Class XI Sc English Drama 3

Hello ! I shall posting study material for English until Ms.M.C Singh gets her blog on the road - she has created her blog and she shall be posting lessons shortly. After that we shall post our study blogs every alternate days. That's to give you the opportunity to study the other subjects !

We shall be taking up the reading of the text from the time Sergius announces his arrival (shouts at Nicola to open the gate (pg.34) till the end of Shaw's introduction to him (top of page 36).

Before we start going through the matter for today, let's revise what we did yesterday :

1. Catherine had said to Paul "You are a barbarian at heart still" Why did she say that to him ?
2. They have been talking about hop " civilized" people behave. Which theme in the play does this discussion take forward ? How ?

Now, let's read :

• the conversation turns to Sergius - note how different Paul's opinion of Sergius is from Cathrine's. What does that say about Sergius ? What does it say about 'The Man' - he had expressed his opinions of Srgius quite frankly to Raina ? What has it to say about Catherine and what about Raina - especially in their ability to judge people. Who is objective and who isn't ?
• What does Paul mean by "over my head" ?
• Please note again the description that Shaw gives of Sergius - the physical description and the description of character. Most of this must be learnt off very well ! It will take quite some time for you to understand this character description - please take time to chew over it !
• Byronism refers to the romanticism, melancholy and melodramatic (energetic interpersonal emotions) energy of Bryon the early 18th century Romantic poet : George Gordon, Lord Byron.
• jejune : dull, uninteresting
• Childe Harold - a character in one of Byron's poems : Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

You could not do better than translate the description which Shaw has given of Sergius character in your own words ! Please do put pen to paper !