Class 9 English Chapter 9 Question Answers - If I were you

Q.1. Gerrard talks pleasantly with the intruder. Was he really pleased to see the criminal?
Ans. 

• Gerrard, who lives alone, remains remarkably calm when an intruder breaks into his home and threatens him with a gun. Contrary to appearing pleased, Gerrard is actually shrewd and perceptive. He quickly realizes that the intruder has malicious intentions and that confronting him directly could be fatal.
• Instead, Gerrard decides to engage in polite conversation to buy time. His calm and pleasant demeanor confuses the intruder and delays his plan to kill Gerrard. Through their conversation, Gerrard exposes the intruder’s lack of intelligence and successfully manipulates him. Ultimately, Gerrard manages to trap the intruder in a cupboard and call the police. His outward demeanor of calmness and cordiality was a strategic move rather than genuine pleasure.

Q.2. The intruder is boastful. He threatens Gerrard, “I’ll make you crawl” Was he able to carry out his threat? What happened to him?
Ans. 

• The intruder, armed with a revolver, initially threatens Gerrard and boasts about his plans. However, rather than making Gerrard "crawl," the intruder's plan backfires. Gerrard remains calm and engages the intruder in conversation, leading him to reveal more about himself.
• The intruder, who is actually a criminal on the run, ends up being tricked by Gerrard. Gerrard's ruse makes the intruder believe he is dealing with another criminal. Gerrard cleverly persuades him to look into a cupboard, claiming it’s an escape route. Once the intruder is inside, Gerrard locks him in and calls the police. Thus, the intruder’s boastful threat is never realized, and he is captured.

Q.3. Gerrard says, “In most melodramas, the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated. Does this statement holds good for the play ‘If I Were You’?
Ans. 

• The playwright of most melodramas wants the hero to be successful. The play's villain wishes to assassinate the hero. He, on the other hand, came across as a fool. He keeps putting off the execution for one reason or another. In the end, his machinations are foiled, and the hero triumphs over him. The same can be said for this play.
• The intruder is the villain in this drama. He bears a striking resemblance to Gerrard. As a result, he wishes to assassinate Gerrard and live under his name. He's amassed a wealth of information on Gerard. He is unaware, however, that Gerrard is a theatre actress. He has a good acting ability. When Gerrard sees the intruder, he makes a happy face. He converses with him in a courteous manner.
• He manipulates the invader into talking about himself. As a result, he continues to postpone the execution. This allows Gerrard enough time to devise a strategy to eliminate him. Finally, the intruder's attempt to kill Gerrard is foiled, and he is imprisoned in a cupboard.

Q.4. The best way to deal with a crisis is not to lose your calm. Discuss this statement with reference to the behaviour of Gerrard in the play.
Ans. 

• Someone who keeps their calm is more successful than someone who loses their cool or behaves rashly. Gerrard saves his own life in this play by being calm. He's also capable of apprehending the assailant. If he lost his cool, he wouldn't be able to do it.
• The sight of an intruder with a pistol in his hand is terrifying to the average person. He makes a blunder. The individual is concerned that he will not be harmed. As a result, in most of these cases, the criminal kills his victim. Gerrard, on the other hand, maintains his composure and patience. He pretends to be delighted to see the stranger. He greets him with a cordial greeting.
• He gets the culprit to discuss himself. This provides Gerrard enough time to strategize his next move. As a result, Gerrard was not alarmed when he saw the intruder. His serenity was vital in saving his life.

Q.5. Why was Gerrard packing a bag at the beginning of the play? How did it help him to outwit and trap the intruder?
Ans. 

• At the start of the performance, Gerrard was packing a bag because he needed to deliver some items to a theatre group for practise. Gerrard kept his cool when an intruder burst into his cottage and threatened to kill him. He made up a storey about being a criminal and attempting to avoid the cops on the spur of the moment.
• The bag, the gun, the disguise clothing, the artificial moustaches, and so on all backed this scenario. All of this convinced the visitor that Gerrard was telling the truth. He was so persuaded that he and Gerrard prepared to flee together. He no longer doubted him and unwittingly did as he was instructed, finally becoming trapped.
• As a result, the bag was crucial in persuading the intruder that Gerrard, like him, was a criminal planning to leave when he broke into his cottage.

Q.6. Bring out Gerrard’s intelligence, the presence of mind and sense of humour. How did these traits help him outwit the intruder?
Ans. 

• Gerrard, being a clever man, showed no signs of being alarmed when he saw the gun-wielding criminal. He realised that his calm demeanour and presence of mind would not only assist him in managing the problem, but would also assist in frightening the intruder, who, like him, must be fearful.
• Gerrard quickly concocted a storey about his criminal past, keeping the environment light and alive with his sense of humour and amusing remarks. He persuaded the invader that the police would arrive at any moment to apprehend them, and that they needed to flee immediately.
• He tricked him into peeping into a cupboard, claiming it was an escape route. Gerrard pushed the intruder into the cupboard and knocked the revolver out of his hand as he leaned forward to study it. He then shut and locked the door behind him. As a result, his wit, humour, and mental foresight turned the tables on the intruder.

Q.7. Why did the intruder find Gerrard’s cooked up the story of his criminal background convincing?
Ans. 

• The intruder, far from being gullible, was suspicious of Gerrard's every action. When Gerrard tried to start a dialogue about the intruder's identity, he rejected him and urged him to only answer what was asked. However, he unwittingly fell right into Gerrard's trap since the latter kept his cool and used his foresight to concoct the idea that he, too, was wanted by the cops.
• Gerrard really substantiated his claim of being a criminal by showing the invader his bag of disguise costumes and fake moustaches, among other things. Because the intruder was unaware of Gerrard's theatrical experience, he believed his storey. Gerrard, he suspected, was attempting to elude the cops.
• As a result, the unwitting visitor walked right into Gerrard's trap. This suggests that, although claiming to be the smartest person in the room, he was not really bright. He was outwitted by a more astute Gerrard, who thwarted his malicious scheme.

Q.8. Imagine you are Gerrard. Write a letter to your friend describing what happened when the intruder broke into your house.
You may describe:

•  the intruder’s appearance
•  his way of speaking, mannerism and movement 
•  his plan to evade the law 
•  your success in outwitting him

Ans.
(Address)
(Date)
Dear ……….
Today I am feeling extremely excited to share with you a very interesting experience which I think may form the plot for my next play.
It so happened that today, in the afternoon, when I was about to leave my cottage with my bag to supply props and make-up at the Globe Theatre, I heard somebody hit against the table in my room. On turning, I saw a man with a physique like mine, wearing a very gaudy overcoat. Aiming his gun at me, he told me in an uncultured manner to put my “paws up”. He did not. Shoot me at once because he needed some information about me. He told me that he had killed a cop and was having a difficult time dodging the police. He wanted to kill me and take up my identity to escape arrest.
But will you believe it that I foiled his plan by outwitting him through a concocted story? I maintained my cool and told him that I myself was a criminal charged with murder. I warned him that if he assumed my identity after killing me, he would still be arrested and executed. I told him that I was expecting an alert call from one of my friends, and just then, the phone rang. Actually, the call was from one of my clients at the theatre who wanted confirmation about the props that I had assured to supply.
My story worked perfectly and when I offered the man to escape with me in my car, he agreed readily. I asked him to peep into the cupboard which I claimed was connected to the garage and the secret escape route. When he learned to peep, I pushed him in the cupboard, snatched his gun, and locked him.
I then answered the phone and asked the caller to send the sergeant to arrest the criminal.
I’m sure you too will find this a smart enough act to be used as a plot for the next play. We can plan the details when we meet on Sunday.
Your loving friend
Gerrard

Q.9. The intruder’s plan was clever but not feasible. Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Ans. 

• The intruder's plan to assassinate Gerrard and assume his identity appeared to be very sophisticated on the surface. However, carrying it out was not a viable option. 
• First and foremost, if Gerrard had been killed, the intruder would have had issues disposing of his body, and there is a likelihood that his crime would have been discovered and he would have been apprehended.
• If he had been able to deal with this aspect of the play, his theatre clients' concerns would have grown as a result of his inability to reach Gerrard. They would have definitely sought police assistance in this matter, and the invader would have been apprehended soon.
• As a result, the intruder's plan, however wonderful it seemed to him, was not practical. It appeared straightforward and fool-proof in theory, but in practise, it was far too sophisticated to be carried out properly.