Note :
1. These answers are put just to help you all ( students) to understand how to answer this section (Drama) of the question paper.
2. You all are encouraged to try writing your own answers.
Brainstorming
Page 149 and 150 pf the textbook of std XI ( Maharashtra state board)A1. There are some dialogues which are short, but....
Ans.
1. Back to the town is it ?
2. It's a pity we can't stop with you.
3. You'd be as wise as myself.
4. Am I as a great fool as I think I am ?
5. Is he as bad as that ?
6. Do you tell me so ?
7. But you wouldn't want to share the reward ?
8. You won't betray me....the friend of Granuaile.
( Find more such sentences from the lesson)
A2. Theme
i. Comment on the given statement...
a. And if we get him itself.....
Ans. We do not think about society at large when it comes to discharging our duties honestly. No matter how difficult the task be and whether appreciation comes our way or not , we still and must continue to fulfill our duties and not be affected by what people think and say. It may happen at times that we might see our own family and friends stand against us but we still got to perform our duties knowing when they come across our right intentions, they would again stand by our side.
( Note : There can be many such interpretations drawn for questions like these )
b. It is a pity some honest.....
Ans. It's a pity some honest man not to be better of that for an honest man who works really hard and if given a small amount for all his hard work would end up getting lured and attracted towards the rewards. The sergeant is justifying his willingness to get the reward for he calls himself honest and feels sad that he doesn't get paid as handsomely as he must get.
c. I wouldn't be in your shoes....
Ans. People generally fall victim to incentives but some people really stick to their values no matter what. They always remain honest and committed towards their work and cause and no amount of bribe and sweet talks can melt their hearts to become dishonest and betray their own self and the people who trust them. Here the man indirectly tries to convince Sergeant that for some meager reward he must not shift his loyalty toward the British
d. But when I saw a man in...
Ans. It's human to help others. Here the statement tells us that we all must help our fellow humans too who are in need instead of just being indifferent or wanting to help only when we get something in return. The man says this sentence when the Sergeant , though reluctant to share his reward with the man, asks him if he is keeping a good lookout to which the man replies that he is mad that he is a foolish man to keep a good watch with no rewards coming his way but adds that he can't see anyone in trouble and hence he is there to help Sergeant too.
ii. The priorities of the Sergeant...
Ans.
Priorities of Sergeant in the beginning
1. Law and duty
2. Reward and promotion
3. Honesty and loyalty towards his job
Priorities of Sergeant at the end of the play.
1. Patriotism
2. Freedom for his nation
3. Bravely helping a revolutionary and is ready to bear the consequences
iii. Find sentences from the play...
a. Loyalty in Irish Nationalism :
Ans.
1. Maybe Sergeant you will be on the side of the country yet.
2. I am a friend of Granuaile.
3. You won't betray me...a friend of Granuaile.
4. If other boys would have told you some plan....
b. Tension between different loyalties.
Ans.
1. It's a little we get but abuse from the people...
2. Maybe Sergeant it comes in your head....
3. But to think of a person like you....
4. Maybe it's one of the boys you used to be singing with....
A5. The description of the character is given below....
a. He is brave but irresponsible person.
Ans. The character is the Sergeant.
1. He is brave : I don't want it. Bring it with you.
He is irresponsible : Sergeant (after a pause)- no one.
Policeman B : Will we put up a notice here on the barrel ? ( No answer )
b. He is a major character. He dominates the story.
Ans. The character is the Sergeant.
1. Well , hurry on , you have plenty of other places....
2. Stop that noise.
3. Come back from those steps....
4. It's no business of yours what I think.
5. Be off the two of you , yourselves and your lantern.
iii. He is smart as well as brave
Ans. The character is the man/the ballad singer/the escaped prisoner/the revolutionary
1. If I tell you who I am, you would be as wise.....
2. There isn't man in Ireland who would have broken gaol....
3. Will you let me pass or must I make you....
4. I am. There is a hundred pounds on my head.
iv. He is the centre of the play.
Ans. The character is the man/the ballad singer/the escaped
1. You needn't ask me who I am ; that placard....
2. I am. There is a hundred....
v. He is obedient and simple.
Ans.The character is policemen B.
1. Would the barrel be a good place to put the placard?
2. Be off the two.....( They go out )
2. Did anyone come this way ?
3. No one at all ?
4. We have no orders from....
Extra Questions based on Elements of Drama ( more will be added )
Activities based on " The Rising of the Moon"
i. Charactersketch
A. The man (in disguise)Ans.The man in disguise/escaped rebel in "The Rising of the Moon" introduces himself to Sergeant as Jimmy Walsh - a poor singer who makes a living by selling Ballads.
In reality, he is a freedom fighter fighting to free his country from the clutches of British rule. Through the stories about him , it is revealed that he is very brave ( There isn't a man in Ireland...) , smart ( And maybe you're watchin...." , dangerous and intelligent as he very easily fools the Sergeant. In the end he surprises the audience by not using his combat skills to deal with the Sergeant.
B. Sergeant
Ans. The Sergeant in "The Rising of the Moon" is a major and complex character. He dominates the story and is a loyal and dutiful British officer who is an ordinary man looking forward to his promotion but surprises the audience with his bravery and patriotism when he decides to let the man in disguise escape at the cost of a great sacrifice on his part. He is a true patriot who is torn between his duty and loyalty towards foreign rule and his love for the nation and in the end he chooses his nation proving how bold he was.
ii. Explain the dialogue "Well. I will go. It's the poor...."
Ans. The man in the one act play " The Rising of the Moon" is quite intelligent, persuasive and determined. This dialogue is uttered by the man when the sergeant fails his repeated attempts to go towards the stairs. He does not give up and uses various tactics to influence and convince the sergeant. As he tries to sneak past the Sergeant, the Sergeant stops him and in order to gain the sympathy of the Sergeant, he states how hard it is to be poor and how society treats poor and how the Sergeant stopped him only because he is a poor ballad singer. But to his utter dismay, the Sergeant remains unfazed and strictly asks the man to leave.
iii. The Sergeant refers himself as a fool...give reasons.
Ans. After letting the man in disguise escape who the Sergeant could have easily caught and then got promoted , the Sergeant calls himself a fool knowing he could have got a huge reward for arresting the man in disguise/escaped prisoner. But this dialogue has more depth to it as the Sergeant involves the readers and asks them if they really think he was a fool which the readers definitely know that he wasn't. The readers applaud the brave move of the Sergeant as he chooses to help his nation over his duty towards a foreign rule.
iv. Justify that the title " The Rising of the Moon" has a symbolic meaning.
Ans. Lady Gregory's "The Rising of the Moon" takes it's title from a popular Irish rebel song of the same name. The song was a call to the Irish people to rise up against oppression. Hence the song compares the rising of the people to the rising of the moon. It denotes how light ( freedom for Irish People) will shine upon and darkness ( Oppression will end ) will go away. By giving this name to her play , Lady Gregory hopes for the freedom of Ireland from British rule.
v. The theme of the play in brief.
Ans. The theme of the play " The Rising of the Moon" is patriotism and unity among the people of Ireland to free their nation from the clutches of the British. The play , through folk songs and culture , specially focuses on this unity which might not be seen in words but lies deep down in the hearts of people of Ireland. The play beautifully explores this themse of united hearts of Ireland when the Sergeant lets go of his sense of duty and doesn't catch the escaped prisoner/the man/revolutionary.
vi. With respect to the setting of the play , interpret the dialogue "....when the small rise up and the big falls down..."
Ans. While reading the play , we understand that the British is in power and the Irish people are struggling to free from the oppression of the rulers and are at loggerheads with the power. When the Man sees Sergeant helped him escape , he utters this dialogue that when the small that is people of Ireland will rise in future and the big that is the British rule will fall , he would repay the favour of the Sergeant. He is grateful to the Sergeant and indirectly tells him that Ireland will soon be a free nation. The setting of the moon rising amidst complete darkness also signifies how the Moon with its light ( people of Ireland) would drive away the darkness ( the British rule ).
( answer can be written along this line.)
vii. The man brings about a change in the heart of the Sergeant.
Ans. The Sergeant, in the beginning, being a dutiful police is determined to catch the escaped prisoner/the man. But as the story moves forward, the man in disguise of a ballad singer tries to check whether the Sergeant is still on the side of people of Ireland. He starts singing patriotic songs to awaken feeling of patriotism in the heart of the Sergeant. Though the Sergeant warns him to not do so , the man continues to sing and deliberately sings one line wrong but the Sergeant , and surprisingly , corrects him immediately convincing the man that the Sergeant still has strong feeling of love for his mother motherland. He tries to remind Sergeant of his younger days when he would sing with his friends all those patriotic songs and how it would have been him who would have become an Irish revolutionary. Slowly the Sergeant is taken over by the strong urge to free his nation and this is where the change of heart happens for the Sergeant and he chooses his country over his duty.
More questions for practise...
1. The audience is pleasantly surprised to see actions of the Sergeant in the end.
2. Explain how the Sergeant and the man are on the same page.
3. " I am a poor ballad singer , your honour." State who said this dialogue to whom and explain its significance.
