connemara. - Where was the infant Oedipus left?
Ans: The infant Oedipus was left on mountain Cithaeron. - Who were the surviving children of Maurya at the beginning of the play?
Ans: Bartley
2016
- Who was Teiresias?
Ans: Teirisias is the blind prophet whom Oedipus called to find out the killer of Laius. - Who is Duke Senior?
Ans: Duke Senior is the elder brother of Duke Frederick and the father of Rosalind. - Who is Raina’s Mother?
Ans: Raina’s mother is Catherine Petkoff, an energetic and dominating woman with black hair and eyes. - Name the sons of Maurya who died in the sea?
Ans: Maurya’s sons who died in the sea are Stephen, Shawn, Sheamus, Patch, Michael and Bartley. - Who are the characters in “The Lion and the Jewel”?
Ans: The character in the play are Baroka, Lakunle, Sidi, Sadiku etc. - What kind of play is ‘Riders to the sea’?
Ans: ‘Riders to the Sea’ is a one-act tragedy. - Whom did Oedipus send to the Oracle of Apollo?
Ans: Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle of Apollo. - What is ‘Professional’ to Bluntschli?
Ans: Soldiering is professional to Bluntschli. - Why did Orlando suffer at the hands of Oliver?
Ans: Oliver was jealous and wicked and so Orlando suffered at the hands of Oliver. - What gift was Oedipus’s greatness?
Ans: Oedipus’s greatness was his ability to solve the riddle. - Who is Louka?
Ans: Louka is the maid-servant of the Petkoffs. - Who is an illiterate goat in ‘The Lion and the Jewel’?
Ans: Lakunle calls Sidi an illiterate goat.
2017
- What does the forest of Arden signify?
Ans: The Forest of Arden invokes the image of Arcadia, or paradise. It also bears a resemblance to Eden, the Biblical paradise where Adam and Eve first got together. - Whose daughter is Celia?
Ans: Celia is the daughter of Duke Frederick and cousin of Rosalind. She leaves her home to join Rosalind in the Forest of Arden and later falls in love with Orlando’s brother Oliver, whom she marries at the end. - Why does Duke Frederick banish Rosalind?
Ans: The Duke is jealous of Rosalind because she was more popular than his daughter. He feels that Rosalind’s goodness and popularity would affect Celia. So, he banishes Rosalind. - What is Sphinx?
Ans: In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is a deadly monster with the head of a woman and its hind part is that of a lion with its tail as a serpent.
Or
Sphinx was the mythical monster whose head and breast were like a woman but the body was of a winged lion. - Why did Oedipus flee from Corinth?
Ans: When Oedipus learnt from Delphi Oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he fled from Corinth to avoid such sin. - What punishment did Oedipus declare on the killer of Laius?
Ans: Oedipus declared that the killer was forbidden in his country. He was called accursed and unclean and so was not allowed any help, prayer or sacrifice. - Where was the dead body of Michael found?
Ans: The dead body of Michael was found by a boatman. When two boatmen were rowing with illicit liquor, poteen, before dawn, the oar of one of them caught Michael’s floating dead body. - 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. - How does Maurya console herself at the end of the play?
Ans: At the end, Maurya resigns herself to her cruel fate. She consoles herself by saying, “No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied”. - Why does Maurya want Bartley not to sail to Connemara?
Ans: Maurya does not want Bartley to sail to the mainland / Connemara because she fears that the boat journey to Connemara shall be very dangerous as the storm blowing hard from the south and west will make the sea turbulent. - Who considers himself to be a Christ figure?
Ans: Christ was rejected by the people of his own territory. Similarly, Lakunle’s new ideas are rejected by his villagers. Thus, Lakunle considers himself to be a Christ figure. - Who is Sidi?
Ans: Sidi is an egotistical beautiful village girl who is famous for her beauty. She is the Jewel in the play The Lion and the Jewel.
2018
- Who was Jocasta?
Ans: Jocasta was the biological mother and then wife of Oedipus. - Whom did Oedipus send to the Oracle of Apollo?
Ans: Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle of Apollo. - Why did Oedipus blind himself?
Ans: Oedipus blinded himself because he had seen that was forbidden. He reasoned that he could not meet his father and mother beyond the grave with seeing eyes after committing such heinous sins. - Who was Jaques?
Ans: Jaques is a lord attending Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden. He is a melancholy person who sits in the Forest of Arden brooding over life. When he meets Touchstone the fool he wishes that he could also be a fool and say witty things. - Why did Rosalind and Celia try to dissande Orlando from wrestling?
Ans: On being asked by Duke Frederick, Rosalind and Celia try to dissuade Orlando from wrestling. - What had Touchstone done in a fit of lovesickness?
Ans: In a fit of lovesickness, Touchstone had broken his sword on a stone thinking it to be his rival in love; he had kissed a wooden stick and cow’s udder because his beloved had touched them with her hands, and he had made love to a plant imagining that it represented his beloved. - 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 Galway Fair famous for?
Ans: The Galway fair is famous for the treading of cattle or horses and other commodities of the people from around. - What does the ‘Holy water’ signify?
Ans: The ‘Holy Water’ is the water sanctified by prayer by priests. Such water was believed to be able to keep away evil spirits. - What does Sidi refuse to marry Lakunle without bride price?
Ans: Sidi refuses to marry Lakunle without bride price for the fear of being guilty of losing her virginity before the marriage. - Who is an illiterate goat in The Lion and the Jewel?
Ans: Lakunle calls Sidi an illiterate goat.
2019
- Who are the foster parents of Oedipus?
Ans: Polybus and Merope are the foster parents of Oedipus. - How did Jocasta die?
Ans: Jocasta committed suicide by hanging a noose. - Who are the chorus in ‘Oedipus Rex’?
Ans: The chorus in Oedipus Rex comprises the male elders of Thebes. - Who is Sir ‘Rowland de Boys’?
Ans: Sir Rowland de Boys is the father of Oliver and Orlando. - What is Rosalind’s name in disguise?
Ans: Ganymede - Who says — Sweet are the uses of adversity?
Ans: Duke Senior says, “Sweet are the uses of adversity”. - What is Slivinitza?
Ans: Slivnitsa is a town in western Bulgaria where the Serbo-Bulgarian War took place. - Who is Chocolate Cream soldier?
Ans: Captain Bluntschli is the Chocolate Cream soldier. - Why did Bartley want to go to the Galway fair?
Ans: He went to the Galway fair to sell two horses. - How does Maurya console herself at the end of the play?
Ans: In the end, Maurya resigns herself to her cruel fate. She consoles herself by saying, “No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied”. - How old is ‘Sadiku’?
Ans: Sadiku is nearly seventy years old. - What does Baroka foresee about the village?
Ans: If the village is modernized, he will not be able to exercise his power and satisfy his lust for any girl in the village.
2020
- Who knew that the terrible prophecy of Oedipus has already come true?
Ans: Jocasta knows that the terrible prophecy of Oedipus has already come true. [I’m not sure, it may be Teiresias]. - What is an anti-romantic comedy?
Ans: An anti-romantic comedy is that a type of comedy in which the dramatist attacks the romantic idealization of life. - What does the Oracle of Delphi prophesy about Oedipus?
Ans: The Oracle of Delphi prophecies about Oedipus that he will kill his father and marry his mother. - Why did Rosalind and Celia go to the Forest of Arden?
Ans: Rosalind was banished by her uncle Duke Frederick for being the daughter of the out-of-favor Duke Senior. So she flees to Arden accompanied by her cousin Celia. - Who loves Audrey before the arrival of Touchstone in the Forest of Arden?
Ans: William loves Audrey before the arrival of Touchstone in the Forest of Arden. - Where has the title of the play Arms and the Man been taken from?
Ans: The title of the play, ‘Arms and the Man’, is taken from Dryden’s translation of Virgil’s epic, ‘The Aeneid’, beginning with, “Arms and the man I sing”. - What has written at the back of the photograph of Raina?
Ans: “Raina, to her Chocolate Cream Soldier: a Souvenir”, was written at the back of the photograph of Raina. - Whom does Captain Bluntschli call Don Quixote?
Ans: Captain Bluntschli calls Sergius, Don Quixote as he is as fool as him (Don Quixote). - How old is Cathleen?
Ans: Cathleen is about twenty years old. - “No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied”. — Who says this?
Ans: Maurya, the protagonist of, ‘Riders to the Sea’, says these words. - Which village is Baroka the village Chief of?
Ans: Baroka is the chief of the village, Illujinle. - What is Ogun?
Ans: Ogun is the god of oaths and justice. He is also the god of war, the hunt, and metalworking.