ENGLISH-1

Answer the following

Question.1. Did Shylock get a fair trial? Or Is Shylock, a victim of law or prejudice? Or Write short note on Shylock's justification.

Answer. Shylock is the most prominent character in the play, "The Merchant of Venice" by Shakespeare. He was a Jew who lent money to others on high interests. Though Shylock was the villain of the play "The Merchant of Venice", yet he had something in him which wins sympathy. Shylock was a greedy, mean and miserly man.

For him his ducats were dearer than his daughter. He hated Antonio because he lent money without charging any interest and this was injurious to his own business of lending money. He was very revengeful. Antonio had often insulted and abused him. He hated Antonio and wanted to take revenge. He was ready to take the life of Antonio. Nothing could move and change his decision. He had a suspicious nature. He trusted no one. Shylock was a religious person and was fully committed to his religion and anyone who did not respect his religion is matter of hatred for him. Shylock was a typical Jew. He was addressed more as the Jew than as Shylock. He wore Jewish clothes. He always took Jewish oath. He did not want to dine with non-Jews. He did not like Christian because they had been ill treating him and his community.

Shylock was merciless by nature. When Antonio forfeits the bond, he wanted to have pound of flesh from the body of Antonio. He did not listen to any appeal. Even Portia's fine speech on mercy failed to move him. While getting bond signed by Antonio, he had been saying that a pound of human flesh could be of no use to him, even then he was adamant to get it and no pleas could satisfy him.

Shylock had great intellectual vigor. He argued his case forcefully in the court. He insisted on having the pound of flesh. He was not ready to accept a bigger amount even if it was money from Bassanio to let Antonio go free. He stood for the letter of the law. But he was victim of prejudice. As according to law of Venice Antonio had broke the bond and Shylock was bound to get fair trial and he should get what he needed according to the bond. But he was a man belonging to minor community which is tortured and tormented by majority. Those people robbed him of his wealth. In our opinion he was a man wronged by the Christians. Shylock's hatred for Christian springs from the cruelty and ill treatment meted out to the Jews by the Christians who make the majority community. But in some respect he was also the victim of law. After considering that the tables are turned on him, he asked for mercy and got ready to accept the money but the lawyer said that according to the law of Venice he is charged of conspiring to murder a citizen and there is no mercy in the law for such a crime. But the Duke, in the end showed great mercy on him and instead of forfeiting half of his property, the Duke only imposes a nominal fine on him, so that he might feel what mercy means. Shylock's punishment was lessened and state did not take his property and reduced it to a fine if he showed humility.

Shylock was utterly defeated, shocked and stunned and agreed to all the conditions. He even agreed to be a Christian.

Question 2.Write short note on 'Antonio- courageous hero or victim'.

 Answer. Antonio is the hero of the play "The Merchant of Venice" by Shakespeare. He is the central character in the play and is also the hero of the Bond story. He signs a dangerous bond staking his life just to help his friend and when he was unable to return the money in the end, he even is willing to face death. He is very helpful to others and as he is a rich merchant, he lends money to the people in difficulty without charging any interest from them. But the only defect in him is his haughtiness and Christian-fanaticism. He hates Shylock as he is a Jew and has ny verbal fights with him. All this negativities of him goes nst him in the end. Shylock hates him as he also lends ney to people but Antonio kind heartedness comes in his ay and badly affects his business of lending money and when he comes to know that he is in difficulty he grabs the situation and signed a deadly bond with him. Shylock hates Antonio and wants to take revenge. Nothing can move and change his decision at the trial. In the trial scene he seems to be victimized at the hands of Shylock and everyone sympathize with him when his life hangs in the balance.

Question 3.Write about the speech made by Portia on quality of mercy.

Answer. When Portia was pleading for Antonio in the Court, she tried her best to convince Shylock to have mercy on Antonio but he asked her that on what compulsion he must show mercy. Portia take on mercy was that the nature of mercy is such that it cannot be shown under compulsion or force. It drops upon a person, as the gentle rain falls from the sky on the earth. Mercy has a double blessing. It blesses that person who shows mercy and it also blesses that person who receives mercy. It is strongest in those people who have the greatest power. It befits (suits) the king even more than his crown. The king's scepter (rod or baton or mace which is a symbol of authority and power) shows the force of his earthly power. The symbol of authority produces fear and terror in the hearts of people. But mercy is superior to all the earthly power which is a king wields because of his authority. Mercy has a seat in the heart of kings. Mercy is a divine quality. A king's earthly power appears to be like the power of God when justice is moderated and tempered (made less cruel) by mercy. She asked Shylock that you are demanding strict justice, but remember if justice was administered to us all, none of us can have salvation. We all pray to God for mercy. And this same power teaches us all to do merciful deeds for others. Portia tells Shylock, that although he demands justice, he should consider that justice should not be his sole aim. Just as he, too, would expect mercy in certain situations, he should show mercy to others.

Question 4. Summaries the novel 'Joseph Andrews'. Or Write short note on 'Lady Booby's justification for opposing Joseph's marriage'.

Answer. 'Joseph Andrews' is a novel written by Henry Fielding. Joseph Andrews is the central character of the novel. He is a young and handsome man with religious temperament. He was a man of virtues and commitment. Lady Booby was Joseph Andrew's employer. She had gone through a bad marriage and had a Ne fascination for Joseph. This led her into acute mental conflict. Being very conscious of her social status, she is ashamed of having fallen in love with a footman who worked for her. But at the same time she found him utterly irresistible. For a long time, she is torn between her pride and passion, her emotions and her reason. It was ultimately the passion which triumphed. Then she employed every trick to seduce Joseph. She allured him, cajoled him and when he firmly resisted her lustful advances, she dismissed him. Joseph was committed to his childhood friend Fanny and left the parish to find her. On his journey he met his friend and mentor Parson Adams and both of them together searched for Fanny.

When Joseph found Fanny, they came back to the countryside and announced their marriage. Parson Adams helped him for publishing banns for the marriage. When Lady Booby heard this she called for Adams. When Parson, Joseph's friend came to meet her she accused him of having ungratefully shown respect to a fellow who had been turned out of her household for his misdeed and promoting a match between him and an apparently well bred girl. But nothing worked out. Adams did not surrendered to his threats and replied that he would obey her in all that was lawful, but even the poor had their rights.

Then she summoned her lawyer Scott. She told him to do whatever he can to stop this marriage. She said she did not want Fanny to marry a vagabond. As if she would marry a vagabond she would produce a nest of beggars even if they were beauties. She said that she was concerned only preventing beauties from producing burdens to the parish. As they all would settle on her state and would be her responsibilities and she would have to provide for them. Scott assured her that nothing can stop him for preventing this marriage. He told her many roundabout methods that can be used to throw him away from the parish. He told her that Joseph was not settled in fact, and so not an inhabitant, and so not of the parish, and so was not permitted to publish banns. He assured her that he would take care of Adams also. He assured her that there would be nothing to fear from the ugly slut as well. The lady wanted to be sure that Fanny was is dspatched out of the parish. Scout said that the law could not allow such a power, but the justice would surely stretch it as far as possible. He even moved a step further and got Joseph and Fanny arrested and jailed on wrong grounds. Lady Booby exerted pressure of position and wealth to prevent the marriage. She used all her wits and arts but when all this failed she plots abduction and rape of Fanny which showed the depths of degeneration she can stoop. Lady Booby tried her best to prevent Joseph from marrying Fanny, but failed badly.

Question 5. Write short note on 'Lawyer Scout's attitude to the law'. OR Write short note on 'Lawyer Scout's abilities'.

Answer. Lawyer Scout is a respectable person of the society. But his social respectability is nothing but social egoism. He was a hypocrite who has one form or the other of social egoism which has distorted his vision and corrupted his behavior. His conduct is not governed by moral values. A lawyer should protect the course of law but Scout proudly says that what even a hundred lawyers could not alter the law but he can prevent the laws from taking effect. He has manipulative attitude for law. He can. do anything; even change the course of law to please rich and famous people. He hates the poor and is always after them and even in his opinion there should be an act to hang or transport half of them. He is a self centered man who would give himself no pain, incur no danger. He is an impudent coxcomb. He used many round about ways to change the law. He is not a genuine lawyer. He is one of those fellows who, without any knowledge of law, or being bred to it, take upon them, to act as lawyers in the country. He is among those people who are pests of the society, and a scandal to their profession, to which indeed they do not belong.

In order to prevent Joseph's Andrews marriage and to please Lady Booby, he crosses all the limits beyond the law. He tried his best to stretch the justice too far and got Joseph and Fanny arrested for petty charges like cutting a hazel twig from field owned by him.

Question 6. Discuss the grounds for Hetty's conviction?

Answer. The action of novel 'Adam Bede' by George Eliot is set in 1799. The plot is set in England. The story revolves around a young girl, Hetty Sorrel who is convicted of murder of her new born child. The period depicted in the novel is about 1799 and at that time there were very strict laws for mothers giving birth to illegitimate child. The punishment for this was very severe.

Hetty Sorrel, the protagonist of the novel is a pretty looking village girl who is centre of attraction of almost all the men of the village. She had an affair with Arthur, a captain in army. Arthur went back with his regiment. Hetty got engaged to Adam Bede, a village boy and just before her marriage she discovered that she is pregnant with Arthur's child. She left her village in search of Arthur but couldn't find him.

Her journey back home was very troublesome. She twice thought of suicide but failed. She gave birth to a child on her way back but did not understand what to do with the child. She ran away from the hotel and hid in a forest so that no one can see her with the child. The fear of losing her child and also the punishment she had to face made her to abandon her child. She buried the child under a tree and covered it with chips and turf. The child was crying all along. She had moved away, but that cry of child haunted her whole night and she came back to the spot but couldn't find the child. A man had heard the child's cries and had taken him to police.

When Hetty was crying for her child there the police came and the man identified her. She was arrested on the charge of murdering her child.

From the moment of her arrest Hetty preserved an obstinate silence over what had happened. She neither admitted nor denied the crime. She kept her vow of silence when they asked about the father of the child. Many witnesses were produced and everyone proved that she had given birth of a child and did not know who the father is. It appeared as if, in the face of such clear evidence, her obstinacy which seemed even to imply a denial a denial of birth of the baby, would prejudice the jury into refusing even a recommendation for mercy. Hetty was found guilty though it was unintentional on her part to murder her child and sentenced to be hanged by the neck until she was dead.