ARMS AND THE MAN COMIC ELEMENTS

“Arms and the Man” is not merely a farce but a true comedy. The purpose of a comedy is to ridicule and expose human or social folly or weakness and to drive that folly out of courts. Though there is ample of farcical, loud laughter in the play, but the laughter has a serous purpose and this differentiates the play from a mere farce. Shaw laughs, but his laughter has a serious purpose. Besides provoking mirth he also provokes thoughts.

Shaw is one of the greatest humorists in English literature the other humourist are Shakespeare and Dickens. However, Shaw’s is different from both Shakespeare and Dickens as his humour arises from the difference between instinctive conduct, or social institutions and social codes of conduct. This is Shaw’s contribution to the art of comedy.

“Arms and the Man” is rich in humour. There is enough of humour of characterin the play. Major Petkoff, Catherine Petkoff, Sergius and Captain Bluntschli are all humorous as in their thoughts, words and actions they are below the normal level. Catherine Petkoff’s pride in the electric bell, in two staircases and library is the rich sources of humour. The confusion of Catherine amuses us, as Bluntschli decides to stay with them as their guest while Catherine wants him to go away, at once, to avoid a disclosure of their sheltering Bluntschli. There is much fun and humour in the play, with Bluntschli’s carving for chocolate creams and shying like a frightened horse and nervous like a mouse. He creates loud laughter when he judges Raina to be a “school-girl of seventeen”, or when he lists the various items of his enormous wealth.

Nor is humour of situation lacking in the play. There is the very first scene in the bedroom of Raina. The humour arises from the conflict of the natural conduct of Bluntschli with the conventional conduct of Raina. He is an intruder, a fugitive and an enemy, whereas Raina is the daughter of one of the most influential man in Bulgaria. It is expected that he would be perturbed, while she would remain self-possessed. But the contrary happens. The instinctive Bluntschli, is self-possessed, while the lady, who has nothing but romance, is perturbed. Finally, the intruder converts the lady to her own point of view. Numerous other examples of the humour of situation may be easily cited from the play.

Shaw’s humour often verges on the farcical. The coat-episode, the photograph-episode, and the chocolate-cream episode are all sources of farcical humour. Shaw’s habit of deflating big names or giving people nicknames is another source of broad humour in his plays. Raina nicknames Bluntschli as, “chocolate-cream soldier”, because he loves to eat chocolates. 

“The higher love of Raina and Sergius, the military heroism of Sergius, the servility of Nicola and
his looking a fool and taking all the blame on himself are overdone and verge on the farcical”.

Shavian wit, too, are scattered all up and down the play. As Goad puts it: 

“Shaw revels in puns paradoxes, retorts and repartees”.

He has great skill in of saying fine sparkling things. Sometimes, Shaw’s wit is light and innocent, and at other times it has rapier-like thrust and is sharp and biting. When Petkoff returns from the front, Catherine proudly tells him that she has got fitted an electric bell in their home, because civilized people do not shout for their servants. At this Petkoff resorts,

“Civilized people do not hang out their washing to dry where visitors can see it so you would better have all that part somewhere else.”

But it is Petkoff, who gets the worst of it for Catherine silences him with her clever repartee, 

“I do not think really civilized people notice such things”.

When Sergius asks Louka,

“If you were in love with me, would you spy out of windows on me”,

Louka wittily replies,

“Well you see, Sir, Since you are half a dozen gentleman all at once, I shall have a great deal to look after”,

And Sergius is obliged to praise her, 

“Witty as well as pretty”.

Louka’s wit is sharp and biting when she retorts to Sergius,

“whatever clay I made of, you are made of the same”.

In Arms and the Man, Shaw’s intentions are comic and through the use of bathos or anti-climax he attains his intention. Sergius and Raina become comic figures, as the hollowness of their romantic love, and their romantic attitudes and poses are exposed and the essential inner self is revealed. Both come down to the level of Louka and Bluntschli.

Shaw shows that war is not heroic, but something horrible and brutal; soldiers are not heroes but fools and cowards, who fight only because they are bound to fight. Sergius’ heroic victory appears in a comic light, when it is discovered that he could win only because that Serbian gunmen had the wrong ammunition with them. 

“…he ought to be courtmartialled for it.… He and his regiment simply committed suicide – only the pistol missed fire.”

Sergius makes love to Louka soon after ‘the higher love scene’. Similarly, Raina wishes to scandalize Sergius, and half wishes that he should find out about her having sheltered in her bedroom her chocolate-cream soldier.

Thus Shaw has demonstrated the folly of romantic ideals of love and war, his purpose in writing the plays. He has provided ample of fun and humour for his readers and audience, but he has also achieved his serious purpose.

XI WK BK PGS 60 TO 62

8 (i) : The Man was Swiss. He was wearing a Serbian uniform as he was a mercenary in the Serbian army. He had joined the Serbian army as they were the first group who had sought his services. The Serbs had been engaged in a war with the Bulgarians and he was in one of the Serbian artillery regiments - the one which was attacked and defeated by Sergius' cavalry regiment. having been defeated, he had scattered with many of the others in his regiment and thus, he was still wearing the Serbian uniform though it was in a pathetic state.

(ii) : The man says that he will be killed by the waves of Bulgarian soldiers and Bulgarian civilians who are pursuing the Serbian soldiers who after their defeat in the Battle at Slivnitza had fled through the Dragoman pass and come into the town. The Bulgarian soldiers and civilians wanted to complete the job that was not completed at Slivnitza by the Bulgarian army - the Bulgarians hated the Serbians, who were their enemies.

(iii) : The man says that he does not want to be killed because he claims that it is the duty of each soldier to live as long as he can. It tells us that the man is very practical. He realizes that dead soldiers are no use to an army, whereas live ones who can fight for their country are useful. However, Raina, in her romanticism, thinks that he is a coward and afraid to die.

(iv) : (a) : It is our duty to live as long as we can : means that soldiers are expected not to waste their lives and and take all the necessary means to protect their lives and to continue to serve the army. It does not mean that they should not be courageous. However, it does mean that they should not be suicidal.
         (b) : I'll fight like a demon means that 'The Man' will face the probability of the Bulgarians forcing their way into Raina's room to capture or kill him with daring. He will defend himself to the death. He will also inflict as much hurt or even kill some of the enemy should they attempt to capture or kill him. To this end he unsheathes his sabre.

(v) : The man is referring to the wild Bulgarian soldiers and the blood-thirsty Bulgarian civilians pursuing the defeated Serbian fugitives. When Louka comes in she describes them as "so wild and drunk and furious".
         Raina had been prepared for the night. She had actually been in bed when the man had entered her room and thus she was clothed only in her night dress. Her mantle of furs was on the ottoman. The Man realises that Raina would not want to open her doors to men who were drunk and furious and wild and who could take advantage off a woman who they saw dressed as she was. Thus the man takes her cloak and tells her that it will be up to her to keep his pursuers away from him. He also tries and makes her feel vulnerable by harping on the word "undress".

(vi) : 'The Man' is definitely reveals himself to be the realist here and Raina is the idealist.
         I say that he is a realist, because he makes no effort to hide the truth of what happen if the Bulgarian soldiers who have been pursuing him catch up with him. He is also a realist when he says that it is a soldiers duty to live as long as he can. as an army needs soldiers to fight a war and while he does not subscribe to soldiers being cowards and running away from danger, we sense that he wishes to state that soldiers are not meant to be suicidal. He is also a realist when he warns her about the state in which the pursuing soldiers and mob will be - later Louka, supports his words when she describes them as "wild and drunk and furious". 

XII AATM WK BK PGS 192 TO 194

7 (i) : "Bluntschli is referring to the lie that Raina is protesting she had told for Bluntschli's sake.
          Her expression had indicated that in telling the lie she had done violence to nature. She protests her honesty remonstrating that she has only two lies in her whole life and that was only for Bluntschli's sake - to save his life when it was in grave danger.

    (ii) : According to Bluntschli, the two things which happen to a soldier so often are that he hears people telling lies so often that it doesn't surprise him. The second thing which happens to a soldier very often is that many different people save him in so many different circumstances and that it is so common that he cannot be expected to remember each time that this happened or the persons who had saved him.

   (iii) : Bluntschli says that a soldier "thinks nothing of them" because he says that these experiences (hearing people tell lies and having the experience of people saving him) are so common place in his life that each incident and person cannot be remembered.
            Bluntschli romanticizes was and soldier-ship in this play. He may seem without any moral code and ungrateful in making such a statement, but he is merely stating that common place happenings in our life are not remembered in their detail.

(iv) : According to Raina, if what Bluntschli has said about soldiers in the passage is true, then soldiers as a result of their experience in the army and battle become people incapable of faith and gratitude.
          This would happen to soldiers because their constant exposure to lies and being saved by all sorts of people all the time all the time results, according to Bluntschli, in them insensitive to people telling lies and forgetful of the occasions and the persons who had saved them.

(v) : "if pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to the other thing" is the comment Bluntschli makes to comment on gratitude, which he says he doesn't like. Thus we can take it that Bluntschli does not think highly of gratitude. He believe that we pity those we love and that we express gratitude to somone we do not have real affection for but we express our thanks because it is expected of people with good behaviour to express their thankfulness for a good done to the. Thus gratitude is a type of artificial behaviour.

(vi) : Raina expects that people live up to their ideals e.g. honesty, when she knows that "life is seldom ever like that, indeed, never" as she had said earlier. Yet she feigns a totally honest attitude for fear that others may not think highly of her otherwise.
        On the other hand Bluntschli is very frank and realistic. He openly states slightly later "I'm quite a straightforward an myself; but it wouldn't last me a whole morning". He thus emphasizes by an exaggeration that realistically we expect people to compromise on the truth, especially if doesn't harm another person or if it could protect someone.

XI WK BK PGS 58 TO 60

7 (i) : 'The Man' whose voice is heard in this extract is one of the soldiers from the artillery regiment which Sergius' cavalry regiment had defeated and scatter "like chaff" at the battle of Slivnitza.  'The Man' had, with other Serbian soldiers fled from the battlefield, through the Dragoman pass and had come into the town where the Petkoff's home was. He had in desperation climbed up a pipe into the the balcony of Raina's room and had entered her room. Later we will hear that 'The Man' is a Swiss national and that his name is Bluntschli.

  (ii) : Raina is in her room.
          Since it is night Raina has been reading a paper-backed book before going to sleep. She had been out on the balcony admiring the beauty of the night, but when Louka came and warned her mother and herself of the possible entry of fugitives into the town and of firing, thee windows had been closed. Raina had adored the picture of Sergius and then started reading before she heard the sound of shooting. She had then put off the light.

   (iii) : 'The Man' threatens Raina not to "raise" her voice - meaning that she should not call out for help or in fright so as to alert the household of his presence. He threatened her by saying "my revolver will go off", i.e. that he will shoot her.

   (iv) : Raina listens to 'The Man' and does not call out.
            Raina does not call out as she does not know who it is who has entered her room and she is probably afraid of being killed should she scream in fright or to alert the household.

   (v) : We soon find out that 'The Man' throws down the revolver in favour of Raina's cloak as a better means of protecting himself against those who would like to kill or capture him. He informs Raina that the revolver is not loaded and that it was useless as it was not loaded and that he had no cartridges for it. The revolver is left on the ottoman and remains there when the Russian officer comes in to check the room and balcony for the Serbian soldier who was seen climbing the pipe into Raina's room. Neither the Russian Officer nor Catherine had seen the revolver on the ottoman. The only person who had seen it had been Louka, who immediately sensed that Raina was hiding someone.
          The incident tells us that 'The Man' is clever enough to use the empty revolver to threaten Raina. However, his not carrying cartridges and carrying chocolate instead makes us wander what type of a soldier he is. However, we later find that he is a very pragmatic person, is quite courageous and very skilled in the art of war and is a professional soldier - a mercenary. 

XI WK BK PGS 56 TO 58

(i) : Louka is the maid-servant in the Petkoff home.
       Louka asks Catherine and Raina to close all the windows as she did not want a bullet from a gun being fired in the streets by either the fleeing Serbian soldiers or the pursuing Bulgarian soldiers of the townspeople, entering the house and injuring either one of the occupants or destroying the home and its contents. She may also have wanted the home to be secure against fugitives seeking refuge in the house.

(ii) : The Serbs were being chased by the Bulgarian cavalry after Sergius' regiment had routed them at the battle of Slivnitza and scattered them "like chaff". They were also being chased by the towns people and local Bulgarians.
        The defeated and fleeing Serbian soldiers were being chased because Bulgarians wanted to push home their advantage of their defeat in the battle of Slivnitza and either kill all of the enemy or take them prisoner.
        The fleeing Serbian soldiers were likely to enter the town in which the Petkoff's lived because after being defeated at the battle of Slivnitza, some of the Serbian soldiers had fled through the Dragoman pass and this town was near it (so we are told in the introduction to Act 1).

(iii) : Catherine wants to ensure that her home is made secure against the fleeing Serbs and the Bulgarian soldiers and people pursuing them and from damage by bullets. Thus, as her maid servant Louka is securing Raina's room, she is rushing to the lower part of the house to make it safe.
          The characteristic trait of Catherine which is referred to in this extract are her "housekeeping instincts". This trait refers to to her natural inclination to ensure that all is done so as to create a suitable home for her family. Catherine's promptness to do so also shows that she is is a proactive person - she was described as "energetic" by the dramatist in his introduction to her.

(iv) : The "wretched fugitives" are the defeated and fleeing Serbian soldiers.
         Raina feels that there is no glory in killing them because Raina is a romantic person at heart. She sees soldiers and war as a patriotic and chivalrous undertaking. Thus killing defeated and outnumbered enemy soldiers who would not be able to to defend themselves is not in keeping with her "heroic ideas".

(v) : This extract creates suspense in the play as it introduces an unexpected event. The action seemed all but over with the end of the war at Slivnitza which would see to the return of Paul and Sergius who had been at the war and we would have expeced the marriage of Raina and Sergius to take place now that Sergius had proved himself by being the hero of the battle at Slivnitza. But the complication of fugitives entering the town brings the probability of another danger threatening to anticipated happiness of Raina.

CLASS 12 WK BK PG 190 TO 192

(i) : Raina asks Bluntschli to be serious as she had been telling Bluntschli that the "particular friend", whom we later learn is named Stolz, had told Sergius and Paul about Catherine and Raina having given Blunstschli refuge in their home. Bluntschli does not seem to be overly concerned about the impact the story would have on Sergius and Paul and merely pretends concern. When Raina had told Bluntschli that Sergius would challenge him to a duel and kill him he replies "Bless me ! Than don't tell him" - i.e. then don't tell Sergius that the man given refuge is none other than Bluntschli.
       Raina says that she cannot deceive Sergius. Raina is acting out with that "noble attitude" and "thrilling voice" with which she has deceived so many persons and with which she presently pretends and acts out the "higher love" to Sergius.

(ii) : In this extract Raina says "I want to be quite perfect with Sergius : no meanness, no smallness, no deceit. My relation to him is the one really beautiful and noble part of my life." Raina in this extract continues to put on the "noble attitude", of "higher love" which she had recently been acting out with Sergius after they were left alone for the first time since Sergius' return from the war. But we know that this disposition is a pretense. She had further asked Bluntschli "can you realise what it is to me to deceive him?" - yet she had not only given refuge to Bluntschli (the enemy), which at best we could consider to be the result of her compassionate nature, but she had also kept a portrait of herself in his pocket with the words ""Raina, to her chocolate cream soldier : a souvenir" - which is quite deceitful. However, we could excuse Raina's mixed communications as the reactions of a young lady torn in her emotions between a man whom she had hero-worshiped and a man whom she felt completely at ease in relating to.

(iii) : Raina would not like Sergius to find out the truth of the story invented by her about the 'chocolate cream soldier' because if Sergius found out that that story was not true, he would want to know what had caused Raina to make that exclamation when she entered the garden shortly after Bluntschli's arrival. He would probably then know that Raina had addressed Bluntschli as the 'chocolate cream soldier' and he might break off his engagement with Raina. The break off of the engagement might cause bitterness between the Saranoffs and the Petkoffs.

(iv) : Raina says that she had only told lies twice in her entire life.
         She says that she told the first lie to the Russian officer who had come to s3earch her room for the Serbian soldier who had been seen climbing onto her balcony. Raina had told the lie that she had seen no Serb and that she was sure that no one had entered her room, in roder to save Bluntschli.
         Raina says that she told the second lie - excusing her exclamation "Oh ! the chocolate cream soldier !" as an expression of her disappointment that Nicola had destroyed the beautiful ornament she had made for an ice pudding - in order as it is said here in the quote - to save Bluntschli's life.She says she made the escuse so that Sergius would not find out that Bluntschli was the 'chocolate cream soldeir' and thus challenge him to a duel for attempting to rob him of his fiance, a duel which might end in, she fears, Bluntschli being killed.

(v) : I believe that Raina has been confused regarding her true feelings regarding Sergius ever since 'The man' / Bluntschli came on the scene. While her relationship with Sergius carries on an artificial way of behaviour she has carried on with since her childhood, she has now met a person whom she has true affection for - not worshiping him or calling him her Lord, king and hero, but using words which capture her affection - "the poor darling" / 'chocolate cream soldier". Raina carries on with the pretence that she is still in love with Sergius and takes her engagement to him seriously until she is sure that Bluntschli will be truly hers.

XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 8

Raina, let alone..... feelings that are beyond all expression

(a) : Who had left Raina alone ? Why ? (1)
        Raina had been left alone in her room by her mother and Louka who had followed Catherine after she had shown Raina how to keep the windows opened if she wanted to. Catherine had left Raina's room after she had hear from Louka that there may be firing in the streets of their town. Catherine's housekeeping instincts being aroused she went down to see that the house was secured. Louka as a servant had followed Catherine to help her.

(b) : What description have we been given of Raina's fur coat ? (2)
        We have been told that Raina's fur coat is a long mantle of furs, worth, on a moderate estimate, about three times the furniture of the room. The description of the fur coat tells us that Raina's parents spend a lot of money on her - she is very special to them.

(c) : From which country is an "ottoman"  a typical piece of furniture ? What comment had the dramatist made, in the introduction to Act 1, about the native and foreign articles in Raina's room ? (2)
        An "ottoman" is a typical piece of Turkish furniture.
        The dramatist had noted that there were a combination of Bulgarian and foreign articles in the room. He notes that "It is half rich Bulgarian, half cheap Viennese" and that "all the ornamental textile fabrics ...are oriental and gorgeous; the paper on the walls is occidental and paltry".

(d) : What are we told in the introduction to Act 1, covers the chest of drawers and what articles lie on top of it ? (2)
        In the introduction to Act 1, we are told that is covered by a "variegated native cloth" that is a typical Bulgarian multi-coloured cloth .
        On the chest of drawers there is a pile of paper backed novels, a box of chocolate creams, a miniature easel with a large photograph. There is also a lit candle on the chest of drawers.

(e) : Whose portrait does Raina adore ? Why ? (1)
        Raina adores the portrait of Sergius.
        Raina adores Sergius portrait in awe of the man who is soon to be her husband, now that all her doubts about him being a suitable husband for her have been removed. She also adores the portrait in "worship" of the hero who led her nation to victory in the Battle of Slivnitza where he showed remarkable patriotism, courage and daring.

(f) : What description of the portrait have we been given in the introduction to Act 1 ? (2)
       In the introduction to Act 1, we have been told that the portrait is "large", and that is of "an extremely handsome officer, whose lofty bearing and magnetic glance" has been well depicted. 

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 7

Sergius (stiffening indignantly) I'll say so....Petkoff : They'll be far more frightened of you than of me

(a) : What had Sergius been asked to do just before this given quotation ? (2)
        Major Paul Petkoff and Sergius had been delighted that Bluntschli had come to the Petkoff home and had persuaded him to help them with deciding on how to send three cavalry regiments to Philippopolis as they could not find a route which would provide the horses with sufficient fodder. Bluntschli had practically done all the work of deciding on the route the regiments would take and in drawing up the required orders to ensure their progress. The orders had been signed by Sergius and when all the paper work had been completed,
       Bluntschli had asked Sergius to see that the couriers (whichever soldiers were to deliver the letters containing the orders) take the letters and start off at once. Sergius was to show the couriers the time by which they were to have the respective letters handed in. The couriers were to be warned not to delay.

(b) : Why did Sergius think that they would think that he would be "insulting" them ? (1)
        Sergius thought that as he would convey the message, Bluntschli had told him to, to the soldiers in such a threatening manner ("if they're five minutes late, they'll have the skin taken off their backs"), that the couriers (the soldiers who were going to deliver the letters with the orders) may be offended (spit in his face) by the tone in which they were given their instructions and in the threats to them.

(c) : What opinion does Bluntschli seem to have of Sergius, from your reading of this passage ? (1)
        From my reading of this passage, and particularly from the part where Bluntschli requests Petkoff to go after Sergius and ensure that Sergius talks to the soldiers "properly", that he does not have much faith in Sergius' ability to convey the seriousness and urgency of the orders to the soldiers. I think Bluntschli was afraid that Sergius would take his words literally and offend the soldiers rather than convey the haste and responsibility of their mission.

(d) : Why does Petkoff speak "officiously" and "go to the door importantly" ? (1)
        Petkoff had been sitting, relaxing and having no role to play in getting the orders written and signed for sending the three cavalry regiments to Philippopolis. He had interrupted the work frequently expressing his desire to have something useful to do, to no avail. He is ectreemly pleased and feels useful to have at last something to do in an assignment which was after all, his responsibility. He thus puts on the air of someone who has something very important to do (officiously) and walks in the manner of someone of some status.

(e) : What does Petkoff's hesitation and his calling on Catherine tell you about his personality ? (1.5)
        Petkoff might be the highest ranking Bulgarian officer in the Bulgarian army, but he seems to be dominated by Catherine's presence when he is in close proximity with her. Petkoff seems to have a firm faith in Catherine's ability to command and see a difficult situation through and Catherine has got used to taking charge and even speaking on behalf of her husband. Petkoff does seem at all put off by Catherine's dominance, but feels quite content to let her take charge.

(f) : What does Petkoff's calling on Catherine tell you about her ? (1.5)
       Petkoff's calling on Catherine to convey to the soldiers the true spirit in which they should carry out their orders on the basis that they would be more scared of her than her husband, tells us that Catherine has a dominating personality. We also saw that when the pursuing soldiers and the clamouring crowd came to the house, they ignored Nicola but fell quiet when Catherine addressed them.

(g) : What comment had Bluntschli to make immediately after this passage in response to the behaviour noted here ? (2)
        In response to Petkoff calling on his wife to convey the urgency of their work to the soldiers, Bluntschli exclaimed in critical disbelief at the unfortunate state of the Bulgarian army which makes cannons out of cherry trees (referring to the poor quality of their cannons, which do not last in battle) and the officers "send for their wives to keep discipline" ! - a comment which criticizes the ability of the Bulgarian army officers.
       

XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 7

Catherine (businesslike, her housekeeping instincts aroused)...Raina : ...not so cruel.

(a) : What description of Catherine's character have we been given by the dramatist at the beginning of the play ? Is the present description of her in keeping with her character ? How ? (2 + 1)
        In the introduction of the play, George Bernard Shaw, gives us the following description of Catherine's character "a woman over forty, imperiously energetic......who might be a very splendid specimen of the wife of a mountain farmer, but is determined to be a Viennese lady". In this description the dramatist highlights pro-active, quite dominating nature and her keenness to enhance her social status - to prove to thew world that she is a genteel person of high social standing.
       The above description is in keeping with the present description of Catherine especially with the word "businesslike" - on hearing that there may be fugitives running through the town she immediately takes matters into her own hands rather than just giving orders to her servants. In the comment "her housekeeping instincts aroused" our description of her character increases and we know that she is a responsible and caring mother and homemaker.

(b) : Explain "housekeeping instincts" (1)
        "Housekeeping instincts" refer to the natural (instincts) tendency to care for the home and that all that goes in creating a safe, comfortable and wholesome residence for a family (household). These "instincts" have traditionally been expeccted of good housewives and mothers.

(c) : "safe" - what threat did Catherine and Raina expect to their safety ? (3)
        Catherine and Raina had been informed by Louka who had rushed up to Raina's room in a panic, that the house needed to be secured against possible shooting in the streets of their town as the Serbs who had been defeated had been chased through the Dragoman pass and could come through the town. It was expected that the Bulgarian cavalry and the towns people would be after the fleeing Serbian soldiers in an attempt to capture or kill them.
        Catherine was thus going to the ground floor of the house to secure the windows and doors aganist any possible entry of the enemy into that area of the house, in the same way as Raina had closed the door / window leading out to Raina's balcony.

(d) : Who is Raina referring to when she mentions "our people" ? (2)
        When Raina mentions "our people" she is referring to their towns people who, now that the defeated Serbian soldiers are fleeing through their town and are being chased by the Bulgarian cavalry, will see it as their duty to join their soldiers in capturing or killing the enemy soldiers.

(e) : In what way were the "people" being "cruel" ? (1)
        Raina considers that it is cruel to kill enemy soldiers (Serbs) who had already been defeated and who were running through their enemies territory and being confronted by hostile and violent people who were filled with hatred for them and were as keen as the Bulgarian soldiers to kill them. Those fugitives had no chance against the Bulgarian army and population. Thus is would not be fair and thus cruel to kill people who were practically defenseless.
         

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 6

Catherine : That's what I would have done..........Petkoff : The whole Austrian Empire first

(a) : What are Catherine and Petkoff discussing ? (1)

        Catherine and her husband Major Paul Petkoff are discussing the The Treaty which the Bulgarians have made with the Serbs at Bucharest. Catherine had been outraged when she had hear that the treat declared peace with their enemies. Major Paul Petkoff who is very pleased to be back home is trying to convince her that the arrangement was the most beneficial that could be made.

(b) : What would Catherine have done ? (2)

        Catherine says that rather than making a peace treaty with the Serbs and the Austrians, she would have annexed Serbia to Bulgaria and made Prince Alexander , Emperor of the Balkans. 

(c) : What other reason did Petkoff give for not having taken the course that Catherine had suggested ? (2)

      Besides stating that if he had to do what Catherine had suggested he would have to overcome the whole Austrian empire in addition to defeating the Serbs, Petkoff also said that that full action would have kept him away from Catherine for far too long and that he had missed Catherine showing that he wanted to come back home to her at the earliest. Petkoff says this as he knows his wife and knows how to bring an end to the present disagreement. Petkoff had also mentioned earlier that those who had brokered the agreement hadn't ask for his opinion on the matter !

(d) : What effect had that reasoning on Catherine ? (1)

        When Catherine heard that Petkoff had missed her and wanted to come back home to her, Catherine relented and stretched her hand affectionately across the table to squeeze Petkoff's hand. It also stopped Catherine continuing with the argument.

(e) : What does this short interaction tell you about the personality of Petkoff ? (2)

        This interaction tells us that Petkoff is a very practical and down to earth person. He realises that in the scheme of things, though his family may think that he "holds the highest command of any Bulgarian" in the Bulgarian army, he knows that the Russian officers make all the significant decisions. 

        Secondly, the episode tells us that Petkoff knows his wife well and knows how susceptible she is to his charming - thus he uses that charm by telling her how much he missed her and asking about he health. This reveals how clever Petkoff can be.

(f) : What does this short interaction tell you about Catherine ? (2)

       This short interaction firstly tells us is that Catherine is very hawkish in her patriotism. She is aggressive and resentful when it comes to the Serbs and Austrians - the enemies of her country. She is also fiercely patriotic and seeks the dominance of her country and King over the others.

        It also reveals that to us that Catherine is susceptible to flattery and charm. She immediately drops her outrage at the peace treaty with the Serbs when Paul tells her how much he missed her.

XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 6

Catherine : Oh, if you only have a drop of Bulgarian blood.........I am so happy ! So proud !

(a) : Who are Raina and Catherine talking about ? (1)
        Catherine and Raina are talking about Sergius, the hero of the battle at Slivnitza who was also Raina's fiance and in whom Raina had had doubts regarding his suitability as a husband as a a soldier before she had heard of how he had proved himself at Slivnitza.

(b) : What does Catherine mean when she says "if you have a drop of Bulgarian blood in your veins" ?  (1)
        Catherine is admonishing Raina for not being a patriotic Bulgarian when she says "if you had a drop of Bulgarian blood in your veins".

(c) : Where will "he" be coming back to ? Why ? (2)
        Sergius will be coming back to meet Raina as he is betrothed to her and it was only the war which had delayed their marriage.

(d) : Exclaim the word "acclamations". Why were the "whole army" acclaiming him ? (1 + 2)
        "acclamations" mean loud praise. The whole Bulgarian army were praising Sergius for leading their country to victory over the Serbs in the battle at Slivnitza. Sergius had shown exceptional daring, courage and patriotism (though other would say he behaved suicidal) in personally leading his cavalry regiment in a charge against the Serbian artillery, when the Russian commanders seemed hesitant to do so.

(e) : Why is the whole army described as "heroes" ? (1)
       The whole army is described as "heroes" because Catherine is very pleased with the Bulgarian army for gaining victory over the Serbs. She is particularly referring to the cavalry regiment led by Sergius, who followed their daring and patriotic leader and attacked the Serbian artillery regiment as courageously as their leader. Catherine had described those soldiers having "flashing eyes, "thundering down like and avalanche and scattering" their enemy.

(f) : Why does Raina consider that her worship will be poor compared to the worship of others ? (1)
       Raina considers that her "worship" or praise of Sergius will be poor compared with the worship of others as she feels guilty that she had doubted the abilities of Sergius as a soldier and of a husband who would be true to himself, whereas others had trusted him and had put their lives on the line and followed him and thus their praise of Sergius would ring more true than hers.

(g) : Why is Raina proud and happy ? (1)
        Raina is proud and happy as with the news of how heroic Sergius had been and that he had proved that he was an outstanding soldier and that he had proved that he was just as good as he looked to be, all her doubts about him had been put to rest. She was proud of the victory he had won for this country and she was happy that she was to be married to one who would be true to her. Later, for the same reasons she will say that "this is the happiest night of my life".

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 5

Nicola : I know things about Raina..........Well, take my advice....."
(a) : What things did Nicola know about Raina that would break off her match with Sergius ? (2)
       The things which Nicola knew that could cause Sergius to break off the match with Raina were the facts that Raina had did an enemy soldier in her room; a soldier from the very regiment that Sergius had attacked and defeated. Raina had protected the enemy soldier from the pursuing Bulgarian soldiers and their Russian officer who had come to check her room. Raina and her mother had allowed the enemy soldier to rest in Raina;'s bed and had ensured that he would not be caught, by disguising him the Paul Petkoff's old coat when he went off the following morning.

(b) : Explain, in the context, "turning on him". (1)
        The phrase "turning on him" does not only mean to literally turn towards the other person, but to speak to the other person in an agressive or angry manner. Thus, Louka, thinking that only she knew what had happened the night the enemy soldier was given refuge in Raina's room, speaks to Nicola in surprise and shock as she had thought that she alone knew about this matter.

(c) : What advice did Nicola give Louka ? (2)
        Nicla advised Louka to "mend" her :"manners" and always be respectful in her speech to their master and mistresses. He further told her that as servants in the household it was expected that family confidences were always to be kept and that their employers should have no doubt whatsoever their family confidences would be safe with their servants. Thus she was told to "hold your tongue and serve the family faithfully".

(d) : Why, according to Nicola, was his advice practicable ? (2)
        According to Nicola the "secret of success in service" and making the "most out of" the people they serve was to be respectful and to be faithful to their masters. Thus Nicola was faithful and hoped that when he had enough money and opened a shop in Sofia, his present master and mistresses would not only patronise the establishment but would also encourage their wealthy friends to also do so, making him successful.

(e) : Did Louka agree with Nicola ? Why ? (2)
        No, Louka did not agree with Nicola because as later, even Nicola acknowledges that Louka has "a soul above her station" - that is, she believes that her work does not make her inferior to those she serves. Louka is thus, "defiant" and "almost insolent" to Raina and even with Catherine "goes as far as her dares". Louka has been bold enough to compete with Raina for the hand of Sergius in marriage. Louka is a strong character and struggles against the odds to achieve her dreams.

(f) : What does this interaction tell you about the relationship between Nicola and Louka ? (1)
       The interaction in this opening scene in Act 2, tells us that Louka and Nicola are hardly a compatible couple. Louka scorns Nicola accusing him of having the "soul of a servant". Louka on the other hand by determining to continue with her disrespectful behaviour "I do defy her. I will defy her" would probably ruin Nicola's plans. 

XI 1ST TERM PG 5

Catherine (entering hastily......Heaven's child !
(a) ; Who is Catherine ? (2)
        Catherine is Raina's mother and the wife of Major Paul Petkoff. They are a Bulgarian family. Paul is off at the war the Bulgarians are fighting against the Serbs.
        Catherine, we are told by George Bernard Shaw, is a "woman over forty", whose most outstanding trait is that she is "imperiously energetic". She is also very concerned her social status and does all she can to pass off as a Viennese lady "and to that end she wears a fashionable tea gown on all occasions".

(b) : Give a detailed account of the news that Catherine has brought. (4)
        Catherine has come to Raina's room and is excited to give Raina the news she has received from her husband. She informs Raina that the Bulgarians have fought a battle with the Serbs at Slivnitza and won. She is proud to note that it was Sergius, the fiance she had chosen for her daughter, Raina, who had led the Bulgarians to victory and that Sergius is the "hero of the hour and the idol" of his regiment. Her husband, Raina's father, is safe.
         Catherine gives Raina a vivid account of the battle at Slivnitza. She notes how the Russian commanders of the Bulgarian army when the realised that their cavalry faced Serbian artillery were cautious. Sergius, however, showing courage and Bulgarian patriotism and daring took matters into his own hands and personally led his own regiment in an attack on the Serbs. Probably catching the Serbs by surprise, the Bulgarians led by Sergius were soon over the enemy lines "scattering the wretched Serbs and their dandified Austrian officers like chaff". Sergius and his regiment thus secured victory for their country.

(c) : Who is Raina ? (2)
        Raina is the only daughter of Catherine and Paul Petkoff. The dramatist in the introduction to Act 1 speaks of her as a "young lady", who is "intensively conscious of her own youth and beauty". Her long mantle of furs which "on a moderate estimate" are worth "about three times the furniture of the room" tells us of how she is doted upon by her parents. Raina is betrothed in marriage Sergius Saranoff.
        Raina seems to be a dreamy romantic person on one hand and a very realistic person on the other who knows that real life is seldom like the fairy tales of romance literature.

(d) : Catherine calls Raina a "child". What does this tell you about the way she relates to Raina ? Can you note another incident when Catherine relates to Raina in this manner ? (2)
        When Catherine calls Raina a "child", she indicates to us that though her daughter is of marriageable age, Catherine still thinks of and treats her daughter as a child - i.e. as someone who has always to be cared for and looked after.
        In choosing a husband for her daughter and scolding her for not trusting in her choice, Catherine shows that she does not relate to raina as an adult who can make significant decisions for her own life.

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 4

4.Raina (greatly encouraged) Ah, it is natural that you should forget it....... he comes to think nothing of them"
   (a) : What is "it" that Raina is accusing Bluntschli of forgetting ? (1)
           Raina is accusing Bluntschli of forgetting that she dishonoured herself for his sake by telling a lie to the Russian officer in order to save Bluntschli's life.

   (b) : Why does Raina think that it is "natural" for Bluntschli to forget ? (1)
           Raina often assumes the air of some superior person. She does so now. She thus considers herself superior to Bluntschli whom she considers as a lesser mortal who is ungrateful and forgetful of the good done to him.

   (c) : What does Raina want to emphasise when she says "it cost me a lie" ? (1)
           When Raina says "it cost me a lie" she wishes to emphasise that she told the lie for Bluntschli's sake at great cost to her nature and her conscience. She wants Bluntschli to feel that his forgetting her sacrifice for his sake is even more disgraceful that merely forgetting something someone had done for another. By assuming this behaviour, Raina is hoping to draw Bluntschli's emotion for her.

   (d) : What, to Bluntchli, are the "two things that happen to a soldier so often that he comes to think nothing of them" ? (2)
           According to Bluntschli the two things that happen to a soldier so often that he comes to think nothing of them are firstly - hearing people tell lies. The second thing that happens so frequently to a soldier that he forgets them is getting his life saved saved in all sorts of ways by all sorts of people.

   (e) : How may lies does Raina say she has ever spoken in her life ? What  were they ? (2)
           Raina has said that she had only told a lie twice in her life.
           She said that the second time that Raina had told a lie was when she had made up the story of having made a beautiful ornament that morning for an ice pudding, which Nicola had spoilt by putting a pile of plates on it. She said that she told the lie so that Sergius would not have found out that Bluntschli had been in her room or he would have killed him.
           She said that the first lie she had told had been to the Russian officer who had come to search her room in response to the the people having seen a Serb climbing up a water pipe into the balcony of Raina's room. Raina had told the Russian officer that no one had entered the room when all the while Raina was hiding the fugitive behind the curtain in her room.

   (f) : What does Bluntschli think of Raina's count of lies ? (1)
          Bluntschli does not believe that Raina has told only two lies in her entire life. He says that two is a "short allowance" even for a straightforward person.

   (g) : What is the result of this exchange between Bluntschli and Raina ? (2)
           This is a very important exchange between Bluntschli and Raina. By not falling for her assumed air of a faultless damsel in distress Bluntschli unmasks Raina. Raina must admit to Bluntschli that he has found her out. Raina admits that she had always "gone on like that" since she was a child. It had been the manner she had used with her nurse, parents and Sergius and all of them believed her. It was only Bluntschli - the first man to have taken her truly seriously - who had not allowed her to go on with her pretense. 

XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 4

4.Raina : Good Night......Catherine : Do not think of them (She goes out).
   (a) : Why does Raina feel that this is the "happiest night of her life" ? (3)
           Raina feels that this is the happiest night of her life as, firstly, the Bulgarians had defeated their enemies the Serbians in the Battle at Slivnitza. As a patriotic Bulgarian she was happy for her country's victory.
          Secondly, she was happy and proud that it was her fiance - Sergius - who had led the the cavalry regiment that had defeated the Serbian army.
         Thirdly, Sergius courageous and daring action in leading his regiment to attack the Serbs and defeating them had put to rest all her doubts which she had had about him. She had been plagued by premarital doubts as to whether Sergius would prove himself when it came to a real battle. She had doubted whether he would be a match for the Russian commanders of the Bulgarian army. She had wondered whether their romantic relationship was real. She was thus completely sure that Sergius was the right person for her to get married to and thus it was the happiest night of her life.

   (b) : Who is Raina referring to as "fugitives" ? Why were there fugitives ? (2)
           Raina is referring to soldiers of the Serbian artillery regiment who, having been scattered like chaff when they were defeated by Sergius' cavalry, were fleeing from the pursuing Bulgarian army. They were the fugitives.
           Those soldiers were fugitives as they were not only being hunted down by the Bulgarian army as they went through the Dragoman pass and came to the town in which Catherine and Raina lived. The Bulgarian population were also out to seize or kill these enemy troops. Thus, there were fugitives running to save their lives.

   (c) : Who was there in Raina's room, beside Catherine and Raina ? Why was that person there ? (2)
           Louka, the maid in the Petkoff home, was also in the room with Catherine and Raina. Louka was there as it was she who had rushed in to warn the mother and daughter that they should shut all the windows as there was going to be firing in the streets as the Serbian fugitives were fleeing through the town being pursued by the Bulgarian soldiers and other Bulgarian civilians.

  (d) : The line "this is the happiest night of my life - if only there were no fugitives" is an example of dramatic irony. What is dramatic irony ? Explain the dramatic irony in the line. (1 + 2)
          Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of the characters have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters when they are spoken or done. Thus, the readers or the audience have a greater knowledge than the characters themselves.
          Raina believes that the night was the happiest night of her life because her country is victorious, her finance is a hero and all doubts of the suitability of her fiance have been removed. She wishes that the scare of fugitives being chased through the town did not spoil the perfection of the night. However, it is a fugitive who comes into her room, who will really make not only her night by her life happy as it is that fugitive whom she will marry. But for the entry of that fugitive she may have never met her true match.

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 3

3. Bluntschli (laughing) I assure you, I did........Petkoff : And has Nicola taken to drinking ?
    (a) : Explain what Bluntschli means when he says "I assure you, I did" (2)
            The passage quoted refers to the point in the play when Raina enters and unexpectedly seeing Blunstschli she she exclaims "Oh ! The chocolate cream soldier !". Seeing that her father and Sergius are also present and reminded by her mother, she realises that she has nearly confirmed that she knew Bluntschli (the man whom she had saved). Raina had thus made up an excuse and then had remarked to Bluntschli that she hoped he did not think that she had called him a chocolate cream soldier. Bluntschli honestly replies that he did think that that she had called him by that name.

     (b) : What "explanation" and by whom, is Bluntschli referring to ? (2)
             Bluntschli is referring to the explanation given by Raina that she was not calling Bluntschli a chocolate cream soldier, rather she was referring to a beautiful ornament she had made for a rice pudding that unfortunately Nicola had spoiled by putting down a pile of plates on it.

    (c) : Why and of what is Petkoff suspicious ? (2)
            Petkoff, Raina's father is not so easily taken in by Raina's explanation to her remark. He doubts the truth of the explanation as he knows his daughter well and knows that she is used to being cared for and that she does not cook for the meals.

    (d) : Why do you think that Catherine and not Raina answers Petkoff's question to Raina ? What does it tell you about Catherine's personality ? (2)
            I think that Catherine and not Raina answers Petkoff's question to Raina as Catherine is very concerned that the role of Raina and herself in saving Bluntschli when he was an enemy soldier is not discovered by her husband and Sergius. Catherine is already annoyed that Raina has so carelessly spoken and nearly revealed their acquaintance with Bluntschli. She does not trust her daughter to answer well and thus answers the question to her husband.
            From the beginning of the lay we have been told by the dramatist that Catherine is "imperiously energetic", that is she moves into action immediately and does not wait for others to rectify situations. This is proved in this  circumstance also.

    (e) : Explain : testily. Why is petkoff in that mood ? (2)
            "Testily" means irritably.
            Petkoff is in irritable mood because firstly Nicola had shown Bluntschli, who he wrongly assumes has come to visit him, to the garden instead of bringing him to the library where Petkoff was. Secondly he was upset that Nicola should have destroyed the beautiful ornament created by his daughter Raina, especially as that would have been the first experiment of her cooking that he would have experienced.

XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 3

3. Raina : It proves that our ideas were real after all ..... Our patriotism. Our heroic ideas.
    (a) : Explain what Raina means by "heroic ideas" (2)
            When she uses the term "heroic ideas" Raina refers to the idealistic, romantic ideas that she has been brought up with. It refers to the fabled stories of perfect love in the romance stories of the middle ages of chivalrous knights and princesses and their perfect love. These heroic ideas refer to the perfect love and chivalrous behaviour of the knight and the beauty and faithfulness of the lady love.

    (b) : How had Raina and Catherine developed those ideas "heroic ideas" ? (2)
            Raina had been taught these "heroic ideas" by her mother. She and her mother had further developed these dieas by reading such romantic poets like Byron and Pushkin and from viewing operas at Bucharest.

    (c) : Why is Catherine "indignant" with Raina ? (2)
            Catherine is probably "indignant" with Raina because she takes offence with Raina using the word "our" by which Raina includes both her mother and herself. Catherine feels that Raina has been very slow to trust her judgement in choosing Sergius as Raina's future husband (Raina had kept Sergius waiting for a year before agreeing to be engaged to him). Catherine still believes that Raina needs more schooling in the "heroic ideas".

    (d) : Quote from the text to prove that Raina did not believe in those "heroic ideas" (4)
            In the conversation with her mother regarding her faith in Sergius, Raina reveals that she has grave doubts about the heroic ideas. Raina says "I sometimes used to doubt if they were anything but dreams". A little later Raina says "Real life is so seldom like that (meaning "heroic ideas") Indeed never, as far as I knew it then"

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 2

2. Sergius : Ah ! that's reasonable. ..... would you spy out of the windows on me ?
    (a) : What had Louka just said that Sergius found "reasonable" ? (1)
            Sergius had been flirting with Louka in the garden outside the Petkoff house - a space which could be seen from the window in the library of the house. Sergius was holding Louka tightly around her waist and since he refused to let go of her, she suggested that that Sergius show more "common sense" and do his flirting in a place where the two of them could not be seen by the people in the house.

    (b) : Explain : Plaintively. Why does Louka assume that tone of voice ? (1)
            Plaintively means sadly or mournfully.
            Louka assumes this plaintive tone as she wishes to evoke pity from Sergius when he realises that Louka cannot openly express her affection to Sergius nor let herself be loved by him and that she has to fear her mistresses daughter Raina who is betrothed to Sergius and who would be angry and might cause her to be removed from her position if she saw Louka receiving favours from Sergius.

   (c) : What, in what Louka had just said, had "stung" Sergius ? (1)
           Louka hadjust said that Raina would be sure to be spying on Sergius. Sergius is upset that Louka would think that Raina would spy on him. He is also probably "stung" because he is surprised to hear that Raina would so doubt him to spy on him.

    (d) : What did Sergius mean by "higher love" ? (2)
            In the episode which just preceded Segius' present interaction with Louka, Sergius and Raina had been together. During that interaction, Raina had remarked "I think we two have found the higher love". Higher love would refer to an ideal love associated with the romance stories during the middles ages where dashing knights chivalrously rescued damsels in distress and never failed in love to their beloved.

    (e) : Explain : demurely. Explain why Louka assumes this manner of speaking. (1)
            Demurely means shyly or reservedly. Louka assumes this manner of speaking, as Sergius has just taken up for Raina and Louka wishes to show her displeasure at Sergius merely flirting with her while professing love for Raina.

    (f) : Has Louka been a "provoking little witch" ? How ? (1)
           Yes, I think that Louka has been a "provoking little witch", though Sergius uses these words in an affectionate manner. Louka's demure manner made her very attractive to Sergiusand drew him again to her.Thus in assuming a demure manner Louka showed that she could win the affections of the man she loved.

     (g) : What answer does Louka give to Sergius' last question ? (2)
             The answer which Louka gives to Sergius' last question is that since Sergius himself says that he is half a dozen different gentlemen all at once ("half a dozen Sergiues who keep popping in and out of this handsome figure of mine"), she would spy on him, if she were in love with him, to "look after" their relationship.

    (h) : What does this interaction tell you about Sergius' personality ? (1)
            This interaction tells me that Sergius is very confused as to his his emotions. While he professes love to Raina, he is attracted to Louka. He is also not very sensitive to Louka's feelings.
           
            

CLASS XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 2

2. Raina : I had an uneasy feeling.......Catherine : Shame on you
    (a) : Who is Raina speaking about when she uses the word "he" ? (2)
            When she uses the word "he" Raina is speaking about Sergius Saranoff, an officer in the Bulgarian army and leader of a cavalry regiment, to whom she is betrothed to. We have just heard a report of his having led the Bulgarians to victory against the Serbs in the battle at Slivnitza.

    (b) : Raina had noted two occasions when she had felt this "uneasy feeling" regarding the person referred to. Which were those two occasions ? (4)
            The first occasion narrated by Raina of the time when she doubted Sergius was when she "buckled on Sergius' sword". Whether she was helping him dress in his uniform or whether she swooned when she saw him - "he looked so noble" we don't know. But at that moment when he looked so right as a soldier she thought of "disillusion or humiliation or failure". She doubted whether "heroic ideals" or "patriotism" were "anything but dreams".
            The second occasion was when he was holding her in his arms and looking into her eyes. At that moment when she should have been totally overcome by love for him - she doubted doubted whether all Sergius' qualities and soldiership may stand up when he went into a real battle. She had an u"uneasy fear" that "he might cut a poor figure" when compared with the Russian officers.

   (c) : Explain : "cut a poor figure" (1)
           "cut a poor figure" means to be disgraced; to be less in comparison with others. In the context Raina says that she felt that when compared to the Rusian officers, Sergius may not seem such a good soldier.

    (d) : Who is the Tsar ? Which officers is Raina referring to ? From the part of the drama you have studied thus far, what opinion do you have of "those officers" ? Why ? (3)
            The Tsar is the title which was given to the Russian emperor.
            Raina is referring to the Russian officers who, as the allies to the Bulgarians, seem to have been their senior partners and held the top commanders posts even in the Bulgarian army.
            From Catherine's description of the battle at Slivnitza, I have a very poor opinion of the Russian officers when I compare them with the courage and decisiveness shown by Sergius. The Russian officers were the more practical - knowing that a cavalry regiment would be annihilated by enemy cannon, and probably had decided not to engage with the enemy. However, since thus far in the play, we have not been given more information regarding that battle, Sergius action seemed to have taken the enemy totally by surprise and his action won the battle. I would expect that Sergius would have known the danger he was leading himself and his men into and had decided to do the daring deed as a patriotic Bulgarian. 

XII 1ST TERM EXAM PG 1

1. Petkoff (with conviction) That comes from washing your neck every day............its not natural
    (a) : Where and at what moment in the plot are Catherine and Paul having this conversation ? (2)
            Paul Petkoff has returned unexpectedly to the Petkoff home fairly early on the morning of the 6th of March 1886 (at the commencement of Act 2), a little more than three months after Catherine and Raina had got the news of the defeat of the Serbs at the battle at Slivnitza. He had come just after his wife and daughter had had their breakfast. Catherine had had to hurry, having made only a "very perfunctory toilet" and joined her husband. During their conversation, Paul had been trying to placate his wife who was upset that he had a part of play in making a peace treaty with the Serbians. To try and change the conversation Paul had asked Catherine how she had been in his absence.

    (b) : What is Paul referring to when he says ""That comes" ? (1)
            When he says "That comes", Paul is referring to Catherine's complaint that she has been suffering from her "usual sore throats".

    (c) : What proof does Paul give to prove that "all this washing can't be good" ? What justification does he provide for not following Catherine's example ? (2)
            To prove that "all this washing can't be good" Paul gives Catherine the example of his father, whom he said, never had a bath in his life and lived to be ninety-eight and the healthiest man in Bulgaria.
            Paul justifies his not following Catherine's example by stating that he does not believe in "going too far with all these modern customs". He says that he does not mind having a good wash once a week to keep up his position. He protests that washing daily was taking the practice of washing too far.

     (d) : What other "modern customs" has Catherine introduced ? Why has she done so ? (1)
             The other one of the "modern customs" which Catherine has introduced is having an electric bell placed in their library.
             She has had the electric bell installed as she has learnt during Paul's absence that "Civilised people never shout for their servants". She also explains that it is so easy to get in contact with Nicola whenever they want something - one has only to "touch a button" and "something tinkles in the kitchen" and "then Nicola comes up".

     (e) : What suggestion does Paul give to Catherine regarding being more civilised ? (1)
             The suggestion which Paul gives Catherine regarding being more civilised is that because "Civilised people don't hang out their washing to dry where visitors can see it", she had better put the clothes which had been spread on the bushes around the garden put up for drying in some other more private place.

      (f) : What is Catherine's reaction to Paul's suggestion ? (1)
             Catherine does not take Paul's suggestion. She feels that the suggestion is "absurd". She says that she doesn't believe that really refined people notice such things."

      (g) : What does this exchange tell you about the personalities of Paul and Catherine ? (2)
              This exchange tells me that both Paul and Catherine are really not "refined" enough to be taken as persons to that higher class of people to which they aspire to belong.
              Paul's standard of hygiene leaves much to be desired. While he knows that he it is expected of him to wash daily he only does so once a week !
              Catherine's finesse is only partial. She is not humble enough to accept the reasonable suggestion of Paul regarding putting out the washed clothes for drying in a place where they are in their guests view.

XI 1ST TERM EXAM PG 1

1. Raina (dreamily) : I sent her away ....... Raina (her eyes dilating) Ah !
    (a) : What had Raina been dreaming about ? (2)
            Raina had been absorbing "the romantic beauty of the night" visible from the balcony of her room. As she viewed that scene, she was "intensively conscious" of how her own youth and beauty seemed to match the scene she was viewing. That was what Raina was dreaming about.

    (b) : What description had the dramatist given of the scene which had caused Raina to so dream ?                                                                                                                                                                 (2)
            The dramatist, Bernard Shaw, had described the view Raina had been gazing at from the balcony outside her room. He had noted that a peak of the Balkans was visible from there. That peak looked exquisitely beautiful. The white snow on it gleamed in the star light. Because of the clear sky and night the view seemed almost within grasp while actually it was quite far away.

    (c) : What news had Catherine brought regarding the battle ? (5)
            The news that Catherine had brought about the battle was that there had been a battle at Slivnitza. The Bulgarians had been victorious. The victory had been won by Sergius - he was "the hero of the hour; the idol of the regiment". The Bulgarians had found themselves at a disadvantage at Slivnitza. The Bulgarian cavalry faced Serbian artillery. Possibly sensing the hesitancy of the Russian commanders of the Bulgarian, Sergius with courage and patriotism, led his own regiment on a charge of the Serbian artillery position. Sergius regiment was as courageous and patriotic as he was. Sergius' regiment bore down on the Serbs and their Austrian officers  like an avalanche and scattered them like a strong wind to chaff.

     (d) : What does Raina's "dilating" eyes express ? (1)
             The word dilating means widening. Raina's "dilating" eyes probably means that she was eager to hear about the battle - its expresses her sense of expectancy.

CLASS XII ATM WKBK PGS 188 TO 190

5 (i) : Raina had first seen Bluntschli as a one of the defeated Serbian soldiers seeking refuge. At that time we were told that he was "in a deplorable plight", in a "desperate predicament". He was bespattered with mud and blood and snow". "his belt and the strap of his revolver case" were keeping together "the torn blue" Serbian soldier's tunic. Those were the details which described his "unwashed unkempt condition" at that time. In Act 2 when he returns after the war we are told that he is "clean, well brushed, smartly uniformed, and out of trouble". This is the change that Raina notes of Bluntschli's condition.

(ii) : The reasons which Bluntschli gives for his changed condition was that he had had the opportunity to have got a wash, whereas previously he was coming in after fleeing from the Bulgarians who had just defeated them in a battle. He had been able to take care of his appearance (brushed) and that he had had slept well - unlike the previous time when he had not slept for the previous forty-eight hours as he had been engaged in battle. He was also well fed (breakfast) whereas the previous time he was famished, having finished eating all his "chocolates".

(iii) : The morning Raina is referring to is the morning after the "midnight adventure" when after she had given him refuge in her room and hidden him from the Russian officer and the Bulgarian soldiers, she and her mother had disguised him in Paul Petkoff's coat and sent him off.
           "That morning" Bluntschli had made his way to Pirot. We do not know for sure how he got there, but Bluntschli does mention a railway cloak room, so he might have gone there by train. However, whichever way he traveled he was disguised to look Bulgarian by Raina and her mother.

(iv) : Raina thinks that Bluntschli fellow soldiers from the Serbian army, of the specific artillery regiment which had been defeated by Sergius,  would have been angry with him. She resumes that they would have been angry with him because she expects that they might have been true soldiers being supposedly courageous and who would have stood their ground and faced their enemy rather than Bluntschli running away to save his life.

(v) : Bluntschli says that his fellow Serbian soldiers of his regiment were glad to see him, because like he had done, they had also all run away after being routed by Sergius cavalry regiment.
        It tells us that soldiering is not as romantic a life as we might think it is. While we may expect soldiers to stand up to their enemies and sacrifice their lives for their countries, soldiers probably are not so courageous and self-sacrificing. they too are practical and judge when it is better to stand up and fight and when it is better to count one's losses and flee.

(vi) : The story Raina is talking about is the story of how Bluntschli was given refuge bu Raina and Raina had been taken up by his manner; of how Catherine (Raina's mother) was also taken up by Bluntschli's behaviour and that they had helped him escape. Of course, when the story was told the identity of Raina and Catherine were not known.
          Sergius had told the story - the story that he and Paul had been told by Bluntschli.
          The story had been told to Raina and Catherine when they were recounting their acquaintance with that "bagman of a captain" (Bluntschli) in Act 2, shortly after Paul and Sergius had returned home.

CLASS XII AATM WKBK PGS 186 TO 188

4 (i) : Major Paul Petkoff had asked his wife, Catherine, to accompany him. Paul had been asked my Bluntschli to go after Sergius to ensure that Sergis talks to the soldiers who were to take the orders for the movement of three cavalry regiments to Phillipopolis. Paul had felt that the soldiers would "be far more frightened" of Catherine than they would of him ! and thus do their assigned duty well.

(ii) : Catherine refers to her husband Major Paul Petkoff as "you" in the first line of the extract. She feels that Paul would only splutter at them i.e. speak fast and incoherently as he would be uncertain and would lack confidence when he would issue the commands that Bluntschli wanted the soldiers who were to deliver the messages Bluntschli had written out, to have. Catherine feels that Paul would not be confident because she probably knows him very well. Paul seems to know himself and thus he asks for his wife's presence with him when he was ordering the soldiers !

(iii) : We had been told at the very beginning of the play that Catherine was an "imperiously energetic" person. We have seen that Catherine takes command of even very tricky situations in the play - she knows how to react appropriately - thus she subdues an otherwise aggressive Russian officer who had come to search her daughter's room. In this situation, too Catherine does not balk at an assignment which is definitely beyond her  experience - she takes up the challenge.
          Regarding Catherine's relationship with Paul, Paul may be the "man' of the house" but Catherine definitely "wears the pants" in the home. Catherine is the person who gets the necessary done. Paul prefers to relax in the comfort of his home. This suits Catherine very well as she knows her abilities. Catherine, though, seems to dominate Paul and her remark about his blustering expresses this.

(iv) : Bluntschli refers to the soldiers of the Bulgarian army when he uses the word "they".
         Cannons were sometimes made out of wood when metal was not available. However, these wooden cannon were notoriously weak and broke after one or two shots. Thus, Bluntschli conveys his poor opinion of the preparedness of the Bulgarian army to wage battle.

(v) : When Bluntschli says that "the officers send for their wives to keep discipline" he is referring to Paul requesting his wife to accompany him to ensure that the soldiers who were to take the messages which Buntschli had made out understand the urgency of their work. Paul had admitted quite frankly that the soldiers would be "far more frightened" of Catherine that might be of him, even though he was the highest ranking Bulgarian officer in their army !

(vi) : Satire is the use of humour, irony or exaggeration to expose or criticize people's stupidity or vices. Thus, Catherine uses satire to criticize her husband, Paul, for the lack of ability to command his soldiers - "you will only splutter at them". However, it is Bluntschli who uses satire most cuttingly here to criticize the Bulgarian army, here represented by Sergius and Paul Petkoff, of which he was so recently an enemy sand against whom he had fought a war. His satire is expressed in the remark "What an army ! They make cannons out of cherry trees; and the officers send ffor their wives to keep discipline !".

CLASS XII AATM WKBK PGS 185 TO 186

 3 (i) : The "work" which Major Paul Petkoff is talking about in this extract is not any work which he has been doing. In fact most of the work had been done by Bluntschli. That work had consisted ofr deciding the best manner in which three cavalry regiments could be sent to Philippopolis - the main difficult in so doing being t have adequate forage for the horses on the way. Paul and Sergius had found the task beyond their capacities and had requested Bluntschli who had unexpectedly come to the house to help them. Bluntschli worked with a "quick, sure, businesslike" manner - studying a couple of maps which were in front of him and writing orders. Sergius is also "supposed to be also at work", but he is gnawing the feather of a pen which he used to sign the orders Bluntschli had written out.

(ii) : The work had actually been done by Bluntschli. Since Paul and Sergius didn't know how to get the the three cavalry regiments to Philippopolis and provide them with adequate fodder, they had invited Bluntschli to study the maps and write out the necessary orders to complete the operation.  Bluntschli had, thus, really done nearly all the all the work.
          Sergius had only to sign the orders.
          Paul Petkoff was sitting comfortably with a newspaper and a hookah within easy reach and only very politely asking if he could help with the work, knowing that there was nothing for him to do or nothing which he could do !
           To complete the work, Sergius was asked by Bluntschli to give the orders to the dispatch riders with a warning to them not to delay at all.
           Bluntschli requests Paul to ensure that Sergius spoke to the dispatch riders in the right manner - a job on which Paul asks his wife to accompany him, feeling that her presence would give the riders the correct message.

(iii) : Bluntschli asks Sergius to meet the soldiers who are to take the orders which have just been prepared and to ensure that they leave without delay - keeping in mind that Bluntschli had mentioned the time by which they should hand the orders at their various locations. He tells Sergius to warn them of dire consequences if they did not deliver the orders on time.
         Bluntschli asks Major Paul to ensure that Sergius spoke to the dispatch riders in the manner in which his directives would be followed - to see that Sergius "talks to hem properly".

(iv) : Sergius had "stiffened indignantly" when he had heard Bluntschli's threat to the dispatch riders that they would have the "skin taken off their backs", i.e. they would be punished severely if they did not do the job in time. Sergius says that if any of those soldiers were offended bythe threat and had the boldness of character to "spit in his face" Sergius would buy that man's discharge from the army and in addition give that man a pension. It means that Sergius would reward the man for standing up to the bullying tactics of his superiors.
        This tells us that Sergius either respects people's dignity and that he does not subscribe to officers theatening their subordinates, or if he has said what he had in jest, he hints that he would strive to do the job he had been given by Bluntschli as perfectly as possible and that his tone would be so severe that no would dare take his orders lightly.

(v) : Bluntschli asks Major Petkoff to check that Sergius talks properly to the soldiers who would deliver the orders which have just been written out. Bluntschli was not so sure that Sergius would use the right tone - he might not be convincing enough  so that they do they do their work in time or he might upset them with an over officious tone. He made this request to Major Petkoff to ensure that the dispatch riders got the right message and in the right tone.

CLASS 12 AATM WKBK PGS 183 10 185

2 (i) : Major Petkoff makes a bet first with Catherine, his wife, that Nicola will not find his old coat in the blue closet. He promises to give Catherine any piece of jewellry  she would like to order from Sofia, if she were to win the bet. However, if she were to lose the bet she would lose a week's housekeeping money. Catherine had confidently agrees to Paul's bet.
           Paul then wishes to gamble a little more and make bets with Bluntschli and Sergius.

(ii) : Bluntschli says that taking the bet with Paul would be robbing him because Bluntsschli has "insider's information", meaning he is privy to the information that since Paul has looked into the cupboard the coat which was in the bag that he had brought with him would surely have been been placed in the cupboard under Catherine's direction, if not by herself, given that Catherine is an "imperiously energetic" woman and would not hesitate to ensure that what was necessary would be done with all haste. Bluntschli could thus say with confidence "Madame is sure to be right" and he (Bluntschli) would be sure to win and Paul would have to pay more money to him. rob" in this sense would mean to take the money when Paul did not suspect that Bluntschli knew he would win it.

(iii) : Sergius bets that if he (Sergius) would lose he would give his best horse (Charger) to Raina. However, if Paul were to lose, Paul would need to buy Raina and Arab mare.
         The bet that Sergius suggests shows that he would like to shower his betrothed with very expensive gifts. It could either show that Sergius was willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of his love for Raina or that he wanted to proclaim how mu ch in esteem he held Raina and that whether he won or lost he would like her to be a beneficiary of a very expensive gift.

(iv) : Paul supposed to give jewelry to Catherine if he lost the bet. Paul had said that should she win she would be given any piece of jewelry she liked to order from Sofia.

(v); When Raina uses the phrase "my Arab" she is referring to the bet Sergius had suggested to Paul : that if Paul lost the bet to Sergius, he would have to gift Raina an Arab mare. Raina speaks as if she has already won the bet and already owned the "mare".

(vi) : We do not know if Nicola really finds Paul's old coat in the blue closet or whether when he was asked to fetch his master's old coat, he took it out Bluntschli's bag. All we know is that he does return with Paul's old coat, much to Paul's great surprise.
         In either case it shows that Nicola is a very trusted servant and knows well what is expected of him in all circumstances. In this circumstance, he had either very deftly placed the coat which Bluntschli had returned with in the blue closet between when Paul had searched for it and the time he was asked for it. On the other hand if the coat had still been in the bag, he had promptly done what was expected, even if it was ungentlemanly, and opened Bluntschli's bag, removed the coat and brought it to Paul.