Passage
Stephano
Is it so brave a lass?
Caliban
Ay, lord; she will become thy bed, I warrant,
And bring thee forth brave brood.
Stephano
Monster, I will kill this man, his daughter and I
will be king and queen – save our graces – And
Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys. Dost thou
like the plot, Trinculo?
Trinculo
Excellent.
(i) What plan has Caliban made to get rid of Prospero? Why?
Answer : Caliban thinks that Stephano and Trinculo are heavenly spirits. So he requests Stephano to kill Prospero during his afternoon nap. He also asks him to burn Prospero’s books. He wants to get rid of Prospero because he hates him for snatching his island from him and making him his slave.
(ii) How does Caliban lure Stephano to kill Prospero?
Answer : Caliban, in order to lure Stephano, refers to Prospero’s beautiful daughter. After killing Prospero he can make his daughter his queen. Stephano who has really no interest in Caliban’s plot suddenly becomes interested when the mention of a beautiful girl is made to him.
(iii) What shows that Stephano is tempted by Caliban’s offer of kingship of the island?
Answer : It was customary to finish all functions with a herald’s proclamation, “God save the king and the queen!” Stephano acts as his own herald when he says, “save our graces” for the future king and queen of the island (Stephano and Miranda).
(iv) Who has heard the three villains plotting against Prospero? How does he defeat their plan?
Answer : It is Ariel who has heard the talk of the three men about the murder of Prospero. As he is invisible to the three, they do not know that their plan has already leaked. Ariel sings a song which attracts the three villains into stinking pond.
(v) What do you think of Stephano?
Answer : Stephano is a drunken butler. He is insincere and cowardly. He has no interest in Caliban’s plan. Once the bottles of wine are lost, he changes his tone to the shock of Caliban. He is nothing more than an untrustworthy drunkard and a worthless jester.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) brave (b) plot.
Answer : (a) fine (b) plan
Passage
Ariel
Thou liest; thou canst not.
Caliban
What a pied ninny’s this? Thou scurvy patch!
I do beseech thy greatness, give him blows,
And take his bottle from him. When that’s gone,
He shall drink nought but brine; for I’ll not show him
Where the quick freshes are.
Stephano
Trinculo, run into no further danger. Interrupting the
monster one word further, and, by this hand I’ll
turn my mercy out o’doors and make a stockfish of thee.
Trinculo
Why, what did I? I did nothing. I’ll go father off.
(i) What has Ariel heard about the murder of Prospero? What does he do?
Answer : Ariel has heard Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo plan about the murder of Prospero. In order to confuse them he, while remaining invisible, speaks in the voice of Trinculo.
(ii) What has Caliban said to infuriate Trinculo?
Answer : Caliban thinks that Trinculo is a worthless man and is a mere drunkard. He calls him a coward. This naturally infuriates Trinculo.
(iii) When does Ariel intervene to contract Caliban?
Answer : When Caliban says that he will hand over Prospero to him when he sleeps, Ariel, in the voice of Trinculo, intervenes and says that he (Caliban) is telling a lie.
(iv) How does Caliban react?
Answer : Caliban loses his temper calls Trinculo an impertinent fool in a multicolored attire. He calls him a dirty fellow. He asks Stephano to hit him and take away his bottle. He declares that he will have nothing but salt-water to drink.
(v) What is quite amusing about the situation?
Answer : The situation is contrived as to cause amusement. Ariel contradicts Caliban in the voice of Trinculo. Caliban begins to abuse Trinculo. Stephano takes side of Caliban and Trinculo is confused as to what he has done. This confusion is the source of humour here.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) pied ninny’s (b) yield.
Answer : (a) motley fools (b) hand over.
Passage
Caliban
Why, as I told thee, ’tis a custom with him
I’th’ afternoon to sleep. There thou mayst brain him,
Having first seized his books, or with a log
Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
Or cut his wezand with thy knife. Remember
First to possess his books, of without them
He’s but a sot, as I am, nor hath not
One spirit to command, they all do hate him
As rootedly as I. Burn but his books.
He has brave utensils, (for so he calls them)
Which, when he has a house, he’ll deck withal.
And that most deeply to consider is
The beauty of his daughter, he himself
Calls her a nonpareil. I never saw a woman,
But only Sycoraz may dam and she;
But she as far surpasseth Sycorax
As great’st does least.
(i) What has provoked Trinculo?
Answer : Caliban thinks that Trinculo has said that he was lying. Actually, it was Ariel who had spoken to Caliban in the voice of Trinculo. Caliban loses his cool and beings to abuse Trinculo. Trinculo denies the charge in anger.
(ii) What tells you of Caliban’s evil-mindedness?
Answer : Caliban is evil-minded. He knows that Stephano must be tempted to kill Prospero. So he refers to the beauty of Prospero’s daughter who, according to his limited knowledge of fair sex, surpasses Sycorax (his mother who was a witch) in beauty. He offers her as a bait to hook Stephano to do his bidding.
(iii) What tells you that Caliban knows how to get rid of Prospero?
Answer : Caliban, despite being a savage, knows that Prospero is powerful because of his books. So he wants Stephano to burn his books before trying to kill Prospero.
(iv) What frightens Stephano later in the context?
Answer : On Caliban’s bidding Stephano begins to sing a song. As soon as he begins, Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe. This tune frightens Stephano. Caliban ties to embolden him by dismissing Ariel’s tune as one of many noises that fill the island.
(iv) What proves later that Stephano and Trinculo are irritating, untrustworthy fellows?
Answer : Both Stephano and Trinculo are interested more in drinking than anything else. Their attraction for the ‘trumpery’ hung on a lime tree irritates even Caliban.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) custom (b) nonpareil
Answer : (a) habit (b) paragon of beauty
Passage
Caliban
Be not afeard. The isle is full of nises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices,
That if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again; and then in dreaming,
The clouds, methought, would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
I cried to dream again.
Stephano
This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I
shall have my music for nothing.
(i) Why is Stephano afraid?
Answer : Stephano starts singing a song. At the same time Ariel plays the tune on a tabor and pipe. As Ariel is invisible, the tune frightens Stephano. His fear is confirmed when he addresses the invisible being.
(ii) What does Caliban tell Stephano?
Answer : Caliban tells Stephano that the island is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give joy and are harmless. Most of these sounds and songs are produced by Ariel and other spirits controlled by Prospero.
(iii) What makes Stephano happy?
Answer : Stephano visualizes himself as the future king of the island. He feels that this will prove to be a great kingdom for him as he would get all the music free.
(iv) What do Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo do later in the scene?
Answer : All the three, Caliban , Stephano and Trinculo start following the sound of Ariel’s tune. Actually, Ariel is luring them to a stinking pool in order to teach them a lesson for conspiring against his master Prospero.
(v) How do Prospero’s spirits chase Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo?
Answer : Different spirits of Prospero in the form of dogs and hounds appear and hunt the three men. The spirits are goaded to chase them by the invisible Prospero and Ariel. Prospero orders the spirits to afflict them with stiffness and pain their joints. The three evil-doers cry in pain but they are shown no mercy by Prospero.
(vi) Give the meanings of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage:
(a) noises (b) twangling
Answer : (a) musical sounds (b) stringed