Answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40 words: (8)

(a) Who was Gogon Pakrashi? What did he preach Patol Babu?

(b) What prophecy does Antony make by the side of Caesar’s body?

(c) What did Jenkins want Hallock to do?

(d) Why do you think Patol Babu went away without taking any payment for his role?

(e) What message is conveyed through the poem Ozymandias?

a. Gogon Pakrashi was Patol Babu’s mentor. He said to Patol Babu to remember one thing that however small a part he is offered, he shouldn’t ever consider it beneath his dignity to accept it. These words influenced Patol Babu a lot and they helped him enact his role with confidence and determination. From these words, Patol Babu drew spirit, energy, inspiration and dignity to enact such a small role. He no more felt his role in the movie to be condescending.

b. Antony makes a prophecy besides Caeser’s body. Over Caeser’s wounds which like speechless mouths opened their red lips, as though to beg him to speak, Antony predicted that a curse would fall upon the bodies of men and fierce civil war would paralyse all of Italy. Blood and destruction will be so common and familiar that mothers will merely smile when their infants are cut to pieces but the hands of war. People’s capacity for sympathy will grow tired and weak from the sheer quantity of cruel deeds. And Caeser’s ghost searching for revenge with the goddess Ate by his side, just up from hell, will cry in the voice of a king ‘Havoc’ and unleash the dogs of war. This foul deed will stink up to the sky with men’s corpses which will beg to be buried.

c. Jenkins was the main head of the magazine for which Hallock used to write ghost stories. He had always called upon Hallock whenever he wanted a ghost story to be published in his magazine. John’s ghosts were live propositions as Jenkins called them. This time again Jenkins wanted Hallock to come up with another supernatural thriller which would give the readers horrors and that is what the public wanted too.

d. Patol Babu executed his part to perfection. He was given a small role but still wondered whether it would be appreciated by everyone or not. The film unit usually got hold of some people, made them do their parts and paid them a small amount without being bothered about the quality of performance. Although Patol Babu performed a small role, he felt that taking money for it would trivialise his performance. He was a true actor for whom creative satisfaction was foremost and not money.

e. The poem ‘Ozymandias’ conveys a message which explains the ultimate truth of human lives that nothing is important. Everything in this world is time-bound and not immortal. The immutability of time has been explained in this poem. The fact is that even an empire is a human creation that will one day pass away. The only things that live on are those passions, pride and cruelty of the King. The statue of Ozymandias symbolises political tyranny. The broken statue suggests that tyranny is temporary and that no one can hope to have lasting power or influence.