Passage
Ferdinand
There be some sports are painful, and their labour
Delight in them sets off. Some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone; and most poor matters
Point to rich ends. This may mean task
Would be as heavy to me as odious, but
The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead,
And makes my labours pleasures. O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father’s crabbed,
And he’s composed of harshness. I must remove
Some thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction. My sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me works and says such baseness
Had never like executor. I forget;
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours
Most busiest when I do it.
(i) Who is Ferdinand ? Why is he carrying a log of wood?
Answer : Ferdinand is the son of Alonso, the king of Naples. In order to test his lover for Miranda Prospero has imprisoned him and assigned him the task of carrying logs of wood. Ferdinand does the task for the sake of Miranda whom he loves very much.
(ii) Explain : ‘Some kinds of baseness/ Are nobly undergone.’
Answer : Ferdinand admits that the task of carrying logs of woods is arduous and tiring but if we do any hard task out of love it becomes sweet. There are many poor jobs which yield rich results. He hopes that what he is doing now will give him some rich reward.
(iii) Why does Miranda weep on seeing Ferdinand carrying logs of wood?
Answer : Miranda is in deep and sincere love with Ferdinand. She is very sensitive. She is unable to stand the sight of his love doing such a dull and toilsome task as carrying logs of woods. So she weeps and remarks that such a work has never been done by so noble a person as he.
(iv) Who enter the scene immediately thereafter?
Answer : Miranda and Prospero (unseen by both Miranda and Ferdinand) enter the scene thereafter.
(v) How does Prospero respond?
Answer : Prospero sees Ferdinand and Miranda conversing. He watched both the lovers quietly and amusingly. He realises that Miranda’s coming to see Ferdinand shows that she is to love. He silently prays to God to bless their love.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) heavy (b) crabbed
Answer : (a) toilsome (b) ill-tempered
Passage
Miranda
Alas now, pray you,
Work not so hard. I would the lightning had
Burnt up those logs that you are enjoined to pile!
Pray set it down and rest you. When this burns,
‘Twill weep for having wearied you. My father
Is hard at study; pray, now, rest yourself.
He’s safe for these three hhours.
Ferdinand
O most dear mistress,
The sun will set before I shall discharge
What I must strive to do.
(i) What has happened to Ferdinand? Where is he now?
Answer : Ferdinand, the price of Naples, was in the ship. When a sudden storm struck it and the ship was about to sink, he leapt into the sea and sailed to Prospero’s island. When Miranda saw him she fell in love with him, as did Ferdinand. In order to test Ferdinand’s love for his daughter Prospero imprisoned him and assigned him the task of carrying heavy logs of wood.
(ii) How does Miranda react on seeing Ferdinand carry logs of wood?
Answer : Miranda feels very bad on seeing Ferdinand carry logs of wood. She weeps whenever she sees him do such an arduous tasks. She asks him not to work so hard. In her anger and desperation she wishes the lighting and burnt up those logs he was to lift and pile up.
(iii) What shows Miranda’s sincere love for Ferdinand?
Answer : Miranda’s sincere love for Ferdinand reveals itself in her desire that Ferdinand should not do such an arduous job as carrying logs of wood. She requests him to stop his work and rest as her father is sure not to come out for the next three hours.
(iv) What are both Miranda and Ferdinand unaware of?
Answer : Both Miranda and Ferdinand are unaware of the invisible presence of Prospero who is watching them from a distance.
(v) What impression do you form of Miranda?
Answer : Miranda is a sensitive soul. She is very loving and caring. Her intense love for Ferdinand is revealed by her request to Ferdinand to let her share his heavy task of carrying logs of wood.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage
(a) safe (b) discharge
Answer : (a) away (b) finish/complete
Passage
Ferdinand
Admir’d Miranda!
Indeed the top of admiration, worth
What’s dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have eyed with best regard, and many a time
Th’ harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear. For several virtues
Have I liked several women; never any
With so full soul but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
And put it to the foil – But you, O you,
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature’s best.
(i) Where is Ferdinand? What task has he to do?
Answer : Ferdinand is one part of Prospero’s island. He is under the control of Prospero. He has to do the task of carrying heavy logs of wood. He does the arduous work only for the sake of Miranda whom he loves sincerely.
(ii) How does Ferdinand express his love for Miranda?
Answer : Ferdinand looks upon Miranda as the most valuable treasure in the world. He minces no words in saying that he has been attracted by many women for one thing or the other but he has never been so completely possessed with love for any woman as Miranda. According to him, Miranda seems to combine in her the best virtues of all women.
(iii) How does Miranda respond to Ferdinand’s feelings of love?
Answer : Miranda is simple and straightforward. She is bold to tell Ferdinand that she is unaware of all faces other than her father’s. She has no desire for any other companion than Ferdinand, and that she does not want to visualize any other person than Ferdinand himself.
(iv) Where is Prospero at the moment?
Answer : Prospero is watching Ferdinand and Miranda, but is invisible to the lovers.
(v) Does Prospero agree to marry Miranda to Ferdinand? How?
Answer : After having assured himself that Miranda and Ferdinand love each other sincerely, Prospero releases Ferdinand from his duties and blesses the couple.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) regard (b) quarrel with
Answer : (a) attention (b) go against
Passage
Ferdinand
I am, in my condition,
A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;
(I would not so!) And would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer
The flesh-fly blow my mouth! Hear my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you did
My heart fly to your service, there resides,
To make me salve to it, and for your sake
Am I this patient log-man.
Miranda
Do you love me?
Ferdinand
O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound,
And crown what I profess with kind event
If I speak true; If hollowly, invert
What best is boded me to mischief! I,
Beyond all limit of what else i’th’ world,
Do love, prize, honour you.
(i) How has Miranda expressed her feelings of love for Ferdinand?
Answer : Miranda expresses her love for Ferdinand in a simple and straightforward manner. She says that she has never seen faces other than her fathers. She has no desire for any other companion than Ferdinand. She cannot see any other person whom she can like.
(ii) Explain : I would not so !
Answer : Ferdinand discloses to Miranda that he is a prince and possibly now a king. He has the fear in his mind that his father (Alonso) may have drowned in the stormy sea. He wishes that his father were alive.
(iii) What makes Miranda ask Ferdinand if he loves her?
Answer : When Miranda learns that Ferdinand is a prince or may be a king, she is not very much affected by the revelation. Her only concern is with his love for her. So she asks him plainly if he loves her.
(iv) How does Ferdinand assure Miranda of his love for her?
Answer : Ferdinand makes heaven and earth as witness to his love. He says that if his love for Miranda is true, his love should be rewarded with favourable results, and if not, the best of fortune in store for him be turned to evil.
(v) What impression do you form of Ferdinand?
Answer : Ferdinand is a gallant and pleasant young man. He is full of noble instincts and clean ideals. He emerges as the hero of a simple love affair. Like Miranda, he is innocent and simple hearted. He is not a Hamlet or Macbeth.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) condition (b) crown
Answer : (a) position (b) bless
Passage
Miranda
At mine unworthiness that dare not offer
What I desire to give, and much less take
What I shall die to want. But his is trifling,
And all the more it seeks to hide itself.
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning,
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I’ll die your maid. To be your fellow
You may deny me, but I’ll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.
(i) What has Ferdinand reveled about himself to Miranda?
Answer : Ferdinand has disclosed his true identity to Miranda. He tells her that he is a prince and if his father is not alive (though he wishes he should), he is also a king. He adds that he would no more endure this task of carrying logs than he would allow garbage flies to settle on his mouth.
(ii) Why does Miranda weep?
Answer : Miranda realizes that she is perhaps not worthy of being the wife of a prince or a king. Her unworthiness in her own eyes makes her weep.
(iii) How does she express her love?
Answer : Miranda gives up shyness and tells Ferdinand that she will be his wife is he marries her. But if he does not want to marry her she will remain unmarried for ever and keep loving him; and if he does not let her be his partner, she will be his servant, whether he likes it or not.
(iv) How does Ferdinand respond to her love later?
Answer : Ferdinand agrees to marry her with a heart as willing as that of a slave who desires freedom from slavery. He wastes no time in accepting her proposal.
(v) What do you think of Miranda?
Answer : Miranda’s childlike simplicity strikes us at once. She is unaware of any duplicity or maidenly arrogance. She expresses her love clearly and frankly. She is a picture of virtuous innocence and of confiding and generous love. Her love for Ferdinand shows a beautiful and trusting nature.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) trifling (b) deny
Answer : (a) idle talk (b) refuse