English Paper : 11

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TYBA SEM. 5 Core Course in English (CCE 11)

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Course Title: William Shakespeare
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Unit 1: Text 1: As You Like It – William Shakespeare
Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing, 2018
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Unit 2: Text 2: Macbeth – William Shakespeare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st ed.
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Semester end examination:
Q. 1 Long Answer Question (Unit 1) (1/2) 14 Marks
Q. 2 Long Answer Question (Unit 1) (1/2) 14 Marks
Q. 3 Long Answer Question (Unit 2) (1/2) 14Marks
Q. 4 Long Answer Question (Unit 2) (1/2) 14 Marks
Q. 5 (A) Short Notes Question (Unit 1) (1/2) 07 Marks
Q. 5 (B) Short Notes Question (Unit 2) (1/2) 07 Marks
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 General Introduction
Life and Works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is a unique literary figure not only in English
literarture but in the world literature. As Ben Jonson said," He was not of
an age but for all times." His appeal is universal and eternal.
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was a
multifaceted genius. He was a play-wright, poet and actor. He was called
the "Bard of Avon." He wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets and two long
narrative poems. He was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire. He married Anne Hathway at the age of 18. Anne was 26
years old then. He had three children Susanna, Hamnet and Judith.
During 1585 to 1592, he began successful career in London as an actor
and writer. He also became a partner in owning the playing company and
theatre in London. At the age of 49, in 1613, he retired to Straford where
he died three years later.
Shakespeare wrote most of his well-known works between 1589 and
1613. His early plays were comedies and histories. Then he turned to
tragedies which included his famous tragedies like "Hamlet", "Othello",
"King Lear", "Macbeth" etc. Shakespeare had studied at Grammar
Schools where he studied Latin classical writers. He had a little formal
education but he learnt a lot from the school of life.
Then major plays of Shakespeare are as follows :
Comedies :
1. As you Like it
2. The Comedy of Errors
3. Love's Labour Lost
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4. Measure for Measure
5. The Merchant of Venice
6. A Mid-Summer Night's Dream
7. The Tarning of the Shrew
8. Twelfth Night
9. Much Ado About Nothing
Historical Plays :
1. Henry IV - Part-I
2. Henry IV - Part-II
3. Henry V
4. Henry IV - Part-I
5. Henry IV - Part-II
6. Henry IV - Part-III
7. King John
Tragedies :
1. Antony and Cleopatra
2. Hamlet
3. Julius Caesar
4. Macbeth
5. Othello
6. Romeo and Juliet
Romances :
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1. Cymbeline
2. Pericles
3. The Tempest
4. The Winter's Tale
Poems :
1. 156 Sonnets
2. Lucrece
3. Venus and Adonis
Shakespeare was deeply indebted to Seneca, Kyd, Marlowe, Lyly,
Peele and Greene. He was an experimenter. He borrowed the themes of
his plays from history and other chronicles. He did borrow from his
predecessors but he left a great impact of his originality in all his plays. He
was profoundly indebted to Kyd and Marlowe. Ben Jonson was also his
contemporary who was a classicist at heart. He disapproved of romantic
attitude but he had to admit that Shakespeare was not for an age but for
all times.
Shakespeare was influenced by Marlowe's use of blank verse.
Marlowe had introduced conflict in his tragedy. It was more psychological
than physical. His heroes are pitted against inexorable force. He was a
great product of the age of Renaissance which displays the intense love
for knowledge and power. The following are the important characteristics
of Shakespeare that make him a great writer of all times.
(i) Shakespeare was a genius who experimented with different forms
adding his personal touch.
(ii) His originality lies not in newness but his genuineness.
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(iii) He had a profound understanding of human nature. His plays have
profound psychological touch. His characters like Hamlet, Othello,
Macbeth and King Lear can be studied from psychological point of views.
(iv) He had a deep knowledge and understanding of his audience. He
catered to their needs and appealed to their minds and hearts. He had an
experience of theatre and stagecraft. Therefore, he wrote his plays
keeping them in mind.
(v) Shakespeare's language is highly poetic and full of wisdom. His quotes
display his profound philosophy of life.
(vi) He possessed wonderful sense of humor. His comedies show his
deep sense of humour, wit and mild satire.
(vii) In his tragedies, we can see that fate plays an important part. He
believed in fate and its role in human life.
(viii) Shakespeare's tragedies are different from Greek tragedies. He
focused more on human weaknesses which bring about tragic
catastrophe. Shakespeare's tragic hero faces situatuion which he fails to
tackle due to his tragic flaw.
(ix) Shakespeare's appeal is universal and long lasting. We find a variety
of characters as we do in real life.
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Shakespearean Tragedy
The tragedies of shakespeare have certain characteristics that differ
from the Greek tragedies. in fact, tragedy is older from than comedy. It
deals with suffering and often the death of the protagonist at the end of
the play. Aristotle defined tragedy on the imitation of an action that is

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serious with certain length and complete in itself. It is in dramatic form. It
has incidents that arouse pity and fear.
Shakespeare was a genius with originality and therefore he wrote
tragedies that did not follow the rules set by the Greek dramatists and
Aristotale. He was no doubt influenced by Seneca, the Mysteries and
Morality plays of the Middle ages.
Shakespeare's tragedies can be divided into following groups : (1)
Early Tragedies (2) Historical Tragedies (3) Major Tragedies (4) Roman
Tragedies. The following are the characteristics of Shakespearean
tragedy :
(1) Shakespeare followed Greek design to certain extent but he added his
own new elements in his tragedies. Shakespeare's hero is better than an
ordinary man but he is not perfect. He too possesses certain weaknesses.
When he suffers because of this weakness, we experience pity and fear
as we identify outselves with him.
(2) If the hero was an embodiment of perfection, we would feel that there
is no justice in the scheme of the universe. But as he has some kind of
tragic flaw, we feel that there is a poetic justice and we feel sense of pity
and fear for him.
(3) The tragic heroes of Shakespeare are men of high state and noble
nature and so we experience a sense of respect for him. When he suffers,
we feel unhappy and experience the sense of tragedy. The heroes of
Shakespeare belong to high state of kings, nobles, generals etc. They are
generally above ordinary level of humanity.
(4) The herose of Shakespeare are responsible for their fall. Their
weaknesses are the causes of their fall. However, fate also plays an
important part. They face such circumstances that their weaknesses
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make them vulnerable. For example, Hamlet is too thoughtful and
indecisive. Othello, is suspicious and violent by nature. He would take
action without thinking much. If Hamlet and Othello are exchanged, there
would be no tragedy.
(5) A.C.Bradley said about Shakespeare's tragedies "Character is
destiny". This means that the destiny of the tragic hero is his own
character. There is a tragic flaw in all protagonists of his tragic plays. This
flaw often heightens the tragic plays. This flaw often heightens the
greatness of the character and makes him essentially human.
(6) In Shakespeare's tragedies, fate also plays an important role. It looms
large in Shakespeare's tragic vision. Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King
Lear are different from Oedipus. Oedipus is the victim of fate only. In case
of Shakespeare's tragedies, fate alone is not responsible in the tragic
outcome of the tragedies. The major role is that of "hamartia" the tragic
flaw. However, fate becomes a catalyst that accelerates the catastrophe.
(7) In Shakespeare's tragedy, he maintains the balance between destiny
and free will. Stopford Brooke suggests that in some of the tragedies of
Shakespeare "Chance" and "Accidents" play more important role than
fate. To fate, chance, accident and responsibility must be added to the
villiain who contributes to the ruin of the hero. Iago in Othello, Elmunt in
King Lear are the villains who pounce upon Beauty and Good.
(8) In Shakespearean tragedy, the hero is torn in conflict in his mind. He
faces both internal and external conflict. In case of Shakespearean
tragedy, it can be said that there is no drama without conflict. In Greek
tragedies, the conflict was mainly with Destiny. In Shakespearean
tragedies, the conflict is internal. The hero is at war with himself.
Shakespeare's tragedy is more introspective. Their minds are like little
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kingdom that pass through inner conflicts and sufferings. For example,
Othello is torn between love and sense of honour. In Hamlet's mind, there
is a conflict between desire for revenge and moral scruples.
(9) The tragic heroes of Shakespeare are lonely figures. They have no
one to confide. They suffer and die but their death is bold affirmation of
positive value of life. Thus, there is a moral order in Shakespearean
tragedy. Villains also die at the end. They are punished by the law of
nature. Sometimes, the evil seems to triumph but at the end, the triumph
of the good is assured. Therefore, Shakespearean tragedy is never
pessimistic. There are moments of human greatness where man seems
to have overcome destiny.
(10) In Shakespeare tragedies, he introduces the element of the
supernatural, In "Hamlet" and "Macbeth", the element of the super nature
plays a very important part. It creates an atmosphere of mystery and
terror. It enhances the tragedy and its effect both on the characters of the
play and the audience.
Finally, let us briefly look at the major differences in Greek tragedies
and Shakespearean tragedies.
Greek Tragedies:
1. They focus on single theme or plot.
2. There are great characters who are equal to Gods in their significance.
3. Fate plays the dominating role.
4. Serious subject matter.
5. Often focus on religious teaching.
Shakespearean Tragedies:
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1. There are often parallel plots or subplots.
2. The characters are great human beings but with some weaknesses.
3. Fate plays its part but the tragic flaw of the protagonist bring about the
tragedy.
4. Mixture of the tragic and the comic.
5. Ethical issues are there but the main motive is to enterain.
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As you Like it - William Shakespeare
10 LQ:
Q.1 Discuss the plot-overview of 'As you like it.' OR
Give summary of the play 'As you like it.'
Ans. The play starts with Orlando complaining about his brother Oliver to
Adam. Adam was their servant. Oliver unjustly got the family inheritance.
Orlando was a good wrestler. Oliver tried to get Orlando killed but Orlando
defeated the other wrestler of the senior Duke. The junior Duke Frederick
seized the kingdom from his elder brother.
Orlando also decided to go away from home to save himself. Adam
was also carried by Orlando to the forest. Duke Junior banished his elder
brother and also his daughter Rosalind. Celia was the daughter of the
Duke Frederick. She was very close friends of Rosalind. So Celia also
decides to go with Rosalind to the forest. Rosalind dressed as a man and
Celia as a shepherdess.They also accompanied Touchstone, a very
intelligent clown. thus Rosalind and her cousin Celia escape into the
forest. Orlando had fallen in love with Rosalind and so he carves her
name on the trees in the forest. Rosalind meets Orlando in the disguise
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as a boy shepherd. She tells Orlando to show his love for Rosalind to her
in disguise. It would help him curing his pain. At the end of the play
Rosalind tells Orlando that she is Rosalind and finally they get married.
Orlando was warned about his brother Oliver's plan to kill him.
Therefore Orlando goes to the forest of Arden. Duke senior had also
reached the forest and lived happily with his followers. Rosalind is also
banished by his uncle. So, she goes to the forest of Arden with Celia.
Both disguised themselves. Rosalind as a young man Ganymede and
Celia as his shepherdess sister Aliena.
Touchstone was a court clown who also accompanies Rosalind and
Celia. In the forest of Arden, they meet Silvius a lover who loved Phebe.
Ganymede and Aliena settle in the forest as shepherds buying some
property.
Duke senior was an optimist and positive thinker. He loved nature
and enjoyed the atmosphere of the forest of Arden. Orlando reaches the
senior Duke's place and he is welcomed by his men. Orlando continues to
meet Ganymede everyday. Rosalind in disguise teaches him lessons
about true love criticising the traditional weddings. Phebe falls in love with
Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise) she ignores Silvius. Silvius pursues her
but he fails to win her.
Ganymede provides logical lessons to Orlando. Touchstone
impresses the country when Duke Frederick hears Orlando disappeared
at the same time as Rosalind and Celia, he ordered ran into Ganymede
and Aliena in the forest and related this news. Rosalind is overcome with
her fellings for Orlando. Rosalind decided that it is time to end her game
with one another and plan for marriage.

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 As Ganymede, Rosalind promises Phebe that they will marry, Celia
will marry Oliver. Oliver's attitude towards Orlando changed as he was
saved by his brother from lion's attack. Rosalind told Phebe that she
should marry Silvius. On the day of the wedding, Rosalind appears in
female clothes. Duke junior realized his mistake and returns the kingdom
to his elder brother Duke senior. At last Duke senior gives her away to
Orlando. At the end, Phebe also accepts Silvius.
Love and marriage are the central themes of 'As you like it'. It is a
romantic comedy. The play ends with several marriages.
- Orlando and Rosalind
- Celia and Oliver
-Touchstone and Audrey
-Silvius and Phebe
There are various attitudes towards life. Touchstone looks at life
sarcastically. Jacques is a pessimist who looks at life as a tragedy.
Rosalind is practical thinker. She is not romantic like Orlando. She looks
at life and love objectively. Senior Duke is a positive thinker. There are
conflicts between Orlando and Oliver, Duke Frederick and Duke senior. At
the end Hymen, the God of marriage performs all four wedding
ceremonies.
Q.2 Discuss the theme in 'As you like it.'
Ans. 'As you like it' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare. It is the
romantic comedy with Rosalind as the main character. It is the comedy
with heroine as the main character. The play has the following major
themes.

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(1) Love : Love is the major theme of the play. Rosalind and Orlando fall
in love and Celia and Oliver become lovers. There are also lovers like
Touchstone and Audrey, Silvius and Phebe. There are different angles to
look at love. Rosalind looks at love in a very practical manner. Orlando is
utterly romantic but Rosalind tells him that love is just dream not reality.
(2) Gender : There is also the theme of gender in the play. Rosalind is the
heroine but she disguises herself as a young man named Ganymede
when she and Celia go to the forest of Arden. She says that it is safer to
be a man rather than women.
(3) Usurpation: As a younger brother, Junior Duke usurps the kingdom of
his elder brother and exiles him from his kingdom. Oliver also tries to
usurp the property of the family and planning to kill his younger brother
Orlando. Orlando also goes to the forest.
(4) Deception : The primary tricksters of the play are Celia and Rosalind.
Rosalind disguies as a man and Celia as a woman. Rosalind names
herself as Ganymede. Celia names herself as Aliena. Rosalind tells
Orlando about love who reveals his love for Rosalind. Rosalind speaks
about practical aspects of love. She says that love is like May while
wedding is like December.
(5) Romantic love : Romantic love is the main theme of the play. Orlando
is in love with Rosalind. He goes to the forest and writes her name on
trunks of the trees in the forest. Silvius loves Phebe. Phebe does not care
for Silvius who madly in love with her. There are exaggerated examples of
love in the play.
(6) Country versus city : There is a fine picture of forest in the play. The
Country life is peaceful and natural. It provides peace and good health.
Senior Duke says that rustic life is far more peaceful even though it may
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be full of adversities. Orlando, Rosalind, Oliver and Junior Duke come to
the forest of Arden and realize that court life is full of anxiety and
negativity while country life is natural and peaceful.
(7) Rivalry : There is theme of rivalry and power. Oliver wants to kill his
own brother to usurp all the property of the family. Junior Duke usurp the
kingdom from his own brother and exiles him into the forest. However,
these rivalries are got rid of and harmony is regained at last. Oliver and
Junior Duke both realized their evils and accept their brothers lovingly.
Oliver marries Celia.
(8) Humour : Humour is very important theme in the play. There are fools
like Touchstone who talks very intelligently. Jaques is a pessimist
philosopher. Rosalind is also humorous in nature. There are multiple fools
and humour in the play.
(9) Philosophy of life : There are various ways to look at life. Jaques is
negative and pessimist. He look at life as a story of suffering while senior
Duke looks at life very positively, he finds good in every thing.
(10) Forgiveness : Love is important but forgiveness is divine. To err is
human but forgiveness is divine. In 'As you like it' ultimately, there is
theme of forgiveness and harmony. Junior Duke returns the kingdom to
his elder brother and senior Duke forgives him. Oliver is villainors but
Orlando saves him and forgives him. At last, they are all harmonised in
love and peace.
Q.3 Discuss the setting in 'As you like it.'
Ans. People behave differently in different places. Places are important in
life. In 'As you like it', there are two main settings- Duke Frederick's court
and the forest of Arden. These places affect the moods of the people who
live there. The characters in the court are formal, cunning and ambitious.
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They are greedy and often evil-minded. Court life is a political life. It is a
structured, sophisticated and hypocritical society.
On the other hand, the forest is peaceful, simple and beautiful. It may
have adversities but they create positivity in the life of the the people
there. One feels satisfied and happy. It is amidst nature. There are
brooks, trees, birds and natural environment. That is why the senior Duke
says that brooks are like running books, sermons in the stone and good in
everything.
William Wordsworth said that:
One impulse from vernal wood,
May teach you more of man,
of moral evil and if good
than all the sage can.
In court life, there is enmity between Duke Frederick and Duke
senior. Duke senior loves nature. He is exiled by his younger brother
Duke Frederick who usurps his kingdom. He also exiles Rosalind from the
his kingdom and his own daughter Ceila accompanies her to the forest of
Arden.
Senior Duke also goes to the forest of Arden and lives there with his
followers and friends. He is generous and kind-hearted. Orland is the hero
of the play who falls in love with Rosalind. His elder brother Oliver is evil-
minded. He wants to get Orlando killed by Charles, the wrestler. However,
Orlando defeated him and went to the forest of Arden with Adam and he
carves the name of Rosalind on the barks of the trees.
Rosalind and Celia also reach there. Rosalind is practical-minded.
She is diguised as a young man. She names herself as Ganymede. She
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tells Orlando that he should take her as her beloved. She discusses love
and marriage very wisely.
There are also other characters like Touchstone, Jaques, Silvius,
Phebe, Audrey etc. Touchstone is an intelligent clown. He marries Audrey
at the end. Jaques is pessimistic even in the beautiful forest. He feels that
court life is better than forest life.
Thus, there are two main settings in the play. The play ends in happy
wedding at the end. Four couples get married. Oliver and Duke Frederick
change their attitudes and accept their brothers lovingly. Probably, this is
the positive impact of forest life.
Q.4 Draw the character-sketch of Orlando.
Ans. Orlando can be taken as the protagonist of the play 'As you like it'.
He marries Rosalind, the heroine of the play at the end. He has many
virtues. He was also strong manly and physically powerful. He was also a
good wrestler. When play begins, he heard speaking about his late
father's last wishes. His elder brother Oliver was villainous in nature.
Oliver viaolated the wishes of his father.
He was a virtuous man, a gentleman and a great Knight. He was
loyal to his father's memory. He was the most loveble man in the play.
After the death of his father, he was left to the care of his elder brother
Oliver who treated him unjustly. Orlando was not educated but virtuous by
nature. Let us discuss the character of Orlando with following point.
(1) Humble Person : Orlando was a humble and gentle person. He had
deep humility and kindness. Adam, their servant calls him virtuous and
valiant. He was egoist or boastful. Adam offers him financial help when
Orlando decides to go to the forest to save himself from his brother's
cruelty. He politely says to Adam, that he did not deserve such a help.
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Adam says that the he would also go with him. Orlando carries him as
Adam is an old man.
(2) His nobleness : Orlando was generous and noble. He would punish
his brother but he did not think so. He was not revengeful in nature. Oliver
planned to get him killed by a wrestler but Orlando defeated the wrestler.
(3) Courageous nature : Orlando was bold and courageous. He could
defeat the rival wrestler Charles. In fact, Oliver had told him to kill Orlando
but he failed. When Rosalind sees him winning in wrestling, she falls in
love with him.
(4) His love for Rosalind : As a lover also, Orlando was lovable. He fell in
love with Rosalind and loved her deeply. He was loyal and romantic. In
the forest of Arden, he carved the name of Rosalind on trees. He can be
called," the lunatic, the lover and the poet." He addressed a song to
Rosalind expressing his deep love for Rosalind. He said, "Run, Run,
Orlando; carve on every tree, the fair, the chaire and unexpressive she."
Rosalind was in disguise as a shepherd, she tells Orlando that he should
take her as his beloved though he is a man. Rosalind often tells him about
madness of love. She also says that love a like spring but marriage is like
winter.
(5) Orlando's witty nature : Orlando was also witty. He liked humour and
wit. When he hears Jaques's pessimistic remarks, he calls him a fool.
Jaques tells him not to write love songs on the bark of the trees to
Orlando. Orlando says that he should not read them negatively. When
Jaques aks Orlando, if he liked the name of Rosalind, Orlando says that
when she was christened, there was no thought of pleasing him. Orlando
was not educated but he was witty and intelligent. Jaques calls Orlando
Monsieur love. Orlando calls Jaques signior melancholy.
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 At the end, Rosalind removes her disguise as a man and turns into
Rosalind. Orlando is happy and at the end, they are married. Orlando
meets Duke senior who treats him very gently. He realizes that he is his
father-in-law.
When his brother Oliver comes to the forest, he is attacked by a lion
but Orlando saves him. Oliver then realizes that his brother was only truly
loveble. He repents his villianous nature and begins to love his brother.
He also falls in love with Celia and at the end, they are married.
The character of Orlando is one of the popular characters of
Shakespeare. He is lovable and heroic. He is brave, modest and
magnanimous. He is noble-hearted and good-natured. He is also a
romantic lover.
Orlando embodies Anglo-saxon virtues of courtesy, chivalry,
gentleness, independence, courage etc. He was a gigantic wrestler who
overthrow Charlse, the other wrestler.
Q.5 Discuss 'As you like it' as a pastoral comedy.
Ans. Shakespeare's 'As you like it' called pastoral comedy as it has
pastoral background. It is based on a work entitled Rosalind written by
Thomas Lodge. The term pastoral refers to the life of shepherds or rural
folk. The background of pastoral work is usually rustic people, rural area
or forest. It depicts the life of rural folk, their ways of living, manners and
customs. However, pastoral poetry does not reflect the life of the rural
area.
Its landscape is often imaginary. In western literature, Theocritus's
Idylls and Virgil's Ecologues are the examples of ancient pastoral poetry
which describe rural life romantically. The following are the characteristics
of pastoral comedy in 'As you like it'.
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(1) Forest back ground : In 'As you like it', there is forest of Arden in
background. The senior Duke in exiled by his younger brother who
usurped his kingdom. He goes to the forest of Arden with his friends,
followers and admirers. Orlando also comes there with his old servant
Adam. Celia and Rosalind also reach the forest of Arden. Rosalind is
disguised as Ganymede- a shepherd male.
(2) Senior Duke's love for nature : Senior Duke loved nature and rural life.
Life in the forest is full of peace and innocence. He finds "tongues in trees,
books in running brooks, sermons in stones and good and everything".
Most of his followers also enjoyed natural life of the forest. However,
some of them loved court life more than forest life.
(3) Court life versus forest life: Senior Duke loved forest life which
provided peace and satisfaction. Court life is generally hypocritical and
ambitious. There are many evils in court life. In country life, there are
beautiful aspects of nature. Rosalind buys the estate of shepherd and
begins to live there with Celia. Celia rightly says:
"Now go we in content to liberty and not to banishment."
(4) Woodland characters : Most of the characters in 'As you like it' are
woodland shepherds. Rosalind also disguises as a shepherd naming
herself as Ganymede. Silvius and Phebe are shepherd couple. Silvius
loves Phebe but Phebe is indifferent towards him. Corin is the elder
brother of Silvius who teaches Silvius to be practical in love. Corin's words
are very effective when he says : "Sir, I am a true labourer. I earn that I
eat, get that I wear; owe no man hate, envy no man's happiness."
(5) Touchstone and Audrey: Touchstone was a court clown. He was
highly intelligent. He loved Audrey who was a simple shepherd woman.
She could not understand the intelligent remarks of Touchstone.
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Touchstone compares court life and says that forest life is far better. He
takes natural life positively. The forest life is without envy and hatred.
(6) Romantic atmosphere : 'As you like it' is a romantic comedy with
pastoral background. There are lovers lie Rosalind and Orlando, Celia
and Oliver, Silvius and Phebe, Touchstone and Audrey. At the end, they
get married happily. Rosalind plays an important role in love. Orlando
used tree-barks to write the name of Rosalind and expressed his love for
her.
(7) Change in Junior Duke and Oliver: Junior Duke and Oliver
represented hypocritical court life. They were villainous in nature. Senior
Duke was exiled by the Junior Duke. Oliver wanted to kill his younger
brother Orlando but at the end, when they come to the forest of Arden,
there are changes in their hearts. Oliver loves Celia and gets married with
her. He accepts Orlando as his loving brother. Junior Duke returns the
kingdom to his elder brother and lives with love. This is the impact of
natural life on human nature.
Q.6 Write a character-sketch of Jaques. OR Discuss Jaques's
philosophy of life and his pessimistic attitude.
Ans. The character of Jaques is quite interesting in 'As you like it'. He is
opposite in attitude towards life to the Duke who finds good in everthing.
Jaques's monologues are often quoted by writes and scholars. He was a
pessimist who looked at life negatively. He was full of melancholy and
dejection. He is ridiculed by Orlando and Rosalind.
Jaques says that he was not a scholar in melancholy. He said :
"O ! that I were a fool.
I am ambitious for a motley coat."
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 Jaques is an egoist who believed that he was very intelligent and
superior to others. He wants to a court jester and professional fool.
'All the world's a stage' is a famous speech which presents his
philosophical attitude. He says that the world is a stage and all human
beings-men and women are merely players. They come and go. They
have entrances and exits. They are born and they die. They play different
roles in their lives in the world which is a stage for all human beings.
Human life is a drama with seven acts. The first act the new born
infant who mules and pukes in the arms of the nurse. The infant is unable
to speak and it often suffers a lot. The second act is that of a school-child.
He goes to school unwillingly creeping like a snail. He does not like to go
to school. His face is shining like morning but he gets depressed in school
where his freedom is usurped by education system. The next act is that of
a young lover. He falls in love with head over the heels. He is full of love
and lust. He has a hot passion of love, like a furnace. He sighs like a
furnace. He sings love songs like a mad man.
The fourth act of his life is that of a soldier. He goes off to fight for
King or Queen of the country. He earns his living though military service.
He is still young and strong. He becomes patriotic and fights for the
country. Now he becomes a man of war from the man of love. He has a
beard like a leopard. He seeks reputation which is like a bubble.
Reputation is not permanent. It is momentary and short-lived. He seeks
glory and reputation even by sacrificing his life.
The next act is that of a judge. He becomes middle-aged man with
fair round belly. He eats a lot of good food. Now his beard is trimmed and
formal. He sits in the panel of the judges assuming the role of a law-
maker and law-giver. He often gives wise advices and moral wisdom.
20
 Then he gets retired slipping into comfortable clothes lean and
slippered pantaloon. His voice becomes childish again. Old age is a
second childhood. He becomes weak and helpless. He depends on
others. He loses his teeth, eyesight and ability to taste food. In fact, he
loses everthing in life waiting for death. Shakespeare has presented the
philosophy of life very effectively through the character of Jaques.
However, there is a sad picture of life presented by him. This is one of the
most famous quotes of William Shakespeare.
Q.7 Draw the character-sketch of the Senior Duke.
Ans. The name of the senior Duke was Ferdinand. He was a noble man
with highly positive attitude. He is a lovable character in 'As you like it'. His
younger brother usurped his kingdom and he was exiled. He left the
kingdom and went to forest of Arden. He was followed by many followers
and his supporters. The following are the characteristics of his nature :
(1) Philosophical bent of mind : The senior Duke was a man with
Philosophical attitude. He was interested in nature, spirituality and
morality. He loved all human beings. He did not hate anyone. He can be
called Ajatshatru. He was a Duke of his kingdom but his younger brother
usurped his kingdom. Even though his brother behaved like a villian, he
did not hate him. He went to the forest of Arden with his followers and
Friend. He said to them,
"Sweet are the uses of adversity;
which, like the toad, ugly and venomous
wears yet a precious jewel in his head."
He says that forest life is far better than court life. He finds beauty in
different aspects of nature: "And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
21
Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stone and
good in everthing."
(2) His popularity : As a Duke, he was very popular. People loved him.
Many courtiers loved to live in the forest of Arden with him. The courtiers
were not just flatterers but his sincere well-wishers. He lived like a
Robinhood who helped people. He offered food to Orlando when he
arrived there.
(3) His boldness and courageous nature: The Duke Ferdinand was polite
and positive but not timid or weak. He was ready to take all problems
boldly. When Orlando demanded food rudly in the Forest of Arden, the
Duke was not cowed down. His words were gentle and egoless. He
said,"Your gentleness shall force more than your more us to gentleness."
(4) His gentleness : The Duke Ferdinand was a thorough gentleman. He
was gentle and polite towards all people. That is the reason why many
people loved him and they came with to the forest of Arden. His behaviour
is generally gentle and polite. When Orlando comes there, he behaves
rudely for food. The Duke responds to his rudeness with utter gentleness.
Orlando apologies at the end saying,"Pardon me, I pray you." I thought all
things had been savage here. Even with his villainous brother, the Duke
had no grudge or enmity for his brother.
The Duke Ferdinand possessed Christian virtues like forgiveness,
discipline and religious nature. He was very wise and intelligent but he
was never rude or egoist. He had no revengeful nature. At the end, his
younger brother's heart changes and he asks for forgiveness. He also
gives back his kingdom. His daughter Rosalind gets married to Orlando
and the Duke Frederick's daughter Celia is married to Oliver. People

22
celebrate their marriage. The Duke Ferdinand's positivity results into
happy ending of the play.
Q.8 Draw the character-sketch of the Duke Frederick.
Ans. The Duke Frederick was the younger brother of duke ferdinand. He
usurped his kingdom and exiled his brother from the kingdom. He was a
complete villain and he was selfish and unkind. he could not appreciate
his elder brother for his generous and positive nature. The following are
the negative qualities of the Duke Frederick.
(1) Jealous nature : THe Duke Frederick was jealous in nature. Duke
Ferdinand was quite popular because of his generous and positive
nature. He loved people and helped them. That was the reason why he
was quite popular. Duke Frederick felt jealous as his elder brither was far
more popular. He hated Ferdinand so much that he wanted to kill him.
(2) Inferiority complex : In the nature of the Duke Frederick, there was
inferiority complex. Psychologically, he felt inferior. He was not
appreciated or praised by the people because he was not positive and
kind. As a father, he did not like Celia, his daughter who loved Rosalind
very much. Rosalind was the daughter of the senior Duke who was exiled.
Duke Frederick also wanted to banish Rosalind. Celia defended her but
Frederick said that Rosalind had many good qualities that made her
popular. he said that of Rosalind is banished, Celia would became more
popular. However, Celia decided to go with Rosalind into the forest of
Arden.
(3) Capricious nature : Frederick had capricious nature. He was also very
impulsive. He was unsteady in his speech and actions. As he felt inferior,
he wanted to kill his brother. He took Orlando as his enemy because his
father was against him. Rosalind fell in love with Orlando and they meet in
23
the forest. Rosalind disguised herself as a man and tried to talk to
Orlando presenting her/his view about love.
(4) Good nature at the end : Frederick was not a villain. He had good
nature which emerges at the end. He had innate good nature. He loved
Celia and wanted her to be more popular. He did not hate Rosalind but he
felt that her virtues made her more popular. He hated Orlando and also
become angry towards Oliver who did not give him information about
Orlando's whereabout. Actually, both Frederick and Oliver change at the
end accepting their brothers.
(5) His change : Frederick had some goodness like a spark. He repented
at last and changed his attitude. He realized that his attitude towards his
brother was bad and therefore he changed his heart. He was noble but
ambition, greed and inferiority comlex turned him villainous.
Critics often say that the change of heart in Frederick does not look
logical. At the end, he goes to the forest and returns the kingdom to his
elder brother. He accepts Oliver as the husband of Celia. Rosalind and
Orlando also get married. Frederick's jealous mind changes and he
accepts goodness of his elder brother and respects him. From dramatic
point of view, Frederick can not be called villain. He turns into a good
brother and makes the play end happily.
Q.9 Draw the character-sketch of the Touchstone.
Ans. Touchstone is one of the brightest fools in the plays of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare introduced several fools in his plays. In those days, clowns
were called fools. Touchstone was quite intelligent and wise. His wit was
quite sharp and quick. The banished Duke tells about him that he used his
folly like a stalking horse. The following are the important characteristics
of the character :
24
(1) His wishdom : Touchstone was one of the wisest fools in
Shakespeare's plays. He interpreted situation and other things in his own
way. He had wonderful common sense. He tells Corin about forest life
that it is good life but it is solitary. The life that in the court is tedious but
life in the forest is simple and pleasant.
(2) His comparison with Jaques : Jaques was also intelligent but
pessimistic. He was influenced by Touchstone's wisdom. Touchstone tells
about time that every hour, we get ripened but we also become rotten.
This is the tale of life. This simple remarks of Touchstone are
philosophical and highly effective. Both are intelligent but Touchstone is
wiser and more sober. Jacques at all thinks negatively.
(3) Touchstone's human approach : Touchstone was a fool with human
approach. He loved mankind and he was never misanthrope. Celia and
Rosalind chose him as a companion. He too left the court and came to the
forest to protect them from wild beasts. His heart was full of human
kindness. He always tried to help others. He had soft heart for ladies.
(4) His wit and humour : Touchstone was a clown. He was a professional
fool. He had witty nature. His humour was also free from malice. He
showed wisdom and intelligence in his nature. He criticised emotions and
his attitude was rational. Orlando sang his love songs on the boughs of
the trees in the forest. Touchstone ridiculed Orlando's emotional love.
Touchstone's fooling shows his negative views, Touchstone answers him
very intelligently. He knew how to respond to Jaques's views.
(5) Touchstone's courting for Audrey: Touchstone courted Audrey .
Audrey was a shepherdess who grazed her goats and sheep in the
forest. He says that his love is classical like ancient poet Ovid.
Sometimes, Touchstone satirized but there was no inhuman approach or
25
malice in his humour. He loved Audrey and got married with her at the
end.
The primary function of Touchstone is to provide comic relief, in
serious situations. His character is lovable and gentle. He is the opposite
of melancholic natured Jaques. Shakespeare has presented him as the
opposite person to Jaques. Critics appreciate Touchstone as one of the
best fools created by Shakespeare.
Q.10 Draw the character sketch of Rosalind.
Ans. Rosalind is one of the best characters of Shakespeare in 'As you like
it'. She is a dominating character. Therefore, it is said that there are no
heroes in the play but heroine only. She is the strongest character who is
quick-witted, resourceful and beautiful. She has leadership qualities also.
From feminist point of view, we can say that she is an example of
rebellious feminist woman. She is quite faithful to herself through any
tricky situation. She presents herself differently to her father and lover.
Rosalind is the daughter of senior Duke who is exiled from his
kingdom by his brother. His brother Frederick usurps his kingdom and
senior Duke goes to the forest of Arden with his followers. Rosalind also
goes to the forest with Celia, the daughter of junior Duke. Rosalind is
disguised as a man and Celia as his (her) sister.
Rosalind had fallen in love with Orlando but then very practical and
realistic in her views and approach to love. She shows her wit and
intelligence in her dialogues. She is very courageous and pragmatic. She
disguises herself as a man because she says that women and gold are
the sources of dangers and threats. Let us discuss important
characteristics of the her personality with the following points:

26
(1) Beautiful and attractive : Rosalind was beautiful and attractive. She is
one of the most lovable characters of Shakespeare. She is youthful and
full of wit. She adapts to all situations intelligently. Rosalind is fresh like
morning.
(2) Her personality : Rosalind was charming and beautiful. Her personality
is attractive and intelligent. She is very practical and realistic in her
approach to all problems of life. Orlando describes her beauty comparing
her with Helen, Cleopatra, Atlanta and Lucretia. She had cheeks like
Helen, majesty like Cleopatra, modesty like Lucretia.
Even her uncle Duke Frederick is conscious about her beautiful
personality. Due to her beauty, Orlando falls in love with her.
(3) Her love for Orlando : Rosalind's love for Orlando is firm and faithful.
She fell in love with him at first sight. When she goes to the forest in
disguise as a man, she knows that Orlando had also come to the forest.
He has carved her name on the trees. She tells Orlando that she would
act as his beloved though he is a man. Her love is simple and steadfast.
Silvius loves Phebe but she avoids him. She falls in love with Ganymede
(Rosalind as male). Oliver, the brother of Orlando comes to the forest and
falls in love with Celia. Though she loves Orlando, she never behaves
emotionally. She is aware of limitations of love.
(4) Her wit and humour : Rosalind is very witty and intelligent. Her wit is
full of practical wisdom and sprightliness. She always remained fearless
from all kinds of situations. She often talked about fortune and nature.
She says that life is natural, not fortunate or unfortunate. She says that
love must be practical and realistic. It must not be unnecessarily
emotional. She often mocked about love. She said that love is like spring

27
in the beginning but it turns into winter after marriage. She is humorous
and her humour is intelligent.
(5) Her resourcefulness : Rosalind was resourceful and she found
solutions for all problems. She believed that they are the part of life and
therefore we must tackle them with intelligence and pragmatic approach.
In the forest of Arden, she buys pastoral estate from Corin. Touchstone
was the fool of the court. He too comes to the forest. Rosalind liked his
humour and practical approach.
(6) Conclusion : Rosalind is charismatic who dominates the play. She is a
sister/cousin of Celia and also good friend. Rosalind's first strength comes
when her father is exiled by his younger Duke Frederick. She decides to
stay but later she feels that for her safety, she also needs to leave the
kingdom. Celia loved her deeply and therefore she decides to accompany
her to the forest of Arden.
Rosalind shows her wit and intelligence. She says that, "Love is
merely a madness and, I tell you, deserves as a well a dark house and a
whip as mad do, and the reason why they are not so punished and cured
is that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers are in love, too."
At the end, Rosalind and Orlando get married. Other couples also
get married such as Touchstone and Audrey , Celia and Oliver, Silvius
and Phebe. Rosalind is the central figure of the play 'As you like it' who
manages everthing wisely.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 Short Notes:
Q.1 Short Note : The opening scene in 'As you like it'

28
Ans. Shakespeare's opening scenes are highly entertaining, important
and artistic. In the opening scene, he gives an imprtant information to the
audience. In 'As you like it', the story of Oliver and Orlando is the main
problem in the play. In the opening scene hero like character of Orlando is
introduced. The conflict between two brother is presented. Oliver is evil-
natured brother who is like parallel character of Duke Frederick, the
younger brother of Duke Senior who usurps the kingdom.
Like Oliver, he is also villainous natured person. Oliver wants
Orlando fight with Charles, a famous wrestler. He plans to get Orlando
killed by Charles but Orlando defeats Charles and proves himself as a
strong wrestler. Rosalind the heroine of the play falls in love with him.
Orlando also falls in love with her. There is a fighting scene that attracts
all audience. Thus, the opening scene of the play refers to the quarrel
between two brothers. Orlando goes to the forest of Arden with Adam, his
family servant who is very loyal to Orlando. Orlando also loves him and
respects him. Orlando then meets Rosalind and Celia in the forest.
Rosalind is disguised as a shepherd male named Ganymede.
Q.2 Short Note : The senior Duke's love for nature
Ans. The senior Duke was exiled by his younger brother. The banished
Duke was very optimist and positive. He describes the joy of natural life in
contrast to urban or court life. He says that adversities are useful in life.
They teach you lessons. He says, "This is our life exempt from public
haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in
stones and good in everything."
The senior Duke is eloquent and lover of nature. He likes trees,
brooks and stones. He finds good in everything. His positive attitude
makes him happy. He loves birds, sky, clouds, hills, rivers and brooks. He
29
is not sentimental but sensitive. He supports natural life rather than court
life. He is not unhappy even though he lost his kingdom. He lives in the
Forest of Arden with his supporters and followers. Shepherds live in the
forest and face cold and miseries of Nature's hardships.
For him adversities are useful in life. They teach you lessons of life
and make you compassionate. He does not criticise court life but believes
that natural life is far better than court life.
Q.3 Short Note: Celia
Ans. Celia was the cousin of Rosalind, the heroine of 'As you like it'. She
was a genuine friend of Rosalind. She loved her very much. Though they
had opposite temperaments both physically and mentally. Rosalind was
tall and Celia was small. However, Celia was emotional, gentle and witty.
She was a good companion of Rosalind right from their childhood. Celia's
father Duke frederick was selfish and evil-minded. He usurped the
kingdom from his elder brither, the father of Rosalind. The senior Duke left
the kingdom and went to the forest of Arden with his followers and
supporters.
Celia was unhappy to see the evil attitude of her father. Rosalind
lived with Celia but realized that her uncle wanted her to leave the
kingdom. She had already fallen in love with Orlando.
Rosalind decided to go to the forest but just then Celia also decided
to go with her. Rosalind disguised herself as a man and Celia as a
woman. Rosalind named herself as Ganymede a shepherd and Celia as
his/her sister. Celia loved Rosalind deeply and supported her all the time.
Celia's father called Rosalind a traitor but Celia said that Rosalind was a
virtuous girl. She said that they have slept together, learnt, played and
ate together. She told her father that she can not leave without her.
30
 Celia was practical minded. She was also humorous and witty. She
had a kin sense of humour. At the end, she falls in love with Oliver and
they get married. Oliver who was an evil-minded man changes
completely.
Q.4 Short Note : Oliver
Ans. Oliver was a mean-minded brother of Orlando. He was like a villain.
He was cowardly and envious. His nature was malicious and he tried to
destroy the life of his own brother Orlando. He wanted to usurp all the
property of the famliy.
He can be called an outright villain. His nature was tyrannical and
utterly selfish. He plots to get Orlando killed by another wrestler named
Charles. He tells Charles to break the neck of his brother. However in
wrestling Orlando defeats Charles.
Oliver was highly hypocritical also. He was very angry and envious.
Orlando always treated him well like his elder brother. However, Orlando
leaves the house of his family and goes to the forest with old man Adam
who tells Orlando about his brother's evil plan. Adam helps Orlando by
giving the money he had saved.
At the end, Oliver's life changes. Orlando saves him from the attack
of a lion in the forest and saves his life. Oliver then realizes that his nature
was quite inhuman and envious. He decides to change his nature.
Physical sufferings change his mind. His moral change makes him a good
man. He falls in love with Celia and at the end, they get married. He
admits to Celia that he had done unnatural wrongs to his own brother
Orlando.
At the end, he leaves his villainy and lives a good life. He gets
reformed in his personal life. He repents for his misdeeds and selfish
31
nature. In 'As you like it' several evil-minded characters turn into good
characters like Duke Ferdinand and Oliver.
The character of Oliver is minor but important character. It proves
that one change one's life when one repents.
Q.5 Short Note : Silvius
Ans. The character of Silvius is in contrast of Corin. Both are shepherds
who live in forest. The forest of Arden is a beautiful place with trees,
plants, flowers and birds. Silvius falls in love with Phebe passionately but
Phebe does not care for him. Phebe is indifferent towards Silvius. Silvius
is a pastoral lover.
Silvius is full of fine frenzy like other lovers, particularly like Orlando.
Silvius speaks like a poet in poetic language. Silvius says that Phebe is
like a hangman. He says that he would commit suicide if she did not care
for his love. He calls her tyrant, butcher and murderer.
Phebe falls in love with Ganymede, the disguised character of
Rosalind, Phebe tells Silvius : "Now I do frown on thee with all my heart;
Ans if mine eyes can would, now let them kill thee".
Silvius could not be influenced by the wisdom. Corin who told him to
be rational rather than sentimental and too much emotional for Silvius,
love was holy and perfect. For him, love was the idea of life.
At the end, Phebe realized that Ganymede was a lady Rosalind.
Rosalind persuades her to marry Silvius and at the end, they get married.
Silvius is a heroic lover. Though he is a shepherd, he is like poet. He is a
hero, love-martyr and poetic lover. For him, love was the ultimate goal of
life.

32
Q.6 Short Note : Phebe
Ans. Phebe lived in the forest of Arden. Silvius loved her a lot but she
ignored him. Silvius was blindly in love with her but she disdained him.
She loved Ganymede, the disguised Rosalind as a young man, Rosalind
succeeds in her plan getting Silvius and Phebe married at the end.
Phebe was a beautiful girl of forest. She believed that she was with
better gifts than her admirer. Silvius uses the language of love for Phebe
but Phebe retaliates by taking his words literally. She says that there is a
murder in her eyes and she is tyrant, butcher and murderer.
Her speeches show that she was insensible to poetic language. She
hates Silvius as an artless countryman. At the end, Roslaind makes her
realize that she was a girl, not a young man. She should accept Silvius as
a lover. At the end, Phebe does so and they get married according to the
trick of Rosalind. She tells Phebe that true love should be accepted in life.
Phebe is minor character but her character shows how looks at
Silvius. In the play, there are various aspects of love.
Q.7 Short Note : Adam
Ans. Adam was an ideal example of loyalty and honesty. He was an old
man who gave selfless service to Orlando and his family. He was a
servant whom Oralndo treated like an elder. As a servant, he self-
sacrifcing and virtuous. He said that though he looked strong in mind, he
always lived honest life. He never chased money or ambitions.
Now he was eighty years old and he put on tattered clothes. When
he came to know that Oliver wanted to kill Orlando, he was upset. He
decided to go with Orlando in the forest of Arden. His love and attachment

33
for Orlando was exemplary. He said : "What ? my young master ? O my
gentle master ! O my sweet master ! O my memory of old sir Rowland !"
He also decided to spend money for Orlando which he had saved all
his life. He said that he had five hundred crowns. When they go to the
forest, Orlando carries him. They reach forest of Arden where he meets
his beloved Rosalind in disguise. He also carves her name on the trees.
At the end everything is restored to normal. Orlando and Rosalind get
married and Celia and Oliver get married.Their attitude also changes.
Oliver realizes his mistake. Adam plays an important role in the play
though it is a minor character.
Q.8 Short Note : Audrey
Ans. Audrey is in contrast with Phebe who is disdainful and insensitive.
Audrey is gentle, kind and lovable. She is a simple shepherdess living in
the forest of Arden. She is simple in her speech and deeds. She is rustic
but honest and innocent.
Touchstone falls in love with Audrey and Audrey accepts his love.
Touchstone is highly intelligent but Audrey is simple. She often fails to
understand his speeches. She says that she did not know what was
poetical. She asks : "Is it honest in deed and word? Is it time thing?"
Touchstone often makes her a game by making intelligent remarks.
She believed that simple, natural and honest life is more important than
everything else. At the end, Touchstone and Audrey get married. In
married life, good couple with gentle acceptance is important than beauty
and intelligence.
Q.9 Short Note : Corin

34
Ans. Corin a forest man living in the forest of Arden. He is the elder
brother of Silvius. In past, he too had fallen in love but his experience
taught him that one must be unromantic and undue unemotional. When
Corin comes to know that his brother was madly in love with Phebe who
ignored him, he teaches Silvius that he should not be mad in love.
Corin is experienced in love and therefore he gives adives to Silvius.
However, Silvius was not much impressed by him.
Corin also had a practical philosophy of life. Touchstone calls Corin a
nature philosopher. His philosophy of life was practical. He loves simple,
rustic life and he is natural in outlook. His statements are simple but
genuinely practical if someone follows his philosophy. One would be
happy and positive in attitude.
He says,"Sir, I am a true laboure : I earn what I eat, get what I wear,
owe no man hate, envy no one's happiness : glad of other men's good,
content with my harm, and the greatest my pride is, to see my ewes graze
and lambs suck."
His words show that one could be happy if one is unemotioal, natural
and satisfied by nature. If Silvius should have learnt from him, he would
have got rid of his negative attitude about love and life.
Q.10 Short Note : Charles
Ans. Charles is a minor character. He was a good wrestler. He plays an
important role in the play. He causes Orlando to go away from his home
and leave for the forest of Arden. Oliver the elder brother of Orlando
wants to kill Orlando. He asks Charles to fight with Orlando and break his
neck. However, Orlando defeats him. Oliver plans to burn the house
where Orlando was to sleep at night. Orlando escapes with Adam to the
forest of Arden for his safety.
35
 Charles was a professional wrestler. He was not evil-minded. He had
great confidence in his strength and wrestling skill. He appreciates the
strength and wrestling skill of Orlando.
Though he tried to follow the advice of Oliver to kill Orlando, he
realized that what he was to do was evil. In short, Charels is not so evil-
minded as Oliver. Though he is a minor character, he plays an important
role in making Orlando leave his home. When Orlando defeated Charles,
Rosalind admired Orlando and fell in love with him. At the end they get
married happily.
Q.11 Short Note : Songs in 'As you like it'
Ans. 'As you like it' is a romantic comedy. It is also pastoral comedy with
beautiful natural environment. There is peace, love and serenity in the
play. All characters of the play come and live in 'Forest of Arden'. The
exiled senior Duke loves nature and find good in everything. He says that
he finds books in running brooks, tongues in trees and sermons in the
stones. The languages used by the senior Duke is highly poetical and
meaningful.
There are several beautiful songs in the play. Let us quote some of
the important songs of the play :
"Under the greenwood tree
who loves to lie with me,
And turn his merry note
Upto the sweet bird's throat,
come hither, come hither, come hither :
Here shall he see
36
 Mu envy.
But winter and rough weather."
It is a beautiful lyric with dramatic effect. There are beautiful images
in songs. There is a perfect pastoral atmosphere expressed in several
songs.
"Between the acres of the rhyme
with a hey, and a ho and a hey nonino,
These pretty country falks would die
In spring time.... etc."
Love is like a crown in spring time and life is like a flower in spring
time. These songs are musical and full of pictorial quality.
Q.12 Short Note : 'As you like it' as a comedy of dialogue
Ans. 'As you like it' is a comedy of dialogue rather than the comedy of
incidents. Action and incidents take place but they are minimalist. Of
course, junior Duke usurps the kingdom from his elder brother senior
Duke. Oliver tries to kill his brother Orlando. Though there are some
serious incidents, they are presented as an ordinary manner.
The more important things in the play are dialogues. The play is full
of conversation and speeches. For example, the senior Duke tells his
friends and followers that forest life is far more peaceful than court life. He
admires nature and says that,"Running brooks are like books, there are
tongues in the trees and sermons in the stones. He finds good in
everthing." For him, adversities are useful in life.
Then there are highly meaningful dialogues between Orlando and
Rosalind disguised as a male shepherd. Touchstone is professional fool
37
who talks like a practical philosopher. Jacques is a pessimist thinker who
looks at life from pessimistic angle. There are many examples of good
dialogues in the play. That is the reason why, the play has become quite
popular.
Q.13 Short Note : Court life versus country life in 'As you like it'
Ans. In 'As you like it' there are is contrast between court life and country
life. Senior Duke is exiled by his younger brother to the forest of Arden.
The senior Duke goes there with his friends and followers. He is quite
happy there. He enjoys natural country life. He does not support court life
which was full of hypocrisy, ambitions and jealousy. He loves nature in the
beautiful forest of Arden. He says, "For him, running brooks are like
books, sermons are in stones and there are tongues in the trees."
Orlando falls in love with Rosalind and he comes to the forest of
Arden where he enjoys natural life. Rosalind acts as a male shepherd.
There are other characters like Jaques, Touchstone, Silvius who live in
the forest. Corin was the elder brother of Silvius who was very wise and
practical minded.
In the end, all lovers get united and get married. There were also
great changes in the hearts of Oliver and junior Duke. It proves that
country life and nature can change human nature. It would make people
innocent and gentle. Shakespeare promotes natural country life against
court life highlighting the virtues of nature and country life.
Q.14 Short Note : Different types of humour in 'As you like it.'
Ans. 'As you like it' is a romantic comedy. Humour is an important part of
the play. There are different kinds of humour. Humour may be gentle,
mild, positive and without malice. It can be whimsical, witty and satirical. It

38
can be malicious and insulting. Humour is a psychological phenomenon.
There are three main humerous characters in the play.
(1) Touchstone is a professional clown. He is intelligent but practical
and effective.
(2) Jacques is a pessimistic philosopher who is full of morbidity and
melancholy. He always supported melanonoly. He takes life a play with
seven morbid acts. He always criticised other human beings.
(3) Rosalind is the heroine of the play. She is very intelligent and
jolly. There is no pessimism in her humour. Her humour is practical and
gentle. When she teaches Orlando about love, she says that love is like
spring while marriage is like winter. Her laughter is not malicious or bitter.
Her humour has confidence. Even though, she came to the Forest of
Arden, she behaves bravely as a male shepherd. This is the practical
aspect of her humour. Thus, the play has a nice humour with three
categories : (1)Professional (2)Pessimistic (3)Practical and Pure.
==============================================================
Macbeth- William Shakespeare
10 LQ:
Q.1 Discuss summary of 'Macbeth'.
Ans. 'Macbeth' is one of the greatest plays by Shakespeare. It is a tragedy
with deep psychological aspect. Macbeth was an army officer in a
kingdom of King Duncan. He was brave and courageous. Macbeth and
Banquo were returning home from army generals of King Duncan in
Scottish Moorland.
On the way, they meet three witches who prophesy that Macbeth will
be promoted twice and he would be the king of Scotland. Then the
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witches says that Banquo's descendants will be the kings in future. The
generals want to hear more but the witches disapper.
When they reach the kingdom, King Duncan names Macbeth Thane
of Cawdor as a reward for his success in recent battles. The promotion
makes him realize that the prophecy of the witch was true. He awaited the
next prophesy of becoming the king of Scotland. The king then tells
Macbeth that he would like to be his guest at his castle.
Lady Macbeth welcome her husband and hears about prophecies of
the witches. Lady Macbeth was highly ambitious. She tells her husband
that she would help him to become the king of Scotland. After Macbeth's
return to his castle, king Duncan arrives there. Lady Macbeth plans to kill
the king at night in his castle. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill the king
Duncan at night. Lady Macbeth gave drug to the guards in wine and so
they remained almost unconscious. Lady Macbeth provokes him leaving
bloody draggers by the dead king. When Macbeth discovers that the king
has been murdered, Macbeth kills the drunken guards. Duncan's sons
Malcolm and Donalbain flee fearing that they too would be killed.
However, they were blamed for the murder.
Macbeth becomes the king of Scotland but he plagued by the
feelings of insecurity. He remembers that the witches had prophesied that
Banquo's descendents would inherit the throne. He plans to kill Banquo
and his son Fleance. Macbeth gets Banquo murdered but Banquo's son
escapes the murderers.
At the state banquet that night, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo
and he gets mentally disturbed. He is worried about the doubts of the
courtiers about the murder of Banquo. Lady Macbeth dismisses the court
and tries to calm her husband but she fails to do to so. Macbeth was
40
completely disturbed. He felt that people would feel that he had got
Banquo killed.
Macbeth seeks out the witches who say that he would be safe until a
local forest Birnum would marches into battle against him. He also need
not fear anyone born of a woman. They also prophesy that the Scottish
kingdom will be under Banquo's son. Macbeth becomes the victim of
violent mood. He kills many people including Lady Macbeth's family.
Macbeth had gone to seek Malcolm. One of the son of Duncan. Malcolm
is young and unsure of himself. Malcolm was pained of grief and he
persuaded Macduff to lead an army against Macbeth.
Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane. Then, he is
told that Birnam wood was moving towards him. Malcolm's army carries
branches of the trees and move towards Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth
becomes mentally broken and she walks and talks in sleep. Finally, she
kills herself and Macbeth comes to know about her suicide.
Macduff challenges Macbeth and Macbeth learns that Macduff was
the child of Caesarian birth. He realizes that his life was doomed. He
submits to his enemy but Mucduff kills Macbeth bringing the head of the
traitor Macbeth to Malcolm. Malcolm declares peace and becomes the
crowned king.
'Macbeth', is one of the most popular tragedies of Shakespeare. The
source of the play was chronicles of Holinshed. Shakespeare made
certain changes. As a genre, it is a tragedy and Macbeth is a tragic hero.
His hamartia was ambition and violence. The major characters of the play
are - Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, Macduff and Malcolm.
The major themes of the play are fall of man, fate, free will, ambition and

41
revenge. Lady Macbeth is a psychological character who suffers the
sense of guilt and commits suicide at the end.
Q.2 Discuss definition and characteristics of Macbeth as a
Shakespearean tragedy.
Ans. 'Macbeth' is one of the greatest tragedies of William Shakespeare.
Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and some other tragedies prove that
Shakespeare was a unique playwright. Macbeth was written during 1605-
1606 and play was based on Holinshed's 'Chronicles'.
According to A.C.Bradley, Macbeth is one of the finest tragedies. It is
the tale of suffering and calamity conducting to death. Aristotle defined
tragedy as an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of
certain length. Its language is artistic and embellished. It is in dramatic
form and not narration. It creates catharsis of emotions like pity and fear.
True tragedy reflects life. There are five stages in Shakespearean
tragedy.
(1) Exposition (beginning of the a scene or events)
(2) Rising action
(3) Climax : turning point
(4) Falling action
(5) Catastrophe
In Shakespearean tragedy, the tragic hero is born in a noble family.
He is usually a person with several good virtues but he possesses
hamartia, the tragic flaw that leads him to tragic end. Such a flaw is fatal
that fails to tackle certain circumstances the hero faces. Macbeth belongs
to royal family. He is a great warrior and army head. He is a trusted
kingman and general. He has a vaulting ambition that causes his
42
destruction. He becomes tyrant and violent. He kills King Duncan and
becomes the king. Further he kills Banquo, his army friend. He becomes
so violent that he begins to destroy those whom he does not trust.
However, at last, he is killed by Macduff and his wife Lady Macbeth
suffers psychologically and dies.
According to A.C. Bradley character is destiny in Shakespearean
plays. The character of the hero determines the fate of the hero.
Character issues action that lead to destruction. Action are generated out
of tragic flows and character of the protagonist. In contrast to Greek
tragedy, in the Shakespearean tragedy, the hero is punished by his self-
willed actions. In Macbeth, Macbeth himself is responsible for his evil
actions. His crimes lead him to his destruction.
In Shakespearean tragedy, there is the role of the and free will. Fate
plays some role but it does not decide the actions of the protagonist. Man
is free to choose his decisions. In Macbeth, witches prophecy about
Macbeth's future power but Macbeth takes certain viloent actions that lead
to his death and tragic catastrophe. Macbeth like Banquo had a choice
not to believe in the prophecies of the weird sisters. It was his ambition
that brings his tragedy at the end. His ambition provokes him to violence
and tyranny.
In Shakespearean tragedy, there is a tragic waste that take place.
Sometimes, many innocent characters die. In Macbeth, not only Macbeth
but some other noble characters like King Duncan and Banquo are killed.
In Shakespeare's play; there is a conflict both kinds- external and
internal. Psychological conflict plays a very important role in the play. The
hero often faces inner conflict between good and evil. In Macbeth, we can
see the inner conflict that plaques Macbeth's mind. In the inner mind of
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Lady Macbeth also, there is inner conflict that makes her realize her
sense of guilt. She says that her hands are bloody that can not be
sweetened even by all the perfumes of Arabia.
In Shakespearean tragedies, there is a role of supernatural elements
like ghosts, witches etc. There are not just illusion but have objective
existence which can be seen by others also. For examples, witches were
seen both by Macbeth and Banquo. Banquo's ghost is more psychological
hallucination for Macbeth. Supernatural elements contribute to the actions
of the play and their role is essential. The witches in Macbeth are potential
enough for evil and wrecking the human soul.
In Shakespeare's tragedies, there is cathartic phenomenon that
purges the readers through the emotions of pity and fear. Readers or
spectators experience pity and fear relieving their own mental stress. It is
a psychological purgation that purifies and calms down the mind of the
spectator. Shakespearean tragedy restores human stability and greatness
in adversity.
Q.3 Discuss Macbeth as a tragic hero.
Ans. 'Macbeth' is one of the most effective tragedies by Shakespeare.
Dowden remarked that, Macbeth is one of the most unmitigated
characters without any redeeming features. In Act-1. Scene-II, we meet
Macbeth as he is returning from the battlefield in a victorious mood.
Macbeth performed the role of a patriotic warrior for Scotland. He was
called 'a peerless Kingman'.
In Act-1, Scene-III, Macbeth meets three weird sisters (witches) who
make prophecies about the future of Macbeth. First witch calls him the
thane of Glamis, second witch calls him the thane of Cawdor and the third
one prophesies that he would become the king thereafter. Macbeth had
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seed of ambition that makes him a tragic hero. According to
Shakespeare,"Character is destiny." Which means that one's character
determines one's destiny. The weakness of the character leads him to
tragic catastrophe.
Tragic flow or hamartia is the cause of tragic catastrophe. For
example, the tragic flaw of Hamlet was indecesiveness and too much
thinking. Othello's hamartia was doubt and inferiority. King Lear's fall was
due to his ego and self-conceit. Macbeth's tragic flaw is ambitiousness. It
was nourished and provoked by his wife Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth
provokes him to kill King Duncan and become the king. After killing
Duncan, Macbeth becomes a tyrant. He also gets Banquo killed though
he was his good friend and warrior.
Macbeth had a poetic mind with contemplative attitude. He thought
about life, death and human issues. Macbeth was a great philosopher of
life. His thoughts about life are highly profound. For example, he says
about life,
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing."
Banquo was his friend but he was detached and passive. He was
unambitious and patriotic. He was never tempted by evils and darkness.
A.C. Bradley calls him, "Banquo remains as a passive character all
through the play." Macbeth's crimes are provoked by his wife Lady
Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was ambitious and she wanted to become the
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Queen. Lady Macbeth makes Macbeth plan the murder of King Duncan
who loved and admired Macbeth.
"Lady Macbeth lived long enough, my way of life
Is fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf."
Shakespearean tragedies have impact of Aristotle's views about
tragedy. Aristotle in his 'Poetics' discussed tragedy and its characteristic
in detail. He also discussed about tragic hero and Shakespeare's tragic
heroes have the characteristics of Aristotle's tragic protagonist.
Macbeth was a Scottish warrior. He was quite popular and
possessed certain good qualities. Aristotle in his 'Poetics' said that the
tragic hero should have certain virtues. However, he should have tragic
flaw that leads him to tragic end. Tragic heroes possess certain flaws or
weaknesses. These weaknesses face certain circumstances that increase
the flaw leading to the fall of the hero. Macbeth killed King Duncan and he
became a violent man. He wanted to kill the son of King Duncan. He also
killed his warrior friend Banquo. Macbeth knew that there was a prophecy
by the witch that Banquo's son will become the king in future. He
becomes suspicious and decides to kill those who stand on his to
fulfillment of ambition.
Lastly, it is important that these tragic flows are imperfections of
humanity. Typically the tragic hero generally belongs to high stature.
Macbeth was an army head of Scotland. He was quite famous and
patriotic. He had a noble background of his hamartia. The word 'hamartia'
is Greek word meaning tragic flaw.
Macbeth is a tragic hero with many good qualities but tragic flow of
ambition is provoked by Lady Macbeth which finally leads him to tragic

46
end. His tragic flaws lead him to become a tyrant. The Scottish people
wanted him to be overthrown from power .
The bloody path ultimately led him and his wife to death. He feared
from his own sense of crime. He was told by the witch that he would be
killed by a man who is not born of a woman and forest would move
towards him. In fact, Macduff and his army went to Macbeth under the
camouflage of branches of trees. Macbeth realized that the forest was
coming towards him. He also realized that Macduff was born by
Caesarian birth. He was not born naturally.
Macbeth saw both these things and became unsafe. He tried to
surrender to Macduff but he killed him. With his death, Macbeth proves a
tragic hero. The audience learns the dangers of ambition and welfare is
established in Scotland by a noble rule Malcolm, the son of King Duncan.
Macbeth fits as a tragic hero from Greek as well as Shakespearean
concept. The audience sees his rise and fall which is natural from the
point of view 'Karma' theory. Macbeth displays all the traits of tragic hero.
Q.4 Draw the character-sketch of Macbeth discussing his
characteristics.
Ans. Like Hamlet, Othello and King Lear, Macbeth is a very effective
tragic character depicted by Shakespeare. He is very complex character.
His motives can not be analyzed easily. Macbeth's imagination and
sensibilities are better elements of his character. He had vaulting ambition
that leads him to violence and crime. He had a conflict in his mind which
is generated by three witches and then by his wife Lady Macbeth. The
following are the characteristics of Macbeth's character:

47
(1) The ambition : Ambition is the tragic flaw (hamartia) of Macbeth. He
meets three witches who provoke his ambitions. He was aware of his own
ambition, he confesses it and says that he had vaulting ambition. Yet, his
ambition did not tempt him to crime. However, it was prompted by Lady
Macbeth and prophesies of three witches. His weakness of will is more
responsible for his crime.
(2) His weakness of will : Macbeth was a valiant soldier. He was a loyal
army officer of King Duncan. He deserved admiration and gratitude of the
king. He respected King Duncan as a noble king. He would never have
thought of killing King Duncan but his weakness of taking right decision
himself prompted him to crime of killing King Duncan at his castle. King
Duncan was his guest and at night, he and Lady Macbeth killed him with
daggers. In fact, Lady Macbeth and three witches became the agents of
evil and Macbeth readily surrendered to their influence.
(3) His imagination : Macbeth was highly imaginative. His imagination was
strong. The prophesies of three witches made him highly imaginative and
provoked his ambition. He was conscious that the dragger is a fatal
committing terminated by his imagination. Even after committing crime, he
could not repress the fatal, violent imagination.
(4) His tyranny : Macbeth did not look tyrant but he turned utterly tyrant
after his vaulting ambition provoked him. He killed King Duncan, Banquo
and Macduff's wife and children. He was turned violent tyrant. Despair
and anger seize his art. Malcom and Macduff raise revolution against
Macbeth from England and attack him. He is killed by Macduff and his
wife Lady Macbeth also commit suicide. Thus the end of his life is a poetic
justice.

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 Hindson says that Macbeth's doubts and difficulties, his shrinkings
and misgivings raise his ambition. He is morbid, irregular and full of
negative imagination. His strong imagination leads him to his tragic
catastrophe. His life shows many hallucinations that prompt him to
vaulting ambition and tragedy.
At the end of play, he realized that life is a tale full of sound and fury
which signify nothing. His soiloquies show his philosophical attitude
towards life. His views about life is existentialist and absurdist. He feels
that life is like a shadow. It is not reality but fanciful shadow. Macbeth
presents this. There is a psychological depth in the play 'Macbeth'. Both
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffer from psychological problems. Macbeth
surrenders to Macduff and he is killed. Lady Macbeth commits suicide.
Both are ambitious and violent. Therefore they depict Shakespeare's
understanding of human nature.
Q.5 Draw the character-sketch of Lady Macbeth.
Ans. Lady Macbeth is one of the most famous female characters of
Shakespeare. She was an epitome of evil and violent mood. She has
several blood-thirsty lines in the play. She influenced her husband
Macbeth and dominated him. She was attractive and beautiful but she
was utterly ambitious.
She is usually depicted as a strong and tough woman. She drives
Macbeth to the murder of King Duncan so that he would be the king of
Scotland. She believed that the prophecies of the three witches would
turn into reality only if they kill Duncan and become viloent whenever
necessary. However at the end, she breaks down mentally and commits
suicide.

49
 When she receives the message that King Duncan plans to spend
the night at Macbeth's castle, she thinks that it is an opportunity to fulfill
their ambitions. She is very ambitious and Macbeth was a brave warrior.
However, Macbeth was basically soft and humanitarian. He was too 'full of
milk of human kindness'.
Lady Macbeth provokes Macbeth in multiple ways. She shows her
firmness bringing Macbeth's manhood into question. She mocks him and
appeals to his sense of loyalty to her. Finally, she prevails and makes
Macbeth ready to kill King Duncan.
Macbeth kills Duncan while he is sleeping. Now both feel guilty but
Macbeth moves ahead in the realm of power and ambitions. He fears his
enemies and tries to kill them. He kills Banquo as he felt that he had
doubts about his evil actions.
Lady Macbeth in the beginning looked strong but she was completely
depressed. She sleep-walked and spoke that her hands are full of blood.
She sinks into moral, physical and spiritual collapse. Then Macbeth
receives the message that his wife is dead. Macbeth says :"She should
have died hereafter." He realized that their partnership in the murder of
Duncan destroyed their marriage.
The characteristics of Lady Macbeth are as follow :
(1) Cruelty : Lady Macbeth is cruel and violent. She is cold-blooded
woman who plans to kill King Duncan and povokes her husband. She
ridicules Macbeth when he does not agree to participate in killing the
King. She dominates him at last and they kill the King.
(2) Ambitious: Lady Macbeth was far more ambitious than Macbeth.
Macbeth was ambitious but not violent. He had never thinking of killing

50
King Duncan who was a noble man. He trusted and loved Macbeth.
However, Lady Macbeth goads him to the criminal act.
(3) Dominant nature : Lady Macbeth had dominant nature. She controled
her husband's will. She manipulates him. She plants out the murder and
then takes control of events when Macbeth looses his mind. In the
Banquet scene, she asks all participants to leave the banquet and she
tries to control her husband's mind. Macbeth was panicked and he began
to speak in such a way that people might realize that he was a murderer
of Duncan and Banquo.
(4) Two-faced : Lady Macbeth tells her husband that one needs to be two-
faced. Duncan was the friend of Macbeth but to achieve power, he needs
to kill him. To fulfill ambitions, one needs to be two-faced.
(5) Death of Lady Macbeth : Lady Macbeth's mental stability gets lost and
she feels guilty and depressed. At the end, she commits suicide and dies.
This is the realization of the fact that women can not become cruel and
violent. She is unsexed and collapses at the end.
Q.6 Discuss major themes in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. There are several major themes in Macbeth. These themes are
philosophical and profoundly psychological also. Human weakness or
hamartia is a universal truth. No one in the world is perfect. One may be
virtuous but he may have some shortcoming. It is called tragic flaw in
human nature. The following themes are important part of the play
'Macbeth'.
(1) The fall of man: The ancient Greek nation of tragedy is connected with
fall of great man such as a king or superior person. He may possess
many virtues like goodness, kindness, thoughtfulness etc but he may
have certain weaknesses like ambition, pride, ego or doubful nature. If we
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study Shakespeare's play, we find some hamartia in all characters of
tragedies. For example:
Othello : suspicious nature
Hamlet : Too much thoughtful and indecisive
King Kear : Egoist and selfish
Macbeth : Too ambitious
(2) Role of fate : Fate always plays an important part in human life.
Destiny, providence and fate are uncertain and difficult to understand. It is
Wheel of Fortune that moves all the time. One can rise to the top of the
wheel and fall down. There is a continuous swing in the wheel of fortune.
Fate dictates and determines human life. In tragedy, a protagonist faces
such incidents that his weakness makes him vulnerable to down fall.
(3) Free will : Shakespeare presents the role of the fate in most of his
plays but he also presents the freewill. He says that human beings can
take right decisions themselves. For example, Macbeth is affected by the
prophecies of the witch but Banquo remains unaffeceted. Macbeth's
ambitious nature leads him to tragic downfall.
(4) Kingship and Natural order : King Duncan was a noble king. Even his
son Malcolm becomes a noble King in a natural order. However, Macbeth
wants to become a king as it was foretold by the witches. He wanted to kill
Duncan and Banquo to get rid of them. Lady Macbeth's ambition for
power leads both to tragic end.
(5) Disruptions of Nature : In Macbeth there are natural disasters like
tempests, earthqukes, darkness etc. They represent the evils of nature to
symbolise human evils. There was utter darkness in the castle of Macbeth
where king Duncan is killed by Macbeth and his wife.
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(6) Psychological motifs: There are psychological motifs in the play.
Macbeth becomes the victim of mental stress, guilt and death. Lady
Macbeth sleep walks and speaks about her crimes and sins.
(7) Reason versus passion : In human life, reason is more important than
passion. Macbeth was rational but he becomes the victim of passion for
power. Lady Macbeth was passionate and highly ambitious. She acted
like men but at last, she realizes her guilt and dies. Macbeth also
surrenders and he is killed by Macduff.
Thus, there are many important themes, motifs and symbols in
'Macbeth'.
Q.7 Discuss supernaturalism in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. Supernatural according to Oxford Dictionary includes all phenomena
which can not be explained by the accepted all laws of natural science or
physical laws. They are not realistic or rational. They are beyond natural
phenomena. They include witches, ghosts, fairies etc. We are not sure
whether they exist or not, but people often believe that there are esoteric
things that can not be explained rationally. For example, we talk of soul,
rebirth, Karma etc. Supernaturalism denotes the powers of unseen
ghosts, fairies etc. As a popular dramatist, Shakespeare used the
elements of supernaturalism in many plays. These elements added moral
and psychological significance. In Elizabethan period, people also
believed in supernatural elements and therefore, Shakespeare introduced
them in his plays.
Shakespeare introduced ghosts in 'Hamlet', 'Julius Caesar' and
'Macbeth'. His plays like 'The Tempest' and "The Midsummer Night's
Dream' are examples of the use of paranormal powers.

53
 The supernatural elements is not an illusion of the hero but often real
experience. For example, in 'Macbeth' both Macbeth and Banquo meet
three weried witches who prophesy about the future of Macbeth. They
provoke his ambition to become the king of Scotland. Here, the witches
are symbols of guilt within the soul of Macbeth. The hero can reject or
accept supernatural elements but Macbeth is tempted and he moves
towards his downfall by committing crimes.
In Macbeth, there are two major supernatural elements : witches and
the ghost of Banquo. Let us discuss their role in the play at some details.
When Macbeth and Banquo are returning from the bettlefield, they have
supernatural powers which they use negatively. They move visibly in the
air. They ride on brooms and control storms. They can foresee future and
cast spells. They use strange objects like toads, snakes etc. They are
weird and uncanny creatures.
The three witches are supernatural creatures in Macbeth. They call
Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and the king. They call
Banquo the father of kings. Both are affected by the prophecies of the
witches but Banquo remains netural. On the other hand, Macbeth is
provoked and agitated. Banquo remains calm and unagitated. The
witches say,"Fair is foul and foul is fair." These are key words of the play.
To them, good is evil and the evil is good. These witches were real and
not hallucination. Both Macbeth and Banquo can see them.
Harrison says,"The words of the witches are fatal to the hero only.
Because there is in him something, which leaps into light at the sound of
them. But, they are at the same time the witness of forces, which never
cease to work in the world around him, and in the instant of surrender to
them, entangle him in incredibly in the web of fate."

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 The influence of the witches on the action of the play is very
powerful. The actions of Macbeth are provoked by the prophecies of the
witches. Macbeth meets the witches second time when they say that
forest will come to them and he could be killed by a man who is not born
of a woman naturally. At the end, Macduff kills him as he was born in a
Caesarian surgery. Macduff attacks Macbeth camouflaged under the
branches of the tree like moving forest. The prophecies of the witches
prove true in the end.
The ghost of Banquo is another supernatural scene. Macbeth got
Banquo killed. When the murderer informs Macbeth about Banquo's
murder, he returns to the banquet where he finds Banquo sitting on the
chair. Macbeth was deeply panicked. He began to speak in such a way
that people could realize that Macbeth was the murderer of Banquo. This
scene is psychological and real. Macbeth realizes his guilt and speaks
about it.
Q.8 Compare and contrast the characters of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth.
Ans. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both were highly ambitious. Macbeth
was a gentleman with certain good virtues. Lady Macbeth was over-
ambitious and strong-nerved. Her passion for power was very high. There
was of course the trace of feminine qualities though she behaved like a
masculine. She wished that her husband becomes the king even by killing
King Duncan. She loves her husband and wanted him to progress in
power.
Now let us compare and contrast Macbeth and Lady Macbeth :

55
(1) Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are ambitious but they have different
causes. Macbeth is egoistic and his wife cherishes ambitions, not for
herself but for her husband. Her ambition depicts her love for Macbeth.
(2) Macbeth is highly imaginative while Lady Macbeth is a realist.
Macbeth is sentimental while Lady Macbeth has common sense and
practical attitude.
(3) Macbeth is afraid of consequences. His wife is not so fearful about
future.
(4) Macbeth is vacillating (uncertain) and undecided but Lady Macbeth is
decisive and strong in her decisions.
(5) Macbeth behaves differently when Banquo is killed. He sees the ghost
of Banquo and feels depressed. Lady Macbeth cancels the meeting party
and tries to control her husband.
(6) Macbeth has no keen moral conscience but his imagination makes
him morally depressed. Lady Macbeth is iron-nerved and she always tries
to behave rationally and strongly.
(7) Macbeth lives in the world of practical action. He takes quick actions
but Lady Macbeth lives an inner itntellectual life.
(8) Macbeth's mobility is conventional. His soliloquies are of practical
attitude towards life. He feels that life is a meaningless, absurdist
phenomenon. He is however impacted by superstitions and witches. Lady
Macbeth stands forth as an embodiment of inner life. She struggles
against moral conscience in her head. She feels that her hands are
bloody and they can not be cleared.

56
(9) The influence of supernatural on Macbeth was quite dominant. On
Lady Macbeth, there was no direct impact. However, it was an opportunity
for her husband to become the king.
(10) The impluse to evil came to Macbeth but Lady Macbeth's firm nature
kept her husband wicked and violent by provoking him rationally. She said
that power comes to those who take stern actions.
(11) When crime takes place, Lady Macbeth becomes weak. Her feminine
qualities make impact on her mind. She becomes depressed and sleep-
walks at night. At the end, she commits suicide.
(12) After becoming the king, Macbeth killed Banquo which was his
greatest blunder. Lady Macbeth would have waited for a suitable
opportunity to get rid of Banquo.
In short, both had some commonness but they differed in thier
attitude and mental state. Lady Macbeth suffers at the end which proves
that evil always punishes a person sooner or later.
Q.9 Discuss 'Macbeth' as the tragedy of darkness.
Ans. 'Macbeth' is the darkest tragedy of Shakespeare. Blackness or
darkness focus over the tragedy. There is a gloom of twilight or night in
the entire play. Darkness is visible on both levels physical and spiritual.
Spiritual darkness predominates the play. It affects the readers or
spectators more than physical one. The souls of both Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth are full with the darkness of the sin, crime and guilt.
Physical darkness is visible in the play. There are important incidents
which take place during gloomy evening or night. The play is generally set
in a dark atmosphere. For example, three witches meet Macbeth and
Banquo on a gloomy day. At night, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth murder
57
King Duncan. Banquo is also murdered at night. The porter scene and
finally the death of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth happen at night only.
Sleep-walking scenes of Lady Macbeth takes place at night. She walks at
night speaking about her criminal act. She depressed and suffers from
insomnia.
For Macbeth also, dim light of stars is fearful. He says :
"Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires;
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be
which the ye fears, when it is done, to see."
Lady Macbeth invokes the spirit of datk night when sha says :
"Come, thick night,
And pall three in the dunnest smoke of hell."
There is also spiritual darkness in the play. It parades in the play
which shows inner conflict in the minds of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Both of them acted violently killing King Duncan. The sense of sin and
crime makes them suffer spiritually. Macbeth's virtues are diminished due
to his vaulting ambition. The same darkness pervades in the heart and
soul of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is like the fourth witch. The thought
of darkness makes her shiver with fear and she is haunted by darkness at
night. She constantly keep candle in her hand even during the day.
There are other sources of darkness like witches. There are three
witches and two ghosts. They are the symbols of hell. The three witches
provoked Macbeth to commit crimes and his soul becomes tormented. On

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all levels, Macbeth is full of horror, viloence and supernatural elements. It
is also full of inner and outer darkness.
The theme of dark is dominant in Macbeth. A.C.Bradley says,"It is
remarkable that almost all the scenes which at once recur to memory take
place either at night or in some dark spot." Macbeth descirbes the
atmosphere of dark night. He says that owls shrieked and crickets cried.
Macbeth thought that darkness will hide his evils. In 'Macebth',
Shakespeare uses darkness and evil as a dominant theme. Macbeth
says,"Stars, hide your fires." Banquo made Macbeth fear and therefore he
wanted to get rid of him. He becomes pale and says,
"Come, seeling night,
scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;
And with thy bloody and invisible hand
Cancle and tear to pieces that great bond
which keeps me pale."
The murder of Banquo also takes place in dark. Lady Macbeth also
sleep-walks at night. Macbeth is the tragedy of darkness and night.
Q.10 Discuss the plot construction of 'Macbeth'.
Ans. Macbeth is the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies. The action
moves straight without pause. There are few episodes in the play. The
whole action is generally controlled by external forces. The play starts
with three witches who meet Macbeth and Banquo on their way to
homeland. Banquo and Macbeth are returning from battlefiled with
bravery and victory.

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 Lady Macbeth is an important character from tragic point of view.
The three witches but Lady Macbeth is like a witch with evil-mind.
Macbeth returns to his castle and tells Lady Macbeth about the
prophecies of the three witches. He also says that King Duncan would
come to their castle as a guest that night. Lady Macbeth gets provoked by
her ambitious nature. She tells her husband to plan the murder of King
Duncan at night. She says that he would become the king of Scotland
turning the prophecy of the witches into reality.
Let us discuss the plot of 'Macbeth' with their scenes : The time of
action of the play are as follows:
- Act-I, Scenes-I-III - The first day
- Act-I, Scenes-IV to VII - Second day
- Act-II, Scenes-I to VI - Third day
- Act-III, Scenes-I to V - Forth day
- Act-IV, Scene-I - Fifth day
- Act-IV, Scene-II - Sixth day
- Act-IV, Scene-III, Sixth day
- Act-V, Scene-I - Seventh day
- Act-V, Scenes-II and III - Eight day
- Act-V, Scenes-IV to VIII -Ninth day
The scene of the play are as follows with the events of happenings in
the play.
Witches meet Banquo and Macbeth and prophecy about Macbeth's
future. They provoke the ambition of Macbeth.

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 In the first Act, battle is descibed. Witches prophesy that Macbeth
would become a King. They also say that finally, Banquo's sons will be
the rulers of Scotland. These prophecies excite and enrage Macbeth.
Then the conflict takes place in the mind of Macbeth.
The next scene brings Duncan and his two sons to the castle of
Macbeth with some other Lords. The king arrives before nightfall. Banquo
also came there and at night, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill King
Duncan.
In the second Act, we meet Banquo and his son Fleance. Banquo
was affected by cursed thoughts. Banquo leaves Macbeth and in the early
morning, Duncan is found killed. Macbeth is mentally affected. He sees a
dagger vision that plagues his mind. He says :"Me thought I heard a voice
cry 'sleep' no more !"
Lady Macbeth is hardly affected by what had been done. She keeps
her nerves strong to maintain safety. There is a porter scene that provides
relief in the tragedy. The next day, Macbeth takes over the kingdom. He
decides to kill Banquo. Macbeth arranges banquet party. Banquo is killed
but his ghost appears banquet party. Banquo is killed but his ghost
appears in the banquet. It is a psychological scene.
In the next scene, Macbeth meets witches again and they prophesy
new things. They say that Macbeth will be killed only by a man born
without woman. The forest will move and attack Macbeth. The witches
confirm Macbeth's reliance on crime. Macduff runs away to England and
gather army to attack Macbeth. The flight of Macduff is the climax of the
play. It is followed by the wanton murder of his wife and childern.
Finally, the army moves under the camouflage looking like moving
forest. Macduff kills Macbeth who had already lost his wife. Lady Macbeth
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commits suicide. At the end, Malcolm takes over the kingdom as a ruler
and peace prevails in Scotland. There is unity of time, place and action in
the play. There is theme of rise and fall of Macbeth. It is also the tragedy
of ambition and imagination.
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13 Short Notes:
Q.1 Short Note : Duncan
Ans. King Duncan was the ruler of Scotland. He was a noble king with
many virtues. He was meek and gentle. Unlike royal people, he was not
hypocrite and utterly ambitious. He loved and respected his people. He
trusted Macbeth and Banquo who were army heads of Duncan's kingdom.
After their victory in a battle, Macbeth and Banquo were coming
home on the way, they met three witches. They prophesied that Macbeth
would become king of Scotland. Duncan wanted to visit Macbeth's castle
as a guest. Macbeth went home and told his wife about the prophecies of
the witches and Duncan's visit to their castle. Lady Macbeth told him that
they should kill Duncan to achieve the kingdom. They planned and at
night killed Duncan. The guards were made unconscious by giving them
intoxicating wine.
Lady Macbeth's treachery was her vice. Duncan nobility and
trustfulness were his virtues. His son realized that Macbeth needs to be
punished. In short, the character of Duncan remains in background but it
is one of the most important characters in the play.
Q.2 Short Note : Malcolm
Ans. Malcolm was the son of King Duncan. The character of Malcolm is
virtuous and neutral. He was noble hearted like his father King Duncan.
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However, after the murder of his father by Macbeth, he realized that
goodness can not succeed in his life. Therefore, he ran away from
Scotland to England. He possessed many positive characteristics like his
father. He wanted to be a humble and peaceful king. He went to England
and started to gather army to fight against Macbeth. Unlike his father, he
takes certain precautions. He does not trust everyone like his father. He
talks to Macduff who wants to defeat Macbeth. Macolm tests the loyalty of
Macduff and he realizes that Macduff was honest and loyal.
Malcolm gathers loyal army and attacks Macbeth's castle. Malcolm
defeats Macbeth and Macduff kills Macbeth. Malcolm successfully
invades Scotland and vanquishes the tyrant Macbeth. As a king, he
proves himself peaceful, benevolent and righteous.
In many respects, Malcolm is like a opposite to Macbeth. He was a
legitimate claimant of the throne but he feels that Macbeth needs to be
tackled shrewdly. He was also different from his father Duncan who was
too innocent, noble and trustful. Malcolm was wise, cool and endowed
with the qualities of a leader. He was very watchful and acted cautiously
to defeat Macbeth at the end.
Q.3 Short Note : Macduff
Ans. Macduff was an outspoken solider. He was highly patriotic. He was
noble and clear-sighted. He lived blameless life. At the end, he kills
Macbeth taking revenge against his evil-minded acts. Macduff was truly
patriotic and nationalist. He gave more important to the state and nation
rather than his own self. He was not ambitious but genuine lover of the
nation. When Macbeth confesses that he had killed two chamberlains,
Macduff asks Macbeth why he did so. He had doubt that Macbeth was the
killer of King Duncan and he tried to kill others to keep his crime as secret
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act. He refuses to attend the coronation ceremony of Macbeth when he
takes over the kingdom. He believed that Macbeth was the usurper.
When Banquo is murdered by Macbeth, he feels that it was time to
get rid of Macebth's tyranny. He goes to England and gathers army with
Malcolm. Macduff wanted to kill Macbeth.
Macduff was the man of action, not of words. Macduff left his family
without giving them the explanation. At the end, he attacks Macbeth and
kills him slaying his head. He says : "I have no words, my voice is my
sword."
Q.4 Comparison between Macbeth and Banquo.
Ans. Macbeth and Banquo were army heads of Duncan's kingdom. They
were both brave and powerful. They were similar in certain things but
different in many ways. The words of witches influenced Macbeth which
provoked him to be ambitious and violent. Banquo was not like Macbeth.
He remained neutral and peaceful. Macbeth was willing to sin but Banquo
was deterred by his terrors. Macbeth was evil-hearted who turned violent
and killed King Duncan who trusted him deeply. Macbeth killed King
Duncan when he came to Macbeth's place as a guest. Lady Macbeth also
acted like a witch provoking him to be sinful and violent.
Banquo remained unaffected by evils. He believed that witches are
the evil and to believe them would result into crime, guilt and sin. Macbeth
is subject to passion and imagination. His imagination plays tricky on his
mind. He acts impulsively. Banquo on the other hand was not troubled by
imagination. Banquo was not impulsive in his behaviour. Banquo was
practical and rational in his attitude. After the murder of King Duncan, all
people were confused but Banquo behaved rationally. However, he was

64
also killed by Macbeth cruelly. Macbeth is evil, Banquo is peaceful and
gentle. Readers would love this character more than Macbeth.
Q.5 Dagger Scene
Ans. The dagger scene is the first in a series of guilt inspired
hallucinations that Macbeth and his wife experience. The murder is also
marked by the ringing of the bell and knocking at the gate.
The dagger scene is important in the play as it shows hallucinations
and mental state of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. When Macbeth is about
to kill Duncan, he sees a dagger floating in the air. It is covered with blood
and pointed towards the chamber of the King. The dagger represents the
bloody course on which Macbeth is about to embark.
The scene is where Macbeth murders Duncan and then comes out.
This is the scene which makes Macbeth realize the prophecies of the
three witches. He feels that he would be the Thane of Cawdor and future
king.
Macbeth imagines the dagger as a manifestation of guilt. Macbeth's
vision of the dagger indicates that he is spiraling into madness. Dagger
looks as palpable to Macbeth. He sees the dagger before he uses the real
dagger. This is a psychological scene. It is critically important. There is a
very effective soliloquy when Macbeth says :
"Is that a dagger which I see
before me, the handle toward my hand?
come, let me clutch thee."
This hallucination of a dagger appears to Macbeth before he kills
King Duncan.

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Q.6 Three witches in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. The Three witches are weird sisters or wayward sisters. They are the
characters in Macbeth. The witches provoke Macbeth's ambitions and
finally lead him to catastrophe. Banquo and Macbeth were returning from
battle. They meet three witches on the way. They make prophecies that
provoke Macbeth to ambitions.
The three witches said that Macbeth was the Thane of Glamis. He
would then be the Thane of Cawdor and finally, he would be king of
Scotland. Then they said that Banquo would be the father king. Then they
disappear. The witches are imprtant in the play as they provide Macbeth's
primary call of action. Their prophecies affect Lady Macbeth.
The witches are weird characters. They are more realistic than
supernatural. The witches have beards, bizarre potions and rhymed
speech. Banquo describes the witches in Act-I, Scene-III. They are wild
and withered. They look unearthly. They represent evil, darkness, chaos
and conflict. They are ugly and evil. Shakespeare uses their ugly
appearance to emphasise their wickendness.
Though they are supernatural, they look realistic and provide catalyst
for action, an insight into characters and their impact on many key
scenes.
Q.7 Poetic Justice in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. 'Poetic Justice' can be defined as a proper distribution of weal and
woe. This is reward or punishment by nature. In India, we call it the theory
of Karma. Poetic Justice is actually Greek idea but Shakespeare used it in
his plays very effectively. Crimes disturb the moral order. Moral order
works inevitably sooner or later.

66
 Justice and poetic justice are different things. Prosperity, success
and happiness may be result of good action. Sorrow, misery and conflict
are the result of criminal life. However sometimes, even the good people
suffer and evil-minded prosper.
In Shakespeare's plays, the distribution is not proportional. He
believed that divinity shapes our life. It is not easy to logically explain the
theory of poetic justice. In Macbeth, there is a poetic justice presented as
a rational manner. For example Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are ambitious
and violent. They kill King Duncan and Banquo. They were both innocent
and noble people.
Macbeth becomes villain like and that is why he suffers mentally and
die at the hands of Macduff. Lady Macbeth also breaks down mentally
suffering by the sense of guilt. At the end, the death of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth prove that the injustice done to Duncan is counter-balanced by
justice to Malcolm. They are punished by Natural Justice. At every stage,
Nemesis works. Macbeth murdered Duncan in sleep and he too suffers
from insomnia. Lady Macbeth also sleep-walks madly. She says that her
hand is full of blood and it is not cleared by perfumes of Arabia.
Q.8 Banquet scene in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. Banquet scene is an important incident in 'Macbeth'. In this scene,
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth host a Banquet for the Scottish Thanes. A
murderer tells Macbeth that he has successfully killed Banquo but
Fleance has escaped. During the banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of
Banquo sitting at his place at the table. He is horrified and Lady Macbeth
conceals the banquet saying that her husband is mentally disturbed. She
also tells Macbeth that he should be calm and in control.

67
 Macbeth was completely disturbed to see the ghost of Banquo. It
was probably his hallucination rahter than real ghost. Lady Macbeth tells
all Thanes to leave. Macbeth decides to visit the witches the next day.
The banquet scene is important in the play as it shows the shows the
mental state of Macbeth. It shows the guilt of Macbeth's mind. Macbeth
becomes seared and mentally disturbed.
The banquet scene is effective scene in the play. It is highly dramatic
and acts as a means of poetic justice. Macbeth is upset because he had
already planned to kill Banquo and Banquo was murdered but his ghost
was sitting at the banquet table. This shows the disturbed mental state of
Macbeth.
Q.9 Explanation of 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' -
soliloquy by Macbeth.
Ans. 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' is a soliloquy by Macbeth in
act - V, Scene-V. It is the tragic vision of life. Macbeth says,
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow,
creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools.
The way to dusty death. Out, out brife candle !
Life but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

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signifying nothing."
When Macbeth hears the news about Lady Macbeth's death, he is
depressed. He says he would have died hereafter. He talks about time,
life and death. He thinks about the meaninglessness of life. One tomorrow
creeps after another tomorrow from day to day in a monotonous way.
Time has been pictured as a book with death as the last syllable.
Recorded syllable means destined death. Dusty death means return to
the dust. Life is also compared to a candle. It burns for a short time. It
symbolises brief life.
Further, he says that life is like a walking shadow or poor player. It
has no important which is heard no more. Poor player is like a shadow.
Finally, Macbeth says that life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and
fury, signifying nothing. Life is meaningless and absurd. This soliloquy
presents existentialistic attitude of Macbeth towards life.
Q.10 Soliloquy in Macbeth / Macbeth's philosophy of life.
Ans. 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' is one of the most thoughtful
soliloquies of Shakespeare. Shakespeare often used soliloquies in his
plays. They express philosophy of life and inner feeling of the characters.
'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' is a soliloquy in 'Macbeth'. It is
spoken on the death of Lady Macbeth by Macbeth. Macbeth comments
that she should have died hereafter. It is the nature of human mind that
we all think of tomorow. Tomorrow indicates future. Tomorrow becomes
today and then it turns into yesterday. Life moves towards death with the
passage of everyday. Everyday decreases the span of life. When we
celebrate birthday, actually, we are moving towards the end of life.

69
 Macbeth compares life with a shadow. It moves about like an inferior
actor. Audience never remembers such shadow like actors. Life is thus a
meaningless affair. It is full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
This soliloquy reflects Macbeth's sense of weariness of life. The
death of Lady Macbeth makes him alone and desolate. He suffers from
sad loss. Life loses everything. It becomes hopeless, dull and
monotonous. He achieves nothing. At the end he realizes that life is a
meaningless phenomenon. It is an absurdist idea of life. He realizes that
violence, ambition and crime comes to full circle. Finally, he is also killed
by Macduff.
Q.11 The Porter scene in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. Porter scene is a minor scene in the play. Coleridge remarked that
the low soliloquy of the porter and his few speeches are important from
dramatic point of view in 'Macbeth'. The scene is presented as a dramatic
relief. Secondly, the scene brings audience back to the normal life with
the dawn of the day as contrasted with horror enacted at dark night.
Thirdly, it emphasis the irony of situation in that castle of Macbeth like
hell. It is significantly suggested by the devil porter.
A critic named Hales defends the scene on the following grounds :
1. It is an integral part of the play, connected as it is so with the knocking
in the previous scene.
2. It is necessary as a relief to the surrounding horror. It relaxes the tragic
stress of the previous scene.
3. There is rational contrast and co-mingling of comic and tragic features
of the play.

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4. The style and language are Shakespearean which make the scene
quite realistic and efffective.
In short, the porter scene provides comic relief in the tragic
background of darkness, mystery, violence and terror.
Q.12 Sleep- walking scene in 'Macbeth'. (sau. uni. nov.-2021)
Ans. Sleep-walking scene is one of the most powerful scenes in
'Macbeth'. It takes place in Act-V and Scene-I. In 'Macbeth', it is a stroke
of creative imagination. It has a great dramatic effect. The scene is like a
masterpiece of a dramatic art.
In this scene, Lady Macbeth walks in sleep. She moves in slumber.
She has a taper in her hand while walking. She rubs her hand to get rid of
bloody hands. In fact, her hands are not bloody but she has killed Duncan
with her husband. Now she feels mentally guilty and she feels that her
hands are full of blood. She says "Out damned spot." Like a nightmare,
her mind is full of panic, anxiety and sense of guilt.
Lady Macbeth feels that all the perfumes of Arabia are unable to
sweeten her hands. The scene shows the imagination and hallucination in
the mind of Lady Macbeth. This scene makes Lady Macbeth collapse.
Earlier, she was stronger than her husband but she breaks down
mentally. She is full remorse and she feels herself cursed. Scene of
sleep-walking shows her mental agony and mental collapse.
Lady Macbeth's death takes place and Macbeth feels utterly
disappointed. Though she is a woman, she possessed certain masculine
attitudes. However, at the end, she realizes her weakness and die
tragically. It shows her repentence and sense of guilt. This is a very
dramatic scene with huge impact on the readers and spectators.

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Q.13 Dramatic Irony in 'Macbeth'.
Ans. Dramactic irony takes place from the double meaning of a speech or
action on the stage. It conveys meaning to the spectators as well as
characters of the play. Both meaning are different. These speeches or
actions impact the destinies of the characters. The spectators can realize
what will happen and how.
Sometimes, there are verbal ironies or situational ironies. They are
both dramatic ironies that take place in drama. For example, Duncan in
'Macbeth' trusts and admires Macbeth who kills him. Duncan never
suspects Macbeth but the spectators come to know that Macbeth will kill
Duncan.
In Scene-VI, there is spirit of irony. Macbeth's castle is to be scene of
ghastly murder. Duncan's admiration for Macbeth is a pathetic irony.
Duncan also admires Macbeth's castle as pleasant place with sweet air.
In fact, the castle is full of violence, darkness and tyranny.
Banquo exclaims "Our honourable hostess" for Lady Macbeth who is
a violent witch like woman. Further, the words of Lady Macbeth are also
dramatic irony. In her sleep-walking scene, she seems to see the blood
on her fingers all the time. She says: "All the perfumes of Arabia will not
sweeten this little hand." There are also several dramatic ironies of
incidents or situations. 'Macbeth' is a very effective play with dramatic
ironies.
==============================================================

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 SAU. UNI. NOVEMBER - 2021
Q.1 "Macbeth' is not a murderous politician; he is a man possessed." -
Elaborate.
Q.2 Discuss Macbeth as a typical Shakespearean Tragedy.
Q.3 Draw a character-sketch of Lady Macbeth.
Q.4 "Banquo is a foil to Macbeth." - Explain.
Q.5 Write a detailed onte on the significance of the title 'As you like it.'
Q.6 Give a character-sketch of Rosalind.
Q.7 Discuss 'As you like it' as a pastoral comedy.
Q.8 Write a critical note on the theme of the play 'As you like it'.
Q.9 Write short note : (1) The sleep-walikng scene
(2) Supernatural elements in 'Macbeth'
Q.10 Write short note : (1) Jaques
(2) Touchstone
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Test Peper - 1
Q.1 Discuss the plot overview of 'As you like it'. OR
Q.1 Draw the character-sketch of Orlando.
Q.2 Evalute 'As you like it' as a pastoral comedy. OR
Q.2 Draw the character-sketch of Senior Duke.
Q.3 Give summary of the drama 'Macbeth'. OR
Q.3 Discuss Macbeth as a tragic hero.
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Q.4 Discuss major themes of 'Macbeth'. OR
Q.4 Discuss Macbeth as a tragedy of darkness.
Q.5 (A) Write a short note (any one) :
(1) Oliver
(2) Songs in 'As you like it'
(B) Write a short note (any one) :
(1) Poetic Justice in Macbeth
(2) Soliloquy in Macbeth
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Test Peper - 2
Q.1 Draw the character-sketch of Orlando. OR
Q.1 Draw the character-sketch of Senior Duke.
Q.2 Discuss Rosalind as a heroine. OR
Q.2 Discuss the setting of 'As you like it'.
Q.3 Discuss Macbeth as a tragic hero. OR
Q.3 Compare and contrast characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Q.4 Discuss major themes of Macbeth. OR
Q.4 Discuss supernatural elements in Macbeth.
Q.5 (A) Write a short note (any one) :
(1) Celia
(2) Adam
(B) Write a short note (any one) :
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 (1) Duncan
(2) Dagger Scene
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