ISC Class 12 Competency Based Questions (CBQ) English Literature

PREFACE

With a growing emphasis on competency-based education globally, the educational landscape in
India has also steered towards high-quality learning experiences that allow learners to incorporate
critical thinking and problem-solving approaches. This approach goes beyond rote memorisation and
focuses on developing the skills and knowledge that students need to apply in their real-world
scenarios.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), as a national-level progressive
examination board, has taken several steps to infuse competency-based education in CISCE schools
through teacher capacity-building on item development for competency-based assessments and the
incorporation of competency-focused questions at the ICSE and ISC levels from the examination
year 2024.

To further facilitate the adoption of competency-based assessment practices in schools and to support
teachers and students towards the preparation for attempting higher-order thinking questions in future
board examinations, Item Banks of Competency-Focused Practice Questions for selected subjects
at the ICSE and ISC levels have been developed. This Item Bank consists of a rich variety of
questions, both objective and subjective in categories, aimed at enhancing the subject-specific critical
and analytical thinking skills of the students.

In this Item Bank, each question is accompanied by the topic and cognitive learning domain/s that it
intends to capture. The cognitive domains reflected in these questions include understanding,
analysis, application, evaluation and creativity, along with some questions of the higher-order recall
domain. The Answer Key at the end presents the possible answers to a given question, but it is neither
limiting nor exhaustive.

These practice questions are also meant to serve as teacher resources for classroom assignments and
as samplers to develop their own repository of competency-focused questions. Apart from offering a
good practice of higher-order thinking skills, engaging with these questions would allow students to
gauge their own subject competencies and use these assessments for learning to develop individual
learning pathways.

During the development of this Item Bank, a large pool of questions was prepared by a team of
experienced CISCE teachers. The questions that were finalised by the internal and external reviewers
as being higher-order competency-focused questions have been collated in this item bank.

I acknowledge and appreciate all the ICSE and the ISC subject matter experts who have contributed
to the development and review of these high-quality competency-focused questions for CISCE
students.
We are hopeful that teachers and students will utilise these questions to support their
teaching-learning processes.

July 2024 Dr. Joseph Emmanuel
Chief Executive & Secretary
CISCE

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Table of Contents

S.No. Types of Questions Page Nos.
I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) 1-6

II. Complete the Sentences 7-9

III. Short Answer Questions 10-13

IV. Long Answer Questions 14-15

Answer Key 16-39

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

COMPETENCY-FOCUSED PRACTICE QUESTIONS
ISC-CLASS XII

Literature in English (Paper 2)
I: Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark Each)

S.No. Questions
MACBETH

1. In Act III Scene (i), Macbeth says of Banquo: “That every minute of his being
thrusts/Against my near’st of life” Macbeth’s words are an example of which figure of
speech/literary device?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Foreshadowing
(d) Irony (Understanding & Application)

2. Macbeth’s reference to “fruitless crown” and “barren sceptre” in Act III Scene (i)
symbolize:
(a) Macbeth’s frustration of being a king.
(b) destruction in Scotland.
(c) power that is empty and unfulfilling.
(d) royalty and power. (Analysis)

3. When Macbeth, Act III, Scene (ii), asserts of ‘Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond’,
he means:
(a) put an end to Banquo and Fleance’s lives.
(b) the bond between Macbeth and his wife.
(c) he wants to destroy the legal contract.
(d) he becomes independent of the witches’ influence. (Understanding)

4. In Act III Scene (i) of the play, Macbeth, Macbeth becomes insecure of Banquo because:
(i) he holds a kingly dignity.
(ii) he is a close friend to Malcolm.
(iii) possesses great wisdom and valour.
(iv) has declared that Fleance will be the next king.
(a) (i) and (iv)
(b) (i) and (iii)
(c) (ii) and (iv)
(d) (iii) and (iv) (Understanding)

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S.No. Questions
5. In Act III Scene (v) of the play, Macbeth, which psychological aspect of the human mind
does Hecate want to target to bring about Macbeth’s doom?
(a) Man’s courage
(b) Man’s insecurity
(c) Man’s wisdom
(d) Man’s fear (Understanding)

6. With reference to Act III Scene (vi) of the play Macbeth, what is the tone in which Lennox
speaks about the princes having killed the king?
(a) Humorous
(b) Fearful
(c) Sardonic
(d) Joyful (Analysis)

7. In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, the Second Witch says, “By the pricking of my thumbs”,
or “Something wicked this way comes”. What exactly does she imply?
(i) Macbeth has always been inherently more evil than the Witches.
(ii) Macbeth has acquired kinship with the witches.
(iii)Macbeth is now completely controlled by evil.
(iv) She recognises the evil in Macbeth.
Which of the above pairs of reasons are correct?
(a) (i) and (ii)
(b) (ii) and (iv)
(c) (i) and (iv)
(d) (ii) and (iii) (Understanding)

8. In Act IV Scene (ii), Macbeth is dramatically remarkable for which of the pair of reasons
given below?
(i) Pathos and horror.
(ii) Doubt and confusion.
(iii) Treachery and ambition.
(iv) Conflict between family and country.
(a) (i) and (iv)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (iii) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (iii) (Analysis)

9. In Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, in the supernatural spectacle, some of the kings carry two
balls and three sceptres each. What exactly does this sight symbolise?
(a) The next three generations of Banquo will rule over Scotland.
(b) Banquo’s sons/ descendants will rule over England, Scotland and Ireland.
(c) The next three generations of Macbeth will usurp the throne of Scotland.
(d) Banquo's descendants will rule over England, France and Wales. (Analysis)

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S.No. Questions
10. Lady Macduff: Father’d he is, yet he’s fatherless. [Act IV Scene (ii)]
Which figure of speech can be identified in the given line?
(a) Irony
(b) Antithesis
(c) Sarcasm
(d) Paradox (Understanding)

11. Malcolm: Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell. [Act IV Scene (iii)]
Whom does Malcolm allude to by ‘brightest’?
(a) Lucifer
(b) Gabriel
(c) Macbeth
(d) Duncan (Understanding)

12. Ross: That of an hour’s age doth hiss the speaker.
Each minute teems a new one. [Act IV Scene (iii)]
What does Ross mean by “hiss the speaker”?
(a) Mock the speaker.
(b) Snarl at the speaker.
(c) Speak in whispers to the speaker.
(d) Speak with a low hissing sound. (Understanding & Analysis)

13. How does the imagery of sleep contribute to the thematic development in Act V?
(a) It symbolises Lady Macbeth’s yearning for peace and quiet.
(b) It represents Macbeth’s inability to escape the consequences of his actions.
(c) It foreshadows Malcolm’s rise to power.
(d) It provides Macduff the opportunity to kill Macbeth. (Analysis)

14. Why does Shakespeare introduce Young Siward into the play in Act V scene (vii), only
to have him swiftly killed?
(a) To highlight Macbeth’s bravery.
(b) To symbolise the fleeting nature of youth.
(c) To characterise Macbeth as ruthless and formidable.
(d) To create a dramatic interlude in the midst of battle. (Analysis)

15. Now minutely revolts…Nothing in love.
With reference to Act V Scene (ii) of the play, what do these lines convey about the
attitude of Macbeth’s followers?
(a) They indicate the loss of loyalty and growing dissent.
(b) They suggest that their actions are selfless.
(c) They indicate that the followers are motivated solely by their love for Macbeth.
(d) They indicate their sacrifice at the battlefield.
(Analysis)

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S.No. Questions
PROSE

16. With reference to the short story, Atithi, Tarapada’s constant longing to discover the
unexplored, highlights the theme of:
(a) man’s quest for the unknown.
(b) eternal journey of human soul.
(c) the journey of life.
(d) new love and friendship. (Analysis)

17. “In the kitchen the breakfast stove gave a hissing sigh.” Which figure of speech has been
employed in this expression taken from There Will Come Soft Rains?
(a) Hyperbole
(b) Simile
(c) Personification
(d) Alliteration (Understanding)

18. What is the pervasive tone of storytelling that Ray Bradbury has employed in
There Will Come Soft Rains?
(a) Intense and Emotional
(b) Sombre and Formal
(c) Brisk and factually Precise
(d) Mechanical and Dispassionate (Understanding)

19. The interaction that Mrs. Drew establishes with Bubber in the story, The Cookie Lady, is
fundamentally:
(a) parasitic
(b) affectionate
(c) dangerous
(d) threatening (Understanding)

20. In the story Indigo, which literary technique did the author employ to describe the
multiple snags the narrator experienced during his journey?
(a) Anticipation
(b) Setup
(c) Foreshadowing
(d) Detailing (Understanding)

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S.No. Questions
21. Read the two statements given below from the short story, The Medicine Bag. Select the
appropriate relation between the two.
Statement A: Iron Shell gave the medicine bag to Martin and told him he need not
wear it in time and place where no one will understand.
Statement B: Martin could wear the medicine bag once he had replaced the sacred
sage.
(a) Statement B is similar to Statement A.
(b) Statement B is a condition for Statement A.
(c) Statement B is the reason for Statement A.
(d) Statement B is the result of Statement A. (Understanding & Analysis)

POETRY

22. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good breeding
What does the word pressurized from the poem Telephone Conversation, suggest?
(a) Conflict between the landlady’s phony good-breeding and her prejudice.
(b) Conflict between the speaker’s good breeding and the landlady’s prejudice.
(c) Conflict between the silence of the landlady and the speaker’s good breeding.
(d) Conflict between the silence of the speaker and the landlady’s phony good breeding.
(Understanding & Analysis)

23. Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification
Which of the following statements is true with respect to the above extract taken from
Telephone Conversation?
i. The silence of the landlady was ill-mannered.
ii. The speaker broke his silence for explanation.
iii. The silence of the speaker was ill-mannered.
iv. The landlady broke her silence for explanation.

(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (i) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (ii) (Understanding & Analysis)

24. What does the poet want to convey by comparing Beethoven’s father’s words to an
anthem in the poem Beethoven?
(a) Beethoven’s father’s words sounded as sweet as an anthem.
(b) It highlighted Beethoven’s ability to play well.
(c) It emphasised Beethoven’s skill as a musician.
(d) The words are an ironic comment on the father’s harsh words. (Analysis)

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S.No. Questions
25. Shane Koyczan begins his poem Beethoven with the word ‘Listen’ to:
(a) state that the audience must listen to Beethoven’s music.
(b) imply that the audience must listen to appreciate Beethoven’s music.
(c) insist that readers must listen to what the poet was saying.
(d) draw our attention to the suffering behind Beethoven’s talent.
(Understanding)

26. Why has the poet assumed a stance of pity towards death in Death Be Not Proud? Which
pair of reasons given below justify the poet’s stance?
(i) Death is just one short sleep.
(ii) Death is an instrument for the soul’s delivery.
(iii) Death itself dies.
(iv) Death is a slave.
(a) (iii) and (iv)
(b) (i) and (ii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (i) and (iv) (Understanding)

27. Which natural phenomenon is used as a metaphor for Tithonus's eternal aging?
(a) Setting sun
(b) Rising moon
(c) Falling leaves
(d) Blooming flowers (Analysis)

28. In the poem, Small Towns and the River by Mamang Dai, the flower tuberose symbolise:
(a) the tube-like structures that grow on the plant.
(b) love and memory towards the dead.
(c) our respect to all the elders in our towns.
(d) beauty and impermanence of nature. (Understanding)

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II: Complete the Sentences (1 Mark Each)

Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief.

S.No. Questions
MACBETH

29. In Act III Scene (ii), Macbeth sounds envious of the dead Duncan
because_________________________________________________________.
(Understanding & Evaluate)

30. In Act III Scene (iv), in contrast to the urgent horror of Macbeth's addresses to the
gruesome apparition, there are moments of comparative calm because
___________________________________________________________.
(Understanding & Analysis)

31. Hecate comes across as a vindictive spirit, in Act III Scene (v), because
_________________________________________________________________.
(Analysis)

32. In Act III Scene (ii) of the play, ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he has
scorpions in his mind because ___________________________________________.
(Analysis)

33. In Act III Scene (iv) of the play, ‘Macbeth’, Lady Macbeth had to dismiss her guests
because _____________________________________________________________.
(Analysis)

34. In Act III Scene (vi), of the play, ‘Macbeth’, Lennox wishes for an angel to fly and seek
help from the king of England because ____________________________________.
(Understanding)

35. In Act V Scene (ii) according to Angus, Macbeth has begun to feel that his secret murders
are weighing heavily on his conscience because__________________________.
(Analysis)

36. In Act V, Macbeth is not scared of the cry of women because_______________
(Understanding)

37. In Act V, Lady Macbeth, oblivious to who is around her says, 'Out damned spot',
because__________________________________________________.
(Understanding)

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S.No. Questions
38. In Act IV Scene (i), Macbeth says “I’ll make assurance double sure /and take a bond of
fate” because______________________________________________.
(Understanding)

39. In Act IV Scene (ii), Lady Macduff’s son says that the liars and swearers are fools
because_____________________________________________________. (Analysis)

40. In Act IV Scene (iii), Malcolm’s observation that Macbeth “hath not touched you
(Macduff) yet” is ironic because__________________________________. (Analysis)

41. In Act IV Scene (iii) of Macbeth, Malcolm wilfully taints his own character
because_______________________________________________________. (Analysis)

42. In Act IV Scene (iii) of Macbeth, Malcolm says “Angels are bright still, though the
brightest fell” because_______________________________________.
(Understanding)

43. In Act IV Scene (ii) of Macbeth, Lady Macduff describes her husband’s flight to England
as madness because_____________________________________________. (Analysis)

PROSE

44. The author describes Tarapada as wary of ties as a young fawn because ____________.
(Analysis)

45. In the story, Indigo, the author states that it being April, the sun should still be up, but it
seemed more like late evening because _____________________________. (Analysis)

46. In the story Indigo, we can conclude that Aniruddha was afraid of ghosts from his reaction
to the chowkidar’s words because _______________________________. (Analysis)

47. The Cookie Lady, begins with a description of a rundown house with an overgrown garden
because______________________. (Understanding & Application)

48. In the short story, The Medicine Bag, Martin’s mother checks her move of embracing her
grandfather because _________________. (Analysis)

49. In the story, There Will Come Soft Rains, the dog, upon entering the house, started
hysterically yelping to each door because__________________________. (Analysis)

50. In the story, There Will Come Soft Rains, the silhouette on the west face of the house has
been elaborately described because_______________________________. (Analysis)

POETRY

51. Tithonus compared himself to a 'white haired shadow roaming like a dream' because
______________________. (Analysis)

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S.No. Questions
52. The landlady’s words in the poem, Telephone Conversation, are in uppercase because
___________. (Analysis)

53. In the poem, Small Towns and the River, the narrator feels that the river has a soul because
________________. (Understanding & analysis)

54. In Beethoven’s childhood, mercy from his father’s tyranny had to be earned
because___________________________. (Understanding)

55. A simile has been used to compare Beethoven’s fingers to gnarled roots because
_________________________. (Understanding)

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III: Short Answer Questions (5 Marks Each)

S.No. Questions

MACBETH
56. What does Macbeth’s interaction with the murderers in Act III Scene (iii), reveal about his
character and state of mind?
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) The manner in which Macbeth instigates and manipulates the murderers against
Banquo.
(b) The way the gradual decline of his character is delineated. (Analysis)

57. By the end of Act III Scene (ii), Macbeth has embraced evil and sunk to the depths of
depravity. How is this indicated in the acts that were studied.
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Examples of his evil deeds.
(b) The manner in which he loses the sympathy of the audience.
(Analysis & Evaluate)

58. Attempt a comparison between Macbeth and Edward, the Confessor as kings by closely
referring to Act IV Scene (iii).
Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Qualities of Edward the Confessor and Macbeth.
(b) The manner in which they affect their subjects. (Analysis)

59. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth realises that he has been duped and beguiled by the
witches. What made him feel so?
Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Macbeth’s false sense of security.
(b) His realisation that the security is false and misleading. (Recall & Understanding)

PROSE

60. With reference to the short story Atithi, destiny takes Tarapada to Kathaliya and not
Nandigram. Do you agree?
Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) The wanderlust of Tarapada.
(b) Events that led him to Kathaliya. (Recall & Understanding)

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S.No. Questions
61. The indigo planter had “light blue eyes from which shone a strange mixture of hardness
and suffering.” Account for his strange mixture of hardness and suffering. Take this with
close reference to the story, ‘Indigo’.
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) The guilt that the planter carried with him of suppressing the natives.
(b) The fear of the consequence of his actions. (Understanding & Analysis)

62. With reference to Ray Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains, shows how the “one house
left standing” in the city is reduced to “one wall stood alone” at the end of the story.
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Elements of dystopia in the picture of the house which is mentioned.
(b) Details of the trace of life and the final image. (Understanding)

63. With reference to the short story, The Medicine Bag, why do you think Martin feels
embarrassed of his great grandfather when he is found looking for their home? What does
it convey about the boy?
Write your answer in about 100-150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Analysis of the reasons for Martin to feel embarrassed of his great grandfather.
(b) Martin’s character trait in that particular episode. (Evaluate)

64. The short story, The Medicine Bag, mirrors the position of women in a Native American
Society. Justify this statement with at least four instances from the text.
Write your answer in about 100-150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Your answer must highlight the instances where Grandpa follows stereotypical
traditions where he prefers the male to a female.
(b) Four instances from the text. (Recall & Analysis)

65. Identify and explain any two messages that predominantly stand out as lessons for all,
particularly the grown-ups, in the story, The Cookie Lady.
Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Parents’ responsibility in preparing the children to deal with evil.
(b) Unscrupulous and evil-minded people prey upon the innocent. (Understanding)

POETRY

66. Show how Tennyson employs the use of vivid imagery and descriptive language to
describe the plight of Tithonus for defying nature’s cycle.
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Identify imagery from nature that describes decay.
(b) Tithonus’ longing for death, Aurora’s silence. (Understanding)

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S.No. Questions
67. How does Tennyson effectively use dramatic monologue, a literary device in his poem,
Tithonus to bring out the speaker’s state of mind?
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Tithonus asks Aurora for a boon.
(b) His lament thereafter- his suffering and longing for release.
(Understanding & Analysis)

68. How has the speaker used dark humour in the poem Telephone Conversation, to get the
better of the landlady?
Write the answer in around about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) The landlady’s racist queries.
(b) The clever play of words used by the speaker to bring out the absurdity of racial
discrimination. (Understanding & Analysis)

69. How has the poet used imagery to convey his emotional turmoil in the poem
Telephone Conversation?
Write the answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Identify the imagery used in the poem- mainly visual, auditory and olfactory.
(b) Explain what each of the imagery conveys. (Understanding & Analysis)

70. In reference to the poem Death Be not Proud, why should Death not be proud? What is
Donne’s point about Death?
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Explain why the speaker regards Death as weak.
(b) Explain Donne’s message in the poem. (Understanding & Analysis)

71. With reference to John Donne's Death Be Not Proud, shows how death has been portrayed
as just a slave to earthly elements and not an omnipotent entity.
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Explain why death is powerless against the forces of fate and eternity.
(b) Explain how death is passive and subservient. (Understanding & Analysis)

72. How does Shane Koyczan capture the essence of Beethoven’s music and the profound
impact it had upon his audiences?
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Comment on the transformative power of Beethoven’s music.
(b) Pick out evidence from the poem that employs figurative devices to describe the
enormous effect his music had on listeners. (Recall & Application)

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S.No. Questions
73. Referring to the poem, Small Towns and the River, how has the poet Mamang Dai brought
out a contrast between the transient nature of human life and the enduring permanence of
nature?
Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.
(a) Comment on what small towns remind the poet of.
(b) Examine the river that flows steadily on, unaffected by the passage of time.
(Evaluate)

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IV: Long Answer Questions (10 Marks Each)

S.No. Questions

MACBETH

74. In Act III Scene (iv) of the play, Macbeth, how does Lady Macbeth take charge of the
disruption caused at the banquet due to Macbeth’s erratic behaviour?
Write your answer in about 200-250 words. (Analysis)

75. Show with reference to Act IV Scene (iii) of Macbeth, how Malcolm proves himself to
be a steadfast judge of human character.
Write your answer in about 200-250 words. (Analysis)

76. How is the Banquet Scene Act III Scene (iv) in Shakespeare's Macbeth significant
particularly in terms of exploration of character, thematic development and
foreshadowing of events to come?
Write your answer in about 250 words.
(Understanding & Evaluate)

77. With reference to the events in Act III of the play, Macbeth, analyse how Macbeth’s
ambition to retain his kingship destroys his conscience. Clearly state four instances from
the text to support your evaluation.
Write your answer in about 200-250 words. (Analysis)

78. What does the ruthless slaughter of Macduff’s wife and children reveal about Macbeth’s
mental state at this point in the play? How does Macduff react to this tragedy? What does
this reveal about his character?
Write the answer in about 250 words. (Analysis & Evaluate)

79. With reference to Act IV Scene (i) of Macbeth, show how the witches successfully work
on the relentless ambition of Macbeth and mislead him towards his tragic downfall.
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Analysis)

80. How does Act V bring about the resolution in the play? Do you sympathise with
Macbeth? What are your impressions about him at this point in the play? Give three
reasons with supporting evidence from the play for doing so.
Write the answer in about 250 words. (Analysis)

PROSE

81. With reference to the short story, Athithi, show how Tarapada remains an intriguing yet
charming depiction of a boy who cannot be bound in the labyrinth of relationships.
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Understanding & Analysis)

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S.No. Questions

82. Satyajit Ray’s skill as a storyteller lies in the deployment of life in the story, Indigo, like
details to create a haunting tale with a taste of the unusual.
Bring out the various ways in which he does it in about 250 words.
(Understanding & Analysis)

83. “The dog ran upstairs, hysterically yelping to each door, at last realising, as the house
realised that only silence was here.”
Comment on how this excerpt from There Will Come Soft Rains, shows that although
the automated house has been attributed with distinct human and animalistic qualities, it
is sadly devoid of any human touch.
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Analysis)

84. With close reference to the story, The Medicine Bag, analyse Martin's transition from an
awkward teenager to someone who takes pride in his roots.
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Evaluate)

85. How does Philip P. Dick turn the story, The Cookie Lady, from a narrative of an innocent
boy visiting a kindly old neighbor into a tale of terror?
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Understanding & Evaluate)

POETRY

86. With apt references from the text, show how the boon of immortality transformed
Tithonus into a mere shadow. What does Tennyson convey through Tithonus’ lament?
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Understanding & Analysis)

87. In the Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka, show how the speaker uses wit and
verbal superiority to expose the ignorance of the prejudiced land lady?
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Analysis)

88. How does Donne’s final statement, ‘And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die’
serve as a powerful conclusion to convey his message against the fear of death.
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Analysis & Application)

89. How does the poem Beethoven underscore the message that despite personal challenges,
man can aspire to great heights?
Write your answer in about 250 words. (Evaluate)

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ANSWER KEY

Q.No. Expected Answers

In answering Multiple Choice Questions, candidates must write either the correct option or
the description/ explanation against it. Please note that only ONE correct answer should be
written.

1. (a) Metaphor

2. (c) power that is empty and unfulfilling.

3. (a) put an end to Banquo and Fleance’s lives.

4. (b) (i) and (iii)

5. (b) Man’s insecurity

6. (c) Sardonic

7. (b) (ii) and (iv)

8. (a) (i) and (ii)

9. (b) Banquo’s sons/ descendants will rule over England, Scotland and Ireland.

10. (d) Paradox

11. (a) Lucifer

12. (a) Mock the speaker.

13. (b) It represents Macbeth’s inability to escape the consequences of his actions.

14. (c) To characterise Macbeth as ruthless and formidable.

15. (a) They indicate the loss of loyalty and growing dissent.

16. (a) man’s quest for the unknown.

17. (c) Personification

18. (d) Mechanical and Dispassionate

19. (a) parasitic

20. (c) Foreshadowing

21. (b) Statement B is a condition for Statement A.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 16

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

22. (a) Conflict between the landlady’s phony good-breeding and her prejudice

23. (b) (ii) and (iii)

24. (d) The words are an ironic comment on the father’s harsh words.

25. (d) draw our attention to the suffering behind Beethoven’s talent.

26. (a) (iii) and (iv)

27. (c) Falling leaves

28. (b) love and memory towards the dead.

29. Duncan is in his grave and need not fear steel or poison rebellion domestic or foreign
invasion/Duncan in his grave is beyond steel, poison, rebellion domestic or wars.

30. He is losing control over his mind.

31. Though her own part in Macbeth’s downfall has been overlooked by the weird sisters,
she now wishes personally to make his downfall complete. /She was not called to play
a part and wishes to exploit his hubris and ambition.

32. His mental agony, his sense of guilt and remorse as well as his insecurity affect him as
sharply as the stinging of scorpions. /Macbeth’s mind is filled with various thoughts
including guilt, remorse and his insecurity.

33. Lady Macbeth is scared that Macbeth in his madness will blurt out the truth and will
reveal his guilt.

34. People of Scotland are seeing through Macbeth’s treachery and the opposition to his
tyranny is developing and assembling in England. They hope that Macduff in his fight
against Macbeth, will get help from the English king/People have high hopes of comfort
from England/

35. Every minute passing is reminding him of his own treason; murderous deeds.

36. His mind was so full of murderous thoughts that nothing can startle him anymore.

37. She is sleepwalking and uttering these words in her sleep, unaware of who is around her.

38. By killing Macduff Macbeth will be doubly sure of his fate.

39. Though they are greater in number, they cannot hang the honest men.

40. Both are not yet aware that Macbeth’s henchmen have slaughtered the entire family of
Macduff.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 17

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

41. He wants to be assured of the integrity, patriotism and true intentions of Macduff by
testing him.

42. Satan, God’s best angel rebelled against him, and Macduff in spite of his apparent
integrity and loyalty to his country, can do the same with Malcolm and join hands with
Macbeth. /Lucifer, God’s best angel rebelled against him; Macduff can do the same with
Malcolm and join hands with Macbeth.

43. Macduff left in haste, leaving his family vulnerable to the onslaught of Macbeth, and
without providing any rational explanation for his flight, almost like a coward or a
traitor.

44. He could not be bound in the labyrinth of close relationships as he longed for freedom
and the unexplored.

45. The heavy rain and storm had darkened the sky.

46. Aniruddha found the chowkidar’s words reassuring when the latter said that no one had
complained of the presence of ghosts in the bungalow.

47. The writer wishes to create a sense of horror and foreboding so that the reader is
immediately ‘hooked’.

48. It was not customary for girls/women to embrace their father/grandfather in the Native
American /Sioux community/grandfather was a conservative Sioux who would not be
comfortable with the customs of the white Americans.

49. It desperately sought the loving and caring human inhabitants of the house, who had
nurtured him for so long.

50. The author wants us to get a vivid picture of the once vibrant inhabitants of the house,
convey the impact of the nuclear holocaust and to depict the devastation caused by
nuclear explosion.

51. Tithonus is consumed by cruel immortality.

52. The poet wants to highlight the landlady’s feelings of racial superiority.

53. The river makes its way through the land just like grief pierces into the human heart.

54. It was conditional and depended on how flawlessly he played the piano.

55. Of the agonizing cramps and the muscles that twisted painfully like gnarled roots due
to relentless practice.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 18

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

56. His Character:
• In Act III Scene (iii), of "Macbeth," Macbeth interacts with a group of murderers
whom he hires to kill Banquo and his son Fleance.
• These interactions are significant as they reflect Macbeth's increasingly desperate and
ruthless pursuit of power, his growing deviousness.
• Macbeth's decision to hire murderers demonstrates his willingness to resort to
violence and betrayal to maintain his position as king.
• This reflects his growing paranoia and insecurity, as he sees Banquo as a threat due
to the Witches' prophecy that Banquo's descendants will inherit the throne.
• Macbeth reveals the depths to which he is willing to sink in order to secure his power
at the cost of sacrificing his own morality.
• Macbeth's interactions with the murderers reveal his manipulative nature and his
ability to exploit others for his own gain. He preys on their grievances and convinces
them that Banquo is their enemy, using persuasive rhetoric to incite them to commit
murder.
State of Mind: Furthermore, Macbeth's interactions with the murderers also showcase
his growing isolation and alienation. Whereas, earlier in the play he had allies such as
Lady Macbeth, now he must rely on hired killers to do his bidding.

57. • Macbeth progressively murders his own conscience as executes the murder of the
perceived threats to his power.
• He manipulates and instigates the murderers to murder Banquo.
• He begins hiding his plans from Lady Macbeth (feels they are too terrible for her ear).
• After Banquo his attention shifts to Macduff- in a terrible act, he has Lady Macduff
and her children murdered.
• Does not need the witches but declares “The very firstlings of my heart shall be the
firstlings of my hand.” Entrenched in crime, he sinks further into the depths of
depravity.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 19

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

58. • Edward the Confessor is represented as the ideal king, divinely ordained as God’s
deputy on earth. He is the very antithesis of the now villainous Macbeth who was
never a legitimate king.
• Malcolm refers to Macbeth as ‘this tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, /
Was once thought honest.’ Macbeth’s oppression and cruelty has turned Scotland
into ‘our grave.’
• In contrast, Edward the Confessor, ‘the good king’ had the power to cure the people
of scrofula with his ‘healing benediction’ because ‘such sanctity hath heaven given
his hand’. He was revered for his sanctity. Besides this ‘strange virtue’, Edward had
a heavenly gift of prophecy whereas Macbeth had to rush to the evil witches for
prophecies. Edward had several other gifts which clearly showed that was a man
graced by God. In sharp contrast, Macbeth’s gratuitous cruelty when his men kill
Macduff’s innocent wife and children, makes him abhorrently repugnant.
• King Edward the Confessor is a symbol of hope and righteousness- full of grace and
spiritual power.
• Edward’s reign was marked by piety and benevolence whereas Macbeth rule was
marked by unchecked ambition and moral corruption.
• The inevitable comparison between the ideal king as represented by Edward the
Confessor and the villainous Macbeth vividly highlights the latter’s steep descent
into ignominy.

59. • Macbeth who was once Bellona’s bridegroom, a noble and courageous character
took refuge in the devil’s agents that brought about his ruin. He killed King Duncan
prompted by his ambitions and did not hesitate to kill even Banquo.
• Macbeth, in Act IV has completely identified with evil, is more concerned about his
own security, the fact that Fleance, Banquo’s son has fled away. He approached the
witches once more to know about his future. He was told that no man born of woman
can do him harm and he will remain undefeated until Birnam wood moves to
Dunsinane.
• During the duel, Macbeth tells Macduff that he has a charmed life as none born of
woman can do him any harm.
• But Macduff to Macbeth’s great horror and dismay, tells him to give up his faith as
he was prematurely taken out of his mother’s womb (by Caesarion section).
• This unexpected news about the birth of Macduff is like the last straw. Macbeth starts
cursing Macduff as the very news robbed him of his courage and valour.
• At last, he feels that he has been duped and beguiled by the witches who used
ambiguous words to deceive him.
• The forces of evil are not to be trusted because they work to undo man.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 20

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

60. • Tarapada, the protagonist of the story, a teenager imbued with wanderlust and desire
for freedom led him to leave his family and neighbourhood.
• The zamindar, Motilal Babu, along with his family was returning home to Kathaliya
in a houseboat.
• Tarapada asks for a lift to go to the village Nandigram on the way to Kathaliya and
Motilal Babu gladly allows him on board and even offers him lunch.
• Tarapada, in the meanwhile, befriends the boatmen, gets so involved in the daily
chores like cooking, rowing and steering the boat and entertaining the family with his
singing and flute playing that he does not notice Nandigram when they pass it.
• Thus, he goes to Kathaliya and remains there for two years before he makes his next
move.

61. • The British indigo planter was a product of his times.
• Like most planters, he was cruel and had oppressed the native peasants.
• In his confessional letter, he admits: “I have treated the natives here so badly that
there is no one to shed a tear at my passing away.” That accounts for the hardness in
his eyes. Yet, the planter was suffering from repeated attacks of malaria and wonders
that he may have to meet his end “at the hands of a tiny insect (mosquito).”
• Hated by the natives, he did not dare to return home either, because he did not lead a
blameless life there. He was afraid that the natives would not even spare his dog after
his death.
• All this must have made his suffering unbearable. This explains, why the indigo
planter had a strange mixture of hardness and suffering.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 21

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

62. • “The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes.” This was the only house to
have survived the bombing. “At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow
which could be seen for miles”.
• There are no occupants in the house. Still, the automated house performs all the chores
making sure that the residents of the house get all the facilities available.
• Life is non-existent in the story apart from the dog, which dies, and the house
indifferently sweeps its remains into an incinerator. The dog’s brief and miserable
appearance is symbolic of the destruction of the loving world that once nurtured him.
• The house turns sinister when it dispassionately disposed of the family dog’s carcass.
• The house tries to keep itself away from nature. It shuts itself whenever “lonely foxes
and whining cats” get too close.
• It does not even allow a sparrow to brush up against the window.
• Later, when the fire engulfed the house, and the “attic brain which directed the pumps
was shattered into bronze shrapnel on the beams”, it was time for the last house
standing in the city to collapse.
• “The fire burst the house and let it slam flat down, puffing out skirts of spark and
smoke”. Then the crash came. “The Attic smashing into kitchen and parlour. The
parlour into the cellar, cellar into sub-cellar”. As the dawn finally emerged from the
east, “among the ruins, one wall stood alone”.
• The automated house, which was the final bastion of civilization, falls and nature
outlasts humanity and machines.
• At last, within the wall, “a last voice said, over and over again……Today is August
5, 2026, today is August 5, 2026….”

63. • Martin had presented a glamorous picture of his great grandpa to his friends – the way
they had perceived a Native American on TV.
• A crowd of little kids were yelling at the old man and dogs were yipping and growling
around him – he was walking in the middle of the street.
• The old man was wearing a long black hat from which a feather was drooping, and
his grey hair straggled from under, baggy pants and was carrying a beat-up old tin
suitcase which was tied shut with a rope – his get up was out of place in the city.
• Martin felt embarrassed when his grandpa shook his hand and while he did that, his
coat fell open to expose a bright-red satin shirt with a beaded bolo tie under the collar
– all this being watched by the people in the neighbourhood.
• Martin’ character trait – shameful of his grandfather / struggles with the idea of reality
of his grandfather as against the glamorous picture that he has presented/struggles
with the idea of grandpa’s sudden presence.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 22

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

64. • Martin’s mother checked her move to embrace grandpa when he arrived, but he
stretched his arms to hug Cheryl who was still young enough to be hugged. It was not
usual / customary in the reservation for men to embrace women once they have
crossed a certain age.
• Even when grandpa had fainted, Martin chooses to undress him knowing that grandpa
would not want his mother to do the same.
• Grandpa would not have known yet Martin knows of his staunch beliefs as a Sioux.
• Martin’s dad had to convince grandpa to allow his wife to feed him for that night.
grandpa would not have liked being fed by a woman, especially his granddaughter.
• Grandpa sends Martin’s mom and sister out when he has to hand over his heirloom to
Martin. He did not find it important to let the women know about the story and tells
Martin that they should not be troubled with it.
• Grandpa passed the heirloom only to the male child and had travelled a long way to
give it to him as opposed to handing it to his own granddaughter.

65. • The author focuses on the responsibility of the parents in guiding their children. Both
parents failed to control the obsessive desire of their son to relish cookies.
• The innocent boy falls into the trap of an unethical lady who, under the pretext of
providing him his favourite cookies filled with nuts and raisins, exploits his youth and
vitality and sends him back, deprived of all his energy.
• The Surles, despite being aware that it was not right for their son to be spending such
a lot of time with a strange old lady, do little to either show genuine concern or probe
the reason for their son’s actions.
• The author stresses on the result of over-exploitation of the innocents by evil minded,
unprincipled people.
• While Mrs. Drew’s motives are vicious and selfish, Bubber’s parents do not display
considerable concern for him beyond being scathing and ridiculing the young boy.
They do not do much to stop Bubber from falling into Mrs. Drew’s trap.
• As a result, Bubber uses Mrs. Drew to pamper his enticement for baked cookies.
Similarly, Mrs. Drew sucks Bubber’s youth and vitality and exploits him to the
extreme.

66. • Tennyson illustrates the natural cycle of life and death through images of woods
decaying, the vapours fading, the swan dying, the clouds, the days and seasons
passing and human beings working and going to their graves. Through the use of
striking imagery, Tennyson captures the tragedy of Tithonus.
• The language throughout the poem is rich and evocative, employing metaphor and
personification to explore the longing for immortality and the eventual
disillusionment with its consequence.
• Tithonus grows old longing to die.
• There is a fixed order in the universe. All things come to an end.
• Tithonus defied nature’s cycle by begging Aurora to grant him the gift of immortality.
Hence, he became old and withered with passage of time but cannot die. He forgot to
ask for the perpetuation of youth.
• Tithonus begs Aurora to take back his gift. He expected Aurora to answer his prayers,
but her silence became a cause for him to despair.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 23

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

67. • The poem begins with the lamentation of Tithonus who fell in love with the goddess
Aurora and asked her to grant him the gift of immortality.
• However, Aurora failed to perpetuate eternal youth for him.
• In conformity with the traits of a dramatic monologue the poem depicts the inner
conflict of the speaker- the conflict in Tithonus’s mind between mortality and
immortality or life and death.
• Here Tithonus, who is endowed with the gift of immortality by Aurora speaks his
mind and reveals the acute pain of his old age and decrepit state of his life in a perfect
poetic language where the presence of the goddess is felt and thus, the poem becomes
a dramatic monologue.
• Tithonus asked Aurora to grant him the gift of immortality. Aurora granted him the
boon of immortality.
• Tithonus bemoans his boon of immortality as everything in nature is subject to decay,
but he is unable to die. Tennyson illustrates the natural cycle of life and death through
the images of the woods decaying, the vapours fading, the swan dying, the seasons
passing, and human beings working and going to their graves.
• Tithonus expresses his painful thoughts and agonising feelings to Aurora.

68. • The landlady hurled racist queries at the speaker like: “How Dark?”, “Are you light
or very dark?” and later changing the emphasis – “are you dark? Or very light?”
• After his initial anger and dumbfoundment at the landlady’s crude racist queries, the
speaker adjusted his wavelength and hit back at the landlady with his superior
erudition and dark humour.
• Using clever word play, he brings out the absurdity of racial discrimination.
• He playfully describes his complexion as “West African sepia” and as an afterthought,
“Down in my passport.” He was alluding to the fact that in those days’ passport
photographs were indeed in sepia.
• He correctly assumed that the racist landlady did not have the erudition to understand
the meaning of “West African sepia.”
• He deliberately points out in tongue and cheek fashion that different parts of his body
have different complexions.
• He says that though facially he may be brunette, but palm of his hand and soles of his
feet are a ‘peroxide blonde.’
• Finally, he admits in a mocking manner that friction caused foolishly by sitting down
has turned his ‘bottom raven black.’ Race and identity are far too complex to be
reduced to a simple binary choice between dark and light.
• Sensing that the landlady was about to hang up noisily he ends with the final plea by
inviting the landlady to see for herself.
• The poet, through his concluding sentence makes a strong statement against
prejudging others especially when they are different from ourselves.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 24

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

69. • After the landlady asked the speaker about his skin tone, (“Are you light or very
dark?”), the latter is filled with disgust and anger.
• Wole Soyinka has effectively used imagery to mirror the speaker’s feelings. He has
olfactory, auditory and visual imagery to effectively do this. He mentions: “Stench
of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.”
• Stench of rancid breath translates to the stink of stale breath which possibly may be
the case in a public telephone booth which is used by various types of people. But
“stench of rancid breath” also reflects the negative feelings of disgust felt by the
speaker towards the landlady. Similarly, the poet mentions, “Red booth. Red pillar-
box. Red double tiered omnibus squelching tar.”
• The repetition of the word ‘red’ at one level specifies the location to England. But the
colour red is also symbolic of the speaker’s anger. Squelching tar refers to the squishy
sound which a double -tiered omnibus makes when it goes over wet tar. But at a
deeper level, the tar represents the dark-skinned people who have been historically
persecuted.
• This image is suggestive of the anguish and suffering endured by those oppressed by
racists. The rapid succession of images presented in a staccato fashion aptly captures
the emotional turmoil of the speaker.
70. • The poet asserts that Death has no real power. It is not “mighty and dreadful” and it
is not an overwhelmingly fearful entity.
• Death is deceived in being convinced that it can overthrow human life by claiming it.
• Death, in fact, is a “slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men”.
• Death is completely at the mercy of impersonal and unpredictable forces.
• Death is a heightened version of sleep.
• Death is “rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery”.
• The process of death is a transition into the next realm of existence.
• The idea of awakening from sleep constitutes the quintessence of Donne’s final lines
in the poem. “One short sleep past, we wake eternally”. Death is like a restful sleep
before people awake into an eternal life.

71. • In the sonnet ‘Death Be Not Proud', the poet has been painstakingly conscious in
undermining the powers of death. He asserts that death is not ‘mighty and dreadful’.
• On the contrary it is ‘poor’ and can indeed be subjected to human pity. In fact,
according to him, death is a “slave to chance, kings, and desperate men”.
• So, death is subservient to the enigmas of destiny, to the unpredictability of fate, and
to the whims of powerful men. It is not a cause but only an instrument. Death is
married to very mundane and miserable elements like “poison, war, and sickness”.
• It is not an all-powerful, overwhelming entity all by itself. Moreover, it is just “one
short sleep past” and is in fact a portal to transcend the soul to “wake” into an eternity.
• Death is a heightened version of sleep. Death is just a reprieve for the physical selves
of humans while their souls move on to the eternal afterlife.
• At best, death is described as an inducer of sleep, compared to the fragrant
intoxication of “poppy”. Thus, death does not kill us, it is death itself which dies;
“Death, thou shalt die”.
• Death has no power as it cannot determine its own course of action. It is completely
at the mercy of impersonal and unpredictable forces.
• The very assertion that death itself will die, robs it of its aura of omnipotence.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 25

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

72. • Transformative power of Beethoven’s music: It washes over the nervous system like
an invading naval Armada, firing volleys of cannonballs that detonate within the body,
bombarding every molecule and nerve ending in cascading explosions of sensation.
This is to highlight the immersive power of Beethoven’s music.
• It makes the listener desperately crave for the one more ‘hit’ of the drug that was
Beethoven. His music is like a powerful addictive narcotic for the senses.
• The power of Beethoven’s music made joy tangible.
Figures of Speech:
• Allusion: The poet goes on to say that such was the timelessness and beauty of
Beethoven’s music that it could take you to distances past the towers of Babylon
[Biblical Allusion].
• Imagery: Beethoven’s music takes on such astronomical power that the entire solar
system resembles crashing cymbals, comets colliding and creating crescendos so
mighty that star seem to be loosened from constellations and fall like luminous tears
from heavens.
• Love and Hate are personified as elegantly dancing with such precision and beauty
that the listener realizes that to appreciate the beauty of Beethoven's music, the
historical context or biography is really not important. All that is important is to
‘Listen’.

73. • Mamang Dai has portrayed the small towns to be symbolic to the transient human life
where humans are not mortals and may perish. But according to her, nature is
permanent and will outlive many humans.
• A very sad and gloomy picture of life comes forth as the narrator talks about the
monotony of life in towns and all coming down to death eventually as against the
river which symbolises eternal flow.
• Humans cry when someone dies, and they mourn the death of the departed. Tuberoses
are flowers used in wreaths – which symbolise our love and respect towards the dead.
• These become the representatives of the grief we carry in our hearts. So, it is nature
which supports us in all our emotions.
• Unlike the human body, nature is ever flowing. It faces the challenges, one of them
being a sharp grief or pain which it cuts through and moves ahead.
• Nature learns from what it observes -the first drop of rain on dry earth and mist on
the mountain tops. It learns and gains knowledge as it passes. It knows the importance
of water.
• The river is not affected as it grows as against human life which forgets its childhood
happy picture and becomes anxious. The river just flows.
• People go back to their everyday life chores and matters once the mourning is over.
The mourning is also transient like human life.
• The poem ends on a positive note that though human life is not permanent like nature,
still there is hope that we will walk with God.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 26

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

74. • Having been informed about Banquo’s murder, Macbeth returns to the feast and
wishes that Banquo was present. To his terror, he finds Banquo’s apparition present
in the feast.
• Banquo’s ghost occupies the seat which was meant for Macbeth to sit. Unfortunately
for Macbeth, no one else can see Banquo’s ghost. Hence, no one understands
Macbeth’s agitated behaviour.
• He starts talking to Banquo’s ghost telling him to go out of his sight. That the earth
should swallow him- there was no marrow in his bones and his blood was cold – he
feels that Banquo’s eyes were staring at him. Fear seems to have gripped Macbeth.
• He becomes oblivious to his surroundings and speaks words that he cannot
comprehend in a disjointed manner.
• Lady Macbeth uses her presence of mind and tactfully handles this situation by
assuring the guests that Macbeth usually has such fits, and they must not talk to him
or take note of his condition.
• She tries to calm Macbeth by telling him that the guests are responding to him with
their hearts and that he should attend to them.
• She tells him that if he did not welcome his guests, they would begin to feel as if they
were paying for their meal.
• When Ross tells everyone to stand up as Macbeth was unwell, she tells them to sit
and says that Macbeth was often in this state since childhood. It was a momentary fit
and he would be fine soon. If they take too much note of him, it might aggravate his
condition. She even tells them not to pay attention to his condition and enjoy the feast.
• She tells Macbeth that he was hallucinating due to fear and that his foolish behaviour
has destroyed his manhood.
• When Lady Macbeth realizes that his state is deteriorating, he asks the guests to leave
without worrying about their ranks or orders. She takes things in her hands and saves
Macbeth from speaking that which could have put him into trouble.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 27

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

75. • Malcolm is distinguished by his caution. He is not unsuspecting and trustful like his
father Duncan. Experience has taught him to trust none blindly.
• He does not hesitate in asking Macduff “why in that rawness left your wife and child”,
or that Macduff once loved and trusted Macbeth and Macbeth “hath not touched him
yet.”
• He is wise and candid enough to portray his suspicion that taking advantage of his
youth, Macduff can offer him to Macbeth as “weak, poor, innocent lamb, / To appease
an angry god.”
• Malcolm initially tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to be morally corrupt, stating
that he would be a worse king than Macbeth.
• Malcolm only assures himself of noble Macduff’s loyalty after speaking elaborately
about his own extractions, his insatiable “voluptuousness, staunch less avarice and
summer-seeming lust”.
• When an exasperated Macduff is ready to give up on him claiming “Fit to govern?
/No, not to live” and bids farewell to him by stating “These evils thou repeatest upon
thyself/ Hath banished me from Scotland”, then only Malcolm becomes assured of
Macduff’s honesty and integrity.
• He calls Macduff “the Child of integrity” and admits that at last his thoughts are
reconciled to Macduff’s “good truth and honour”. His natural inheritance of a
religious spirit from his parents makes him appreciate profoundly the pious King
Edward of England, who cures people with “healing benediction”.
• Malcolm’s astute observation of Macduff’s responses shows his ability to gauge
character.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 28

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

76. • Character development:
Macbeth's guilt and paranoia: The scene reveals Macbeth's inner turmoil and descent
into madness/hallucination, a manifestation of his guilt. As he hosts the banquet, he
is haunted by the ghost of Banquo, whom he had murdered to secure his throne. This
manifestation of guilt and paranoia showcases Macbeth's psychological unravelling
and his inability to escape the consequences of his actions or the scene marks a turning
point in the play, both in terms of Macbeth’s character and theme. He has developed
a savage recklessness and when he finally dismisses the ghost and with it the last
outward expression of his conscience, both have become an ‘Unreal mockery’; he has
achieved the hardened cynicism for which he has striven and by the end of the scene
it appears that physical courage is all that is left of his earlier nobility. His decision to
seek out the witches shows the decisive change that has taken place, with no attempt
to conceal the nature of the evil he is embracing. Macbeth’s psychological
transformation in this scene is intense and pivotal.
Lady Macbeth's role: Lady Macbeth tries to cover for her husband's inconsistent
behaviour during the banquet, urging the guests to ignore his behaviour. This further
highlights the deterioration of their relationship and Lady Macbeth's inability to
control the situation, showcasing her own guilt, helplessness and psychological
distress.
• Theme Development:
Theme of appearance vs. reality: The banquet scene exemplifies the theme of
appearance versus reality. Despite Macbeth's attempts to maintain a façade of power
and control, his guilt manifests in the form of Banquo's ghost, disrupting the illusion
of stability and revealing the underlying chaos and moral decay. He pretends to be a
genial host on the surface but within he is racked with guilt and paranoia.
Theme of Isolation and alienation: The banquet scene also highlights Macbeth's
growing isolation and alienation from his peers. His erratic behaviour and interactions
with the ghost of Banquo alienate him from his guests, further isolating him from the
world around him. He is not a gracious host and his unstable behaviour frighten his
guests.
Theme of loyalty and betrayal: Banquo is Macbeth’s friend, yet he orders his murder.
Under, the presence of Banquo’s ghost is a reminder of Macbeth’s betrayal of his
friend.
• Foreshadowing of Events
The presence of Banquo's ghost serves as a reminder of the prophecy that Banquo's
descendants will inherit the throne, posing a threat to Macbeth's reign.
This foreshadows future events in the play, including Macbeth's downfall and the
eventual restoration of order.
It sets the stage for climax and resolution. The other characters are convinced of
Macbeth’s madness and start plotting against him.
This leads to the final confrontation between Macbeth and Macduff, leading to the
former’s downfall.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 29

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

77. • Macbeth has gone through a lot of psychological traumas before and while murdering
Duncan. His conscience stung him while he was preparing for the treacherous deed.
But soon after we come across a Macbeth who is paranoid at the idea of having killed
the king.
• In his quest for more power, he sets out to kill Banquo who knew about the prophecy
that his son who would be the next king. Macbeth does not want to spare Fleance who
is the real cause of this decision.
• Act III Scene (i), we find Macbeth hiring murderers to kill Banquo, thus, showing
how his ambition has slowly started poisoning his mind. He gives very clear
instructions to the plan before the murderers set out to execute it.
• But these thoughts become scorpions in his mind and the same Macbeth who used to
confide everything in his wife, is unable to spill the beans [Act III Scene (ii)].
• He starts becoming more powerful but internally he is suffering from an
overwhelming feeling of guilt. He even becomes envious of the king who sleeps
soundly in his grave and cannot be touched by steel, poison, domestic or foreign levy.
• His conscience starts taking a turn for the worse. He visualizes Banquo’s ghost at the
Banquet and his nerves are shattered. He loses control. But very soon, he realizes and
regains his senses.
• A sense of fear sets in his mind [Act 3 Scene (iv)] when he finds Banquo’s ghost for
the second tie. He fears that his secret will be revealed. His ambition once again takes
over when he decides to kill Macduff as he suspects that he knows about the murder
of King Duncan.
• [Act III Scene (v)] Macbeth in his fit of ambition and loss of conscience seeks to
exploit the witches for his own sake not knowing the consequences that he would
have to face.
• Macbeth in [Act III scene (vi)] is referred to as a tyrant by Lennox who feels that
Macduff is in danger. Macbeth’s conscience has succumbed to death while his
ambition has overpowered him. He is unable to sleep or eat thus causing a country
like himself to prevail.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 30

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

78. • In Act IV Scene (i), Macbeth meets the Witches for the last time because he was “bent
to know / By the worst means, the worst;…” The First Apparition warns him to”…
beware Macduff.”
• So, he decides to kill Macduff. (“thou shalt not live…”). However, after the Witches
disappear, Lennox enters to inform him that “Macduff is fled to England.” This must
have infuriated and unhinged Macbeth. In an aside, he explains that it was impossible
to act as quick as thought unless intent and action go together.
• He decides that from that moment “the firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of
my hand.” And in order to prove his point, he decides to surprise the castle of Macduff
and seize upon Fife.
• He decides to murder Macduff’s wife, his children and “all unfortunate souls that
trace him (Macduff) in his line. “He would no longer boast like a fool, and he would
execute the deed before his ardour cools down. Macbeth seems to have degenerated
into a butcher to feed his grudge against Macduff.
• In Act IV Scene (iii), Ross informs Macduff that Macduff’s wife and children have
been “savagely slaughter’d.” Macduff is absolutely grief-stricken, and he pulls down
his hat upon his brows to hide his tears.
• When Malcolm tells him to bear the news like a man, he says that he “must also feel
it as a man.” He blames himself for their death. This shows two things. Firstly, he
loved his wife and children very much. Secondly, he was an intensely emotional
person. This tragic news only steels his resolve to take revenge.
• As for the contention that Macduff was somewhat responsible for the tragedy that
befell his family, it depends one’s perspective. Those who think that Macduff was not
responsible, would point out that most likely he did not anticipate Macbeth’s savage
slaughter of his family. It was Macbeth not Macduff who should be squarely blamed.
• On the other hand, if we agree that Macduff was somewhat responsible for the
tragedy, then we need to point out that even Macduff holds himself responsible for
the tragedy. If he had stayed back at Fife, perhaps Macbeth would not have dared to
attack Fife.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 31

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

79. • The prophecies made by the witches in Act IV Scene (i) of ‘Macbeth’ are not
constructive promises, but riddles which makes the by now weak and confused
Macbeth identify himself with the forces of pure evil.
• He interprets the prophecies in accordance with his infinite ambition. The second
apparition tells him “Laugh to scorn/ The power of man, for none of woman born/
Shall harm Macbeth.”
• The witches very craftily lead Macbeth to the path of evil. Like a true tragic hero,
Macbeth becomes blind to the deceptive nature of evil.
• Later in Act IV Scene (i,) when he learns from Lenox that “Macduff is fled to
England”, he does not even take an instant to decide that “The castle of Macduff I
will surprise/ Seize upon Fife, give to the edge of the sword/ His wife, his babes, and
all unfortunate souls/ That trace him in his line.”
• He goes on to perpetrate this most heinous and unpardonable massacre and seals his
own doom.
• The futility of his own interpretation of prophecies strikes him in Act V Scene (v),
when a messenger comes and informs him that as he stood upon his watch, he “looked
toward Birnam, and anon, methought, / The wood began to move.”
• Malcolm’s astute military strategy of “Let every soldier hew him down a bough, /
And bear it before him” making Macbeth acutely remember the prophecy of the third
apparition, “Macbeth shall never be vanquished be, until/ Great Birnam wood to high
Dunsinane hill/ Shall come against him.”
• Macbeth can now feel that the Witches had not exactly predicted his destiny in the
most favourable of terms.

80. • In Act V we encounter an often-disoriented Macbeth, oscillating between ‘valiant
fury’ when he thinks of his enemies and near despair when he considers himself and
his own life.
• In contrast to the youth and vitality of Malcolm’s forces, Macbeth’s “way of life/ Is
fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf.”
• Malcolm’s calm instructions contrast with Macbeth’s impetuous orders and the unity
of the English and Scottish forces emphasises the increasing isolation of Macbeth.
• The play ends with Malcolm giving a speech in which he promises to be a good king
to all the people of Scotland.
• He invites them to come and attend his coronation at Scone, the traditional place for
Scottish kings to be crowned.
• Just before he gives the speech, he has been brought the severed head of Macbeth by
Macduff, who killed Macbeth.
• So, the play resolves with Macbeth getting what he deserves, and peace and order
being returned to Scotland.
• This brings a full circle to the beginning of the play- where Macbeth was risking his
life defending the King of Scotland and here, he’s dying so that the rightful king can
have the throne.
or
• I sympathise with Macbeth to see how a truly noble and courageous character meets
his tragic downfall due to the tragic flaw that leads to his destruction.
• I do not sympathise with Macbeth because of his greed, paranoia and ruthless murders
committed by him to satisfy his ambition. He appears to be unaffected by the dreadful
slaughter of various characters in the play.

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Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

81. • Tarapada could not be bound in the labyrinth of close relationships.
• He left his village without a thought and joined a jatra-troupe. The first time Tarapada
left his village without a thought and joined a jatra troupe, he was brought back.
• The emotional outpourings of his family could not keep him tied to his family.
• He joined a jatra troupe again only to leave again but when the master of the company
developed an affinity towards him treating him like a son and other members of the
troupe started liking him.
• He then joined a group of Panchali singers but when he found that his teacher had
begun to consider him as his own, he disappeared from there.
• Similarly, when Motilal Babu and his wife Annapurna started showing their affection
for him he left their house too.
• Although his growing fondness of his study companion kept him more at one place
for long, he ultimately left the place.
• Thus, the conflict between domesticity, emotional ties and quest for freedom is
depicted through the charming yet detached Tarapada who remains an elusive guest
leaving just before he was tied down by marriage.
• So, he could not be tied even by ties of love as his stars had made him a wanderer.

82. • The protagonist, Aniruddha Bose had decided to go to Dumka by car which is in itself
a detour from the usual way.
• Yet, there were snags before and during the journey. He was caught in a norwester
and twice he had flat tyres.
• All signs pointing towards something ominous showing Ray’s skilful use of
foreshadowing. It was when he stays in an old dak bungalow previously inhabited by
an English indigo planter, that strange things start to happen.
• At ten-thirty, he had gone to sleep. But a sound of a hound baying awakened him.
Aniruddha realised to his horror that his body had morphed to that of the English
indigo planter and also transported to the nineteenth century, exactly a hundred years
ago. Lines like: “A faint moonlight came through the window. I raised my left hand
to glance at the wristwatch and gave a start. My wristwatch was gone.” – deftly create
a haunting atmosphere.
• All the objects inside had changed and harked back to the nineteenth century. Satyajit
Ray has meticulously described them which adds to the haunting atmosphere.
• When Aniruddha whose body was now that of an Englishman, he saw that he had
“turned into a nineteenth-century Englishman with a sallow complexion, blond hair
and light eyes from which shone a strange mixture of hardness and suffering. Ray
writes: “Some unseen force made me (Aniruddha) sit in the chair and pick up the pen
with my (his) right hand.”
• It is the end which relaxes the reader, and one is transported from the paranormal
world to a one which is more a psychological manifestation of a fatigued mind.
• Even the letter, he pens down has the tell-tale stamp of being written by an
Englishman. It is clear that Ray’s vivid and authentic descriptions and attention to
detail create a haunting atmosphere with elements of the unusual.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 33

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

83. • The whining, shivering dog must have survived the holocaust and each day wait
desperately for human attention and care.
• The once big and healthy dog had “now gone to bone and covered with sores”, entered
the house and frantically looked for the former owners.
• When it realised again that they would never be back to take care of it, it “ran wildly
in circles, biting at its tail, spun in a frenzy, and died.” The house was no substitute
for the loving, caring humans that once inhabited it.
• As the dog entered the house, “behind it whirred angry mice, angry at having to pick
up mud, angry at inconvenience.”
• The prudish house is more concerned about cleanliness and hygiene than
demonstrating affection or even a semblance of love and care.
• It does not take much time for the house to dispose of the dog’s dead body “in the
cellar, the incinerator glowed suddenly, and a whirl of sparks leaped up the chimney.”
• The house felt deeply disturbed even at the minutest ripple of life around it. “If a
sparrow brushed a window, the shades opened up. This is deeply disturbing.
• The bird, startled, flew off! No, not even a bird must touch the house!” The dark side
of the house lay in its “old-maidenly preoccupation with self-protection which
bordered on mechanical paranoia.”
• The house makes a conscious effort to keep itself away from nature. It shuts itself
whenever “lonely foxes and whining cats” get too close.
• Though the “robot mice” and “copper scrap rats” make the house spotlessly clean, the
“twenty snakes” try to extinguish the flames engulfing the house with a “clear cold
venom of green froth”, and the nursery regales the children with the animation of
artificial animals, the house has become essentially inhuman as humanity itself has
been destroyed.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 34

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

84. • Martin along with his sister portray a glamorous picture of their Native American
great grandpa to their friends, but, Martin feels ashamed when his grandpa suddenly
turns up at his place and is found walking in the middle of the street.
• The children are yelling at him, and the dogs are growling at the old man. Martin runs
to his rescue but feels embarrassed when his grandpa shakes hands with him, and
Martin notices that he is not dressed aptly for city.
• Though Martin loves his grandpa and has enjoyed going over to this place during
vacations, his attitude does not remain the same when he finds his grandfather at
home.
• A certain resentment is seen when he has to undress his old man when he faints.
• Martin slowly feels sensitive to the needs to his grandfather when he realises that at
the age of eighty-six, he had taken so much pain as to travel so far with great difficulty
to reach their home – a man who had never left the reservation.
• Martin had not allowed his friends to meet his grandpa thinking that he would
embarrass him, but it soon turned out to be false. His friends loved his grandpa when
they came to spend time with him.
• Martin’s respect grew for his grandpa when he got to know that he had come all the
way because it was time for him to have the medicine bag.
• Grandpa takes Martin through the journey of the importance of the medicine bag and
how it had become a sign of safety for the family. Martin realises that the vision quest
and the importance of finding a spirit guide and the distress of the Native Americans
made him a part of a strong ancestral history.
• He understood the importance of being a part of a rich culture and that he was
responsible for continuing the tradition of holding the medicine bag.
• This made him sensitive towards his grandpa and finally proud of holding the
medicine bag and finding the sacred sage and placing it in the bag.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 35

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

85. • In the story, we find an outlandish lady Mrs. Drew using the boy for her needs and
the boy getting favours for his unquenchable appetite for cookies.
• Mrs. Drew is the cookie-lady, cooks well, not only food but also the unsuspecting
gluttonous boy, using his youth and getting it transported in herself.
• The characters of Mrs. Drew and Bubber have been outlined with their distinct
individualities. Mrs. Drew, the weird, self-seeking necromancer, like a witch, drawing
out Bubber's youth and vigour arouses terror in the reader.
• Bubber, the plump and blameless overeater arouses the reader’s pity.
• Both the father and mother of Bubber have been fleetingly sketched, having phony
concern for their son, without getting wholly involved in his welfare.
• The style adopted by the author is simple and orthodox and the narrative is linear. One
wonders why a young boy would be drawn to an old, withered woman living in a
shabby house and garden overrun with weeds. This setting is reminiscent of the horror
genre.
• The boy's getting skinny and feeble like a paper has been styled so informally as if
nothing untoward happened.
• This narrative technique makes the seemingly dismal situation cursorily light.
However, the tragedy lying beneath is too large to realize although a sense of unease
among the reader should have set in.
• The ending is the outcome of the engagement when we witness Mrs. Drew, the strange
old lady, being transformed and experiencing the rejuvenation as if she were a
thirty-year young lady. The reader is left aghast by her total lack of remorse that
borders on the evil, but the writer does it without creating any blood-curdling
situation. But what happens to Bubber gives the reader a shockwave, a surprise.
• As Bubber is blown away, being reduced to a bundle of debris, by the strong wind,
the reader is left stunned and confounded, lost in a world of make-believe in which
anything is probable.
• The fact that the writer uses a straight narrative and a casual style as the story ends
with the disappearance of a young, vibrant life, without even causing a ripple makes
it all the uncanny and the horror leaves a deep impact on the reader.
Or
• Explain the reason for the boy’s visit to Mrs. Drew’s house.
• Describe peculiarities of the old woman and her home.
• Explore their interaction between Bubber and Mrs. Drew and its strangeness.
• Explain the outcome of this interaction.
• Comment on the atmosphere and the conclusion that leaves the reader with a sense of
foreboding.
• Make a personal comment on why the story leaves a lingering sense of unease.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 36

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

86. • The poem reminds readers that death, so often imagined as a terror to be fled, is in
fact a necessary, natural, even merciful part of human life.
• Tithonus, son of Laomedon, king of Troy, fell in love with Aurora, the goddess of
dawn.
• Being a human, Tithonus feared death and thereby losing Aurora. So, he begged
Aurora to grant him immortality. Aurora granted Tithonus physical immortality from
Zeus.
• As the years rolled by, Tithonus started losing his valour and youth but could not die
because of his gift of immortality.
• Most mortals escape the pains of their later years, the old-fashioned way, by dying.
• For the immortal Tithonus, however, that simply isn’t an option. Though he begs
Aurora to take back her gift and let him die, she isn’t able to do so.
• Old age with its frailty and loss is far unkinder.
• The poem therefore suggests that this embrace of death is a kind of wisdom that only
comes with age.
• Wasted and withered, Tithonus is reduced to a mere shadow of himself.

87. • The poem, Telephone Conversation is about racism and its impact. It revolves around
a telephone conversation between the speaker, a dark- skinned African and a white
landlady. The conversation is about a suitable accommodation that the speaker was
looking for while talking with the prospective landlady. However, when the speaker
confesses that he is African, then the white landlady’s crude racial prejudice comes
to the fore. But the poem is layered and has more subtexts to it than its obvious theme
of racism.
• When the speaker confesses that he is African, there is silence from the other end. The
fact that the landlady does not reject the speaker outright, allows the speaker to
imagine that the so-called “good breeding” of the landlady is under pressure to
respond appropriately.
• The speaker, based probably on his past experience imagines that the landlady to be
“lipstick coated, long gold -rolled cigarette holder pipped” which suggests that the
racist landlady has a superficial veneer of wealth, aristocracy and sophistication.
Though she does not utter the words “black” or “white”, when she does speak after
her silence it is even more grotesque and crude – “Are you light or very dark?”
• It is clear that despite her apparent aristocracy and sophistication, she is a shallow
racist. Later after the speaker has recovered from his initial dumbfoundment, he
retaliates with his superior education.
• He describes his complexion as “West African Sepia” and despite the landlady’s flight
of fancy, she has to concede: “Don’t know what that is.” This clearly shows that her
feelings of racial superiority is a sham when the supposedly inferior African speaker
has a superior erudition. Thereafter, the speaker literally toys with her using dark
humour and felicity of expression exposing the absurdity of racism and the irony that
often the victims of racial discrimination possess superior education and civility
compared to the racist bigots.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 37

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

88. John Donne's ‘Death Be Not Proud' ends with the following lines:
“One short sleep past we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.”
• The poet asserts with great conviction that although death is a physical inevitability,
yet it has no influence on the immortality of the soul.
• The soul would “wake eternally” in heaven. So, the paradox in the last line of the
poem defines death as an instrument to enable a rebirth into the afterlife.
• This, essentially, marks the defeat of death to permanently conclude the life cycle.
The paradox is contained in the question that if ‘Death shall be more”,[1] how can
death die?
• Throughout the poem the poet consciously asserts that Death has no real power.
• In spite of being commonly perceived as ‘mighty’ and ‘dreadful’, it is not really so.
In fact, the poet goes to the extent of terming death as “poor”, it being only an
advanced version of “rest and sleep”.
• It is a way to relax and rejuvenate the human faculties and ultimately offers ‘much
pleasure'. The poet paints death as more benign by stating that death is a form of
transition which assures individuals “rest of their bones” and their souls delivered to
afterlife.
• The poet makes quite a conscious and strained effort to make death appear weak and
less intimidating by derogating it as a “slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate
men”.
• He reduces death to an instrument from a cause to a slave from a free agent. Death is
dependent on the whims of a king, on the unpredictability of fate and chance, on the
miserable company of “poison, war and sickness”.
• Death cannot kill human beings. Death is an insignificant, powerless non-entity, who
in the end will ‘die’, even though nobody else it has ever encountered will actually
remain in the state of true Death.
• Death becomes, in the interpretation of the poet, a mere instrument of transition into
an eternal life. Death loses its potency, its exclusivity and its independence. It is
controlled by elements mundane and human tendencies.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 38

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

Q.No. Expected Answers

89. • Shane Koyczan’s Beethoven sings the praise of the great legendary composer,
Beethoven, who is revered as the god of music. Brought up in the tyrannical ambience
of his unkind father, he emerges as a great classical maestro despite being deaf.
[Challenges]
• To begin with, Beethoven opens with the picture of an unhappy childhood where a
father is seen constantly bullying his son. The father wants his child to become a
musical expert and thus, goes to the extent of abusing his child both physically and
mentally without any mercy.
• Long practice sessions were forced upon the child and the severe ache in fingers
hardly melts the father’s heart. Whether Beethoven plays notes gently, slowly, or
fiercely, the unkind father would discourage him saying, “Not good enough”. This
stayed with him all his life and therefore, whatever his orchestra played it was ‘Not
good enough’ because Beethoven would not settle for anything that was not perfect.
• Life continued to be difficult for Beethoven even after he grew up. His incurable
deafness stood as a challenge to his musical career which was overcome with strong
determination.
• People loved his symphonies but while his symphonies enthralled the audience,
stimulated their nerves; the composer himself could not hear his own music, all
because of being deaf.
• Being deaf, he had to cut off the legs of his piano so that the vibrations of the musical
notes produced on the floor could easily be felt. His deafness did not deter from
remaining uncompromising about his music.
• Musicians however teased him, taking advantage of his deafness, aped his gesture
by holding their bows a bit above the strings which would produce no sound. Yet,
they were bound to acknowledge Beethoven’s expertise whose timeless music takes
one to the heights of the towers of Babylon.
• Beethoven established a special relation with silence. He was a man who had
established a special bond with music and notwithstanding his traumatic childhood
and physical handicap, his passion and love for music continued unabated.

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 39

Literature in English ISC-Class XII

ISC Competency-Focused Practice Questions 40