ICSE X | English

Board Paper – 2015 Solution

ICSE Board
Class X English Literature
Board Paper – 2015 Solution

SECTION A –Drama
The Merchant of Venice: Shakespeare
Question 1
(i) Portia’s father devised a test to choose a suitor for her. Accordingly, he laid out three
chests, of gold, silver, and lead. The suitors were required to pick one of the chests to
solve the riddle and prove their worth for Portia. Furthermore, each suitor had to take
an oath to not reveal which box they chose. Secondly, if they chose the wrong box,
they could never ever propose for marriage again in their life. Finally, if they chose the
wrong box, they would leave immediately.

(ii) Nerissa was Portia’s maid. She asked Portia to count her blessings; as she was rich
and lucky instead of being poor. She told Portia that people with too much also suffer
as much as people with nothing and that when you have too much you get old sooner,
but having just about enough makes you live longer.

(iii) Portia disapproved of County Palatine because she found him very gloomy with his
refusal to smile or laugh at humorous stories. She felt that that he wore a very proud
expression as if to say that if he doesn’t win Portia’s hand, then she would be the loser.
Portia’s opinion about County Palatine was that she would rather marry a skull with a
bone in its mouth than him.

(iv) The Duke of Saxony’ nephew was rumoured to be wicked when sober and terrible
when drunk. Even when he was sober, he was a beast, and hence, Portia disapproved
of him and wanted him to choose the wrong casket. So she asked Nerissa to place a
glass of wine on the wrong casket. The Duke’s nephew would be tempted by the wine,
and would open the wrong casket. The suitors decide not to choose a casket because
if they choose the wrong one, they would not be able to ever get married in life.

(v) The three suitors who took the test are the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon
and Bassanio. Portia marries Bassanio because he doesn’t appear to be full of self-
importance like the other two suitors. In addition, Portia is also shown to be
interested in him. However, Portia’s wealth appears to be one of the reasons why
Bassanio wants to get married to Portia. Hence, one can say that he was not fully
worthy of Portia.

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Question 2
(i) Antonio signed a bond with Shylock which required him repay Shylock 3,000 ducats
in three months. Shylock didn’t charge an interest on the loan. However, he said that if
Antonio failed to repay the money on time, he would give a pound of his Christian
flesh to the Jewish money lender.

(ii) The Duke expressed great sympathy for Antonio. He tries to persuade Shylock to
show some mercy on Antonio. The Duke further tries to pressurise Shylock to waive
the penalty of a pound of flesh, and even forgive some of the loan principal. However,
Shylock refused to show mercy on Antonio since he hates him. Hence, the Duke calls
him inhuman.

(iii) Shylock doesn’t give a clear reason as to why he chose flesh over money and says
that he just felt like doing so. He also says that some things are hated by people based
on their likes and dislikes. In reality, he has chosen a pound of flesh over money
because he hates Antonio as a Christian.

(iv) Antonio was of the opinion that it was pointless arguing with Shylock. He says that it
is possible to do the impossible rather than try to soften his Jewish heart. Antonio
further illustrates Shylock’s stubborn attitude by using the following examples: It is
easier to stand on the beach and ask the ocean to get smaller. It is possible to question
why the wolf killed the lamb and made its mother cry. It is even easy to tell the pine
trees on the mountain to stop waving their treetops when the storms blow through
them.

(v) Antonio asks the court to pardon Shylock of his debt to the state. Half of Shylock’s
wealth which was to go to Antonio would be passed on to Lorenzo at Shylock's death.
The Jew must also leave all his possessions in his will to Lorenzo and Jessica.
Antonio's final condition was that Shylock must become a Christian. One feels
sympathetic towards Shylock when he is asked to convert to Christianity. It only
elevates his hatred for Christians. However, Shylock has also shown open disregard
for Antonio only because he is a Christian. Therefore, it is difficult to comment on the
fairness of the punishment meted out to Shylock for his ruthlessness towards Antonio.

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Question 3
(i) Ronny Dancy wins a bet worth ten pounds from De Levis by making a standing jump
onto a four feet bookcase. De Levis later connects this trick with the theft because he
knows that Dancy is upset over him selling Rosemary to someone else for ten
thousand pounds.

(ii) According to Lady Adela, Dancy left the army as he found it too dull without any wars.
She calls him reckless because she has seen him to do the maddest things for no
reason except the risk.

(iii) De Levis had kept the money under his pillow and gone to the bathroom when the
money was stolen. Nearly a thousand pounds were stolen.

(iv) De Levis was Winsor’s guest and hence, didn’t have the authority to lock the room
which didn’t actually belong to him. Winsor was outraged perhaps because De Levis
said that he had locked his door. The height of the room was twenty-three feet from
the terrace. They assumed that the thief did not use a ladder to climb up to De Levis’
room as one of the ladders was very heavy and the other two were not close to the
balcony.

(v) When De Levis accuses Dancy of committing the theft, General Canynge does not
approve of it since Dancy is a retired army officer and not likely to engage in burglary.
De Levis comes across as an outspoken individual. This is because he accuses Dancy
openly of stealing his money.

Question 4
(i) Mabel asked Dancy why he stole the money. Dancy replied that the money which De
Levis got from selling the horse was as much his as it was De Levis’. Since the horse
originally belonged to Dancy, he had expected De Levis to offer him half the money
from the sale.

(ii) Mabel tells Dancy that she is going to stand by him no matter what happens. Even if he
has to go to the prison, Mabel says that she will wait for him and not change. This
behaviour of Mabel, Dancy thinks, is not typical of human nature.

(iii) Inspector Dede arrives at Dancy’s house to arrest him. Mabel tries to emotionally
blackmail the inspector to stall him.

(iv) Dancy’s suicide note was addressed to his best friend Major Colford. In the note
Dancy explains the reason for committing suicide. He wants Major Colford to take care
of Mabel after his death.

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(v) Dancy’s friends keep faith in him when he refuses De Levis’ claims that he is the thief.
However, despite all this, it turns out that Dancy was the thief indeed. Thus, Margaret
says that keeping faith is not enough. His friends could have trusted De Levis when
the latter said that Dancy was the thief and helped him with the investigation.

Question 5.
(i) The first time Sir Ralph the Rover passed the Inchcape Rock, the air, as well as the sea,
was calm. The sun was shining happily, the sails of the ship were unmoved by the
calm air and its keel was also steady in the ocean. In contrast, Sir Ralph reached the
Inchcape Rock a second time, when a turbulent storm drove his ship towards it. This
time the wind blew a violent storm in which the sailor’s ship was caught. The sky was
covered with a haze so thick that they could not see the sun. When night fell, it was
darker and scarier as they could not see the North Star.

(ii) The Inchcape Rock was a perilous rock. It hid below the waves of the sea whenever a
storm arose, wrecking those ships which crashed onto it. The kind abbot from
Aberbrothok hung a bell on the Inchcape Rock to warn sailors about the Inchcape
Rock when they could not see it. This saved their lives and prevented their losses.

(iii) Sir Ralph cut the bell so that sailors could not be warned about the perilous Inchcape
Rock. Hence their ships would get wrecked and he would be able to plunder their
treasures. When he cut the bell, it sank down to the bottom of the sea with a gurgling
sound. Bubbles rose from the drowning bell and burst when they reached the surface.

(iv) When it became very dark Sir Ralph said, “It will be lighter soon, for there is the dawn
of the rising Moon.” He said this to reassure his men. One of the sailors felt that he
could hear the waves of the sea breaking on land which led him to believe that they
were approaching the shore. As they could not see anything, they all wished that they
could hear the sound of the Inchcape Bell.

(v) Sir Ralph’s ship struck the Inchcape rock with a shivering shock. The waves of the sea
rushed in from all sides and drowned the vessel beneath the tide. In his dying
moments, Sir Ralph imagined that he could hear the sound of his knell being rung by
the devil in hell using the Inchcape Bell. The message of the poem is that the result of
our actions come back to us, therefore we should be consi derate towards all.

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Question 6.
(i) The merchants were selling turbans which were silver and crimson in colour, tunics
embroidered in purple, mirrors embellished with panels of amber and daggers with
handles studded in jade.

(ii) Henna, spice and sandalwood are being ground by the maidens. The vendors are
weighing saffron, rice and lentil.

(iii) The bells that the goldsmiths are crafting for the feet of the blue pigeons are as frail
as a dragon-fly's wing. The goldsmiths make girdles of gold for the dancers and
scabbards out of gold for the king.

(iv) The musicians are playing the cithar the sarangi and the drum. The magicians are
chanting spells to call the aeons.

(v) The flower girls are weaving flowers to crown the brow of the bridegroom for the
happy occasion of his wedding and to garland the bed of the diseased for the sad
occasion of his death. The use of imagery in the poem which gives a native feel to it
makes the poem appealing to me.

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SECTION C – PROSE

Question 7.
(i) It was Baldeo’s duty as a watchman to ensure that the lamp was burning and that the
overland mail passed through safely. His son asked him “Shall I come too, Father?”
before he left for his nightly errand.

(ii) The axe that Baldeo carried looked fragile but was deadly when put to use. He could
cut down an entire tree so neatly with merely three or four strokes of his axe that it
would look like the work of a saw. The head of the axe was made of pure steel which
rung clearly like a bell. The axe had been made by Baldeo’s father, who himself
fashioned its steel head over a charcoal fire.

(iii) A low grunt from the top of the cutting made Baldeo realise that the tiger was close
by. He was worried that the tiger may be going in the opposite direction because his
son, Tembu was asleep unprotected in the nearby hut. The tiger did not fear the man
because it had been preying on men for years and was used to their ways.

(iv) The tiger fearlessly charged towards Baldeo snarling while he went. He struck out
using his right paw expecting to knock down the man who dared to obstruct his way.
Baldeo, however was quick to react, avoiding the blow and attacking the tiger in
return. His axe connected with the animal’s shoulder thus wounding it. The tiger
roared in pain and attempted a second time to close in on Baldeo. Baldeo drove his
axe once again determined to kill but to his horror the tiger turned and the axe landed
on his shoulder once again almost severing the leg. The axe remained stuck to the
bone of the tiger and left Baldeo without a weapon. He was therefore not able to
protect himself when the wounded tiger finally attacked his injured body tearing him
to death.

(v) The injured tiger was trapped between the approaching train and the tunnel. It ran as
fast as it could into the dark tunnel but its wounded leg could not carry it much far
and finally the train hit the tiger killing it in the process. Baldeo and his son, Tembu
both were fearless. They also had a sense of selflessness and responsibility. Baldeo
fearlessly worked as watchmen while his son helped him and his mother to do other
chores. After his death, Tembu took up his father’s job as he realised that he had to
work to help sustain his family.

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Question 8.
It was decided that the young man should spend the years of his captivity under the
strictest supervision in one of the lodges in the banker's garden. It was agreed that for
fifteen years he should not be free to cross the threshold of the lodge, to see human beings,
to hear the human voice, or to receive letters and newspapers. He was allowed to have a
musical instrument and books, and was allowed to write letters, to drink wine, and to
smoke. By the terms of the agreement, the only relations he could have with the outer
world were by a little window made specifically for this purpose. He might have anything
he wanted - books, music, wine, and so on - in any quantity he desired by writing an order,
but could only receive them through the window. The agreement provided for every detail
and every trifle which would make his imprisonment strictly solitary, and bound the young
man to stay there exactly fifteen years, beginning from twelve o'clock of November 14,
1870, and ending at twelve o'clock of November 14, 1885. The slightest attempt on the
young man’s part to break the conditions, if only two minutes before the end, released the
banker from the obligation to pay him the two million promised.

The banker observed the progress of the young lawyer’s adaptation to his imprisonment.
During the first year, he read fight books and played the piano. In the second year, he
ceased being interested in music but turned to great literature. In the fifth year, he loafed,
drank wine, and played the piano. Then for four years he studied languages, history, and
philosophy before moving to the New Testament and to theology. Finally, his reading
became eclectic.

Question 9
(i) Though Boxer was seriously injured, he hid his pain and refused to leave his work.
Eventually, one day, his strength failed him and he collapsed pulling stone for the
windmill. The animals found him lying on his side, unable to get up.

(ii) The animals felt uneasy when Squealer revealed that Boxer would have to go to a
hospital at Willingdon. Except for Mollie and Snowball, no other animal had ever left
the farm. Therefore, the animals did not like to think of their sick comrade in the
hands of human beings.

(iii) If Boxer made a good recovery, he was expected to live for another three years.
Boxer wanted to spend his remaining days peacefully in the corner of the big pasture.
He intended to devote the rest of his life to learning the remaining twenty-two letters
of the alphabet.

(iv) The van which took Boxer away had ‘Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue
Boiler, Willingdon- Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied’, written on it.
When Boxer heard the screams of the other animals, he tried to kick his way out.

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(v) The new name given to Animal farm was Manor Farm. The animals began to act more
and more like humans. They started showing human characteristics like running
things to living in the house. The pigs eventually become indistinguishable from
humans. In fact, Squealer and the other pigs even start walking on their hind legs. In
the final line of the book, "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from
man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was
which", highlights their transformation. The gradual transformation of the pigs into
human-like creatures shows the process by which the revolution's leaders became
corrupted.

Question 10
In chapter 5, Squealer tells the animals that Snowball was not a hero in the first farm
defense. He says that Snowball had spread lies which made the animals think Napoleon had
been working on trading with people. There was a rumour that Snowball was sneaking
into the farm at night and causing mischief. Through the public investigation arranged by
Napoleon on Snowball’s activities, he surveys the farm and claims to smell Snowball’s scent
everywhere. Squealer tells the animals that Snowball now belongs to Mr. Frederick and he
is plotting to overtake Animal Farm with him. He claims that Snowball was working
together with Mr. Jones from the very beginning and claims to have supporting evidence.
Squealer also says that Snowball wanted to get the animals killed in the Battle of the
Cowshed. In this way, Snowball was painted as a traitor.

Question 11
(i) Mr. Florian felt that the weekly review was of advantage to both the pupils and the
teachers. He said that if there was something which mattered to the pupils, they
would write about it. Writing about such things would polish their language and also
inspire them to construct better sentences. Their spellings and style of writing would
also improve. As for the teachers, the children cannot always blindly criticise their
teachers. After a while, the teachers will get a frank opinion about themselves from
the students. Children are often very observant. They notice if the teachers have been
careless with their dressing or manners. This is a learning opportunity for the
teachers. If the teachers are serious about their jobs, they will take the criticism
constructively and improve.

(ii) On the first Friday of his association with the class, Braithwaite read a few of his
student’s reviews. He felt both relief and disappointment at what he noticed. He
discovered that apart from mentioning that they had a new ‘blakie’ teacher, his
students had not written much about him. The children were more worried about
their radiogram which had broken down during their dance sessions on the previous
Wednesday. They also wrote about a few of the boys who were given the opportunity
to represent the local club’s boxing team.

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(iii) During his first few weeks the teacher received the ‘silent’ treatment from his
students. They followed all his instructions and completed all the given tasks without
questioning him or protesting his decision. But, they also did not show any kind of
interest or enthusiasm about them. When they did not have any work or their work
did not need special attention, they would sit and stare at the teacher just like the
birdwatchers who stared at a rare species of bird. It seemed like a conspiracy of
disinterest to the teacher.

(iv) Braithwaite says that the ‘noise’ treatment was the second and more annoying phase
of his relationship with his students. During this phase, some students would disrupt
his lessons by lifting the lids of their desks and let them fall with a loud bang. They
would then look at the teacher with wide innocent eyes as if it fell by accident. A few
of such occasions would disrupt the course of the planned class.

(v) Braithwaite was a persistent man who worked to elevate his students to a higher,
respectable position. Despite opposition from the students and criticism from his
colleagues, he worked with determination attempting to make his classes appealing
and interesting to them. He even visited their neighbourhoods in an attempt to
understand the surroundings in which they were brought up so that he could help
them better. This displays his sincerity towards his job. These qualities helped
Braithwaite to become a model teacher.

Question 12.
Braithwaite wished to educate his students and elevate their position. For this, he asked
them to observe certain rules and courtesies. He asked them to address him as ‘Sir’ and all
the girls in the class as ‘Miss’. The students did not take this change positively. On the
contrary they were content in making fun of him for his racial background. It took a lot of
determination and perseverance to make the students understand his perspective and
accept it. On one such occasion, Denham who was a boxer, challenged Braithwaite for a
bout stating that his partner was injured. Braithwaite refused to fight in the beginning
despite the cheers and egging of the other students. He then saw the dejected look on his
students’ faces and changed his mind. Denham had been holding a grudge against
Braithwaite since the beginning and believed that Braithwaite was faking his intentions.

When he got an opportunity, he seized it and attacked Braithwaite with full force by
punching him in the face. Following this, Braithwaite was left with no option but to fight
back, which he did and in the end Denham was defeated. However, he was surprised when
he realised that Braithwaite did not gloat in his victory. Braithwaite did not boast nor did
he humiliate his student. On the contrary, he treated Denham with care and compassion
after the fight. Braithwaite’s grace and generosity opened the boy’s eyes and he was able to
discern the true qualities of his teacher.

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