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Brotherhood : Homage To Claudius Ptolemy

Q. Analyse the title of the poem ” Brotherhood: Homage to Claudius Ptolemy “.
Ans:-“Brotherhood”, the popular poem by Octavio Paz is about the unique and undeniable relationship that organically binds everything of this Universe. This bondage is created and managed by a superior cosmic force in this geocentric world system. When humans look out in the sky on a starry night, they are made aware of this bondage which makes them feel important as being an inseparable part of the system and they get rid of the feeling of insignificance. It is then that human beings find the worth of their existence and understand that the deep bondage of brotherhood organically binds everything together. The title of the poem thus seems to be appropriate as the poem makes one understand about the close knit relationship that binds everything.
Q. How does the poem ” Brotherhood : Homage to Claudius Ptolemy ” justify the poet’s homage to Ptolemy?
Ans:-Claudius Ptolemy was a Greek astronomer and geographer whose chief astronomical work ” Almagest “, is a mathematical treatise on the apparent motion of stars and planets in a geocentric model which was the model that was followed by the ancient Greeks before the Renaissance. The poem by Octavio Paz aims at searching for rhythmic correspondences in the Universe. In these correspondences the astronomical objects play an important role by fixing the destiny of man. The poem also refers to everything in the Universe as predestined and bound in the bondage of Brotherhood. This is much like the quest of Ptolemy who tried to establish a rhythmic relationship between the astronomical objects . This justifies the poem as Octavio Paz’s homage to Ptolemy.
Q. What is the central idea of the poem ” Brotherhood “?
Ans:-At the beginning the poem ” Brotherhood ” is a reflection on the apparent insignificance of human beings in this vast Universe. Later on the poet understands that the feeling of insignificance is flawed and feels that everything, however insignificant, is a part of the scheme of the cosmic force that commands everything by writing the destiny of all the objects that are a part of the cosmos . This understanding creates a feeling of brotherhood and one understands the importance of one’s existence, whatever the duration may be in comparison to the vast and eternal world. It gives us a feeling that we are all intertwined in history and that our life has a purpose and follow a rhythm set by the guiding cosmic force.

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Macbeth

Q. Describe the first meeting of Macbeth with the witches?
Ans:-The witches met Macbeth for the first time in the blasted heath when Macbeth and Banquo were coming back after crushing a rebellion led by the Thane of Cawdor and assisted by the King of Norway . The first witch hailed Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis. The second witch called him the Thane of Cawdor and the third witch hailed him as the future King. Then turning to Banquo, the witches said that Banquo would be lesser than Macbeth yet greater, not so happy yet much happier, and he would be the father of future kings . Macbeth was amazed and puzzled at the prophecies and wondered how he could be the king when Duncan was living and having two sons to succeed him to the throne.
Q. ” Macbeth is more guided by his wife and less by his ambition “–Do you support this statement? Give reasons .
Ans:-Though this is the general perception that Macbeth is more guided by his wife and less by his ambition, we think this statement is far away from the truth . If Macbeth did not have strong ambition within, his wife could not have instigated him to commit the murder of Duncan. In fact, Macbeth was planning so from the moment he was hailed by the witches as the King of Scotland. Later in the play Macbeth kills Banquo, Macduff’s family and other people without any instigation from Lady Macbeth. He is remorseless and remains self assured of his indestructibility. Therefore, though Lady Macbeth was responsible, it was Macbeth’s ambition which guided him throughout.
Q.What role does the witches play in “Macbeth”?
Ans:-The witches play a very important role in “Macbeth”. Had they not been there, perhaps, Macbeth’s ambition of becoming the king would have remained suppressed in his heart. The witches act as a catalyst and increase Macbeth’s desire. It is because of the witches that Macbeth decides so early to plunge into criminality and realize his ambitions. The witches first make Macbeth hope, then give him the confidence only to lead him slowly and steadily towards his tragedy. But the witches cannot be held absolutely responsible for Macbeth’s fall. Unlike Banquo, Macbeth could not show the strength of character and falls prey to the dark desires of his mind.
Q.Describe in detail Macbeth’s experience when he goes to kill Duncan?
Ans:-When Macbeth goes to kill Duncan he experiences some of the most miserable moments of his life. He hallucinates and sees an air drawn dagger which is bloody. When he tries to get hold of the dagger, it vanishes into the air. Then as he murders Duncan, one of the grooms cry out “murder” and both the grooms wake up. They pray together and say “amen”. Macbeth also tries to say “amen”, but words would not come out from him. Then Macbeth hears( because of his heat oppressed brain) someone saying that Macbeth has murdered sleep and as a result Macbeth shall sleep no more. Facing all this nightmares, Macbeth returns to his wife.
Q.Why did Macbeth murder Banquo? How was Banquo murdered?
Ans:-Macbeth murdered Banquo because Macbeth knew that only Banquo was witness to what the witches said and had strong reasons to suspect and investigate Macbeth’s hand in the murder of Duncan. Moreover, Macbeth was also jealous of Banquo as the witches had foretold that many of Banquo’s successors would be kings. So to eliminate that chance, Macbeth wanted to kill Banquo and his son Fleance.
Macbeth invited Banquo to a banquet and hired three murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance on their way to the Banquet. The murderers attacked them but could manage to kill only Banquo while Fleance escaped.
Q.What role did Lady Macbeth play in the murder of Duncan?
Ans:-Lady Macbeth played a very important role in the murder of Duncan. Macbeth had his ambitions but was not bold enough to achieve it by murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth instigated him and successfully put pressure on him to kill the king. She did it by just using the valour off her tongue. Though she herself failed to stab Duncan as the sleeping old king resembled her dead father, she convinced Macbeth that he should go and do the job instead. They could then easily fix the blame on the grooms. So the planning of the murder and the way it was to be executed had come out from the mind of Lady Macbeth though Macbeth himself remains responsible for his crime.
Q.Narrate the fight between Macbeth and Macduff.
Ans:-Macbeth and Macduff fights each other towards the end of the play when the army of Malcolm, of which Macduff is a part, invades Scotland to dethrone and punish Macbeth. In the battlefield, Macbeth tries to avoid Macduff because of the Apparition’s warning where he was told to be “beware of Macduff”. But Macduff had many scores to settle with him and attacked him. Replying to Macbeth’s assertion, Macduff informs him that he was not of woman born and was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped off. Macbeth then realizes that his end was near but he carries on his fight with Macduff and gets killed in the battlefield in Macduff’s hands.
Q.Narrate the banquet scene in Macbeth.
Ans:-The Banquet Scene is an important part of the play “Macbeth”. The banquet is hosted by Macbeth to celebrate his accession to the throne. People attending the banquet was supposed to have allegiance for Macbeth. In the meantime Macbeth gets Banquo killed by hired murderers. In the banquet Macbeth complains about the absence of Banquo and questions his friendship. Suddenly Macbeth sees the blood smeared ghost of Banquo starts talking to him. He even challenges the ghost to fight with him. Nobody else sees the ghost, though. Fearing that Macbeth would reveal his crime in front of others, Lady Macbeth immediately orders dispersal of the crowd citing Macbeth’s illness.
Q.How did the witches deceive Macbeth through the apparitions they conjured in their second meeting with him?
Ans:-The witches deceived Macbeth in their second meeting through the apparitions. The second apparition told him that he would not be killed until the Birnam Woods come walking to Dunsinane and Macbeth was not to be killed by any man who was “woman born”. This was deception as the soldiers in Malcolm’s army cut down branches from the Birnam Wood and, holding them up, marched to Dunsinane to hide their actual numbers. It was also revealed that Macduff was not normally born. He was from his mother’s womb “untimely ripped”. Thus, the witches, through their equivocation, deceived Macbeth with statements that had double meaning.

Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day

► Shall I Compare Thee (William Shakespeare) :

Q. Give the substance of the poem “Sonnet 18 Shall I Compare Thee to a summer’s Day”.
Ans:-William Shakespeare praises the beauty of his dear friend Earl of Southampton . The poet believes that the beauty of his friend will never fade. The Swede buds of may can be blown down by the rough winds. The summer does not stay long. The sun shines either too hot or sometime becomes over clouded, so all the natural objects are subject to change and decay. But time and death will not fade the beauty of his friend. This sonnet will immortalise the beauty of his friend. His friend and his beauty will remain immortal to the readers of the sonnet. The friend of the poet gets lives and will live forever in this way.
Q.What does the poet compare this young person to? Identify at least three qualities that make the person superior to the simile.
Ans:-“Shall I Compare Thee to a summer’s day?” by William Shakespeare is a famous sonnet. In the sonnet Shakespeare compares the beauty of a young man, his friend to the day of the summer. But he is not sure about the appropriateness to this comparison because of at least three reasons. Firstly the day of the summer is lovely but the beauty of the youth is more enjoyable. He is more temperate, more gentle, more restrained than the day of the summer. Rough winds shake the sweet buds of the flower. Secondly summer stays very short period. The beauty of the youth will live for long. Thirdly the bright sunlight of the summer which would be dimmed is compared. But the beauty of his friend is compared as eternal summer which shall not fade. Death and Time cannot destroy the beauty of the youth.
Q.State the arguments in the octave and the sestet.
Ans:-In the Sonnet 18, Shakespeare pays the beauty of his young friend. In the Octave, he presents the superiority of the youth.He compares the beauty of his friend with the summer’s day which can be changed. Rough winds shake the sweet buds of the flower. The bright sunlight of the summer would be dimmed by clouds. The beauty of the nature decreases and stays for very short period. In the Sestet, Shakespeare established the superiority of the youth. The beauty of the youth is eternal. It shall not fade. The poet explains that his young friend will remain alive in the heart of the readers of this sonnet. The poet has a strong belief that this will remain forever.
Q.How is the described in the sonnet “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Ans:-Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 is one of the most famous sonnets. Here the poet describes the beauties of summer which is subject to change. In the summer the sweet buds are shaken by the rough winds. The sun shines brightly. But sometime the gold complexion of sun is dimmed by the passing clouds. The duration of summer in nature is very short. The beauty of the summer shall fade. Here he builds the image of his friend by comparing his beauty to the summer. Thus the nature of summer becomes rough and cruel. But the friend of the poet is mild, lovely and temperate.

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