NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English - The Bishop’s Candlesticks

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS (SOLVED)

Q1. Complete the following paragraph about the theme of the play in pairs.

The play deals with a ________ and ________ Bishop who is always ready to lend a ________ hand to anyone in distress. A ________ breaks into the Bishop’s house and is ________ and warmed. The benevolence of the Bishop somewhat
 ________ the convict, but, when he sees the silver candlesticks, he ________ them, and runs away. However, he is ________ and brought back. He expects to go back to jail, but the Bishop informs the police they are a ________ .
 The convict is ________ by this kindness of the Bishop and before he leaves he seeks the priest’s blessing.

Ans : convict, the, helping, convict, clothed, softens, steals, captured, gift, reformed.

Q2. Working in pairs, give the antonyms of the following words : 

kind- hearted, unscrupulous, forgiving, stern, benevolent, credulous, generous, pious, suspicious, sympathetic, understanding, wild, innocent, penitent, clever, brutal, cunning, caring, sentimental, trusting, protective, concerned, honourable, embittered

Ans :

1. kind-hearted - cruel
2. benevolent - malevolent, hard-hearted
3. suspicious - open
4. innocent - clever
5. wild - generous
6. sympathetic - embittered
7. cunning - simple
8. protective - aggressive
9. unscrupulous - moral
10. credulous - incredulous
11. caring - careless
12. concerned - indifferent
13.  forgiving - resentful
14. generous - miserly 
15. understanding - misunderstanding
16.  clever - innocent
17. sentimental - practical
18. honourable - dishonourable
19. stern - gentle
20. pious - irreligious, unholy
21. brutal - humane
22. trusting - suspicious
23. embittered - forgiving 

Q3. Select words from the box from question 2 to describe the characters in the play as revealed by the following lines from the play.

Ans :

1. Speaker : Persome
Quality revealed : stern, suspicious

2. Speaker : Bishop
Quality revealed : protective, caring

3. Speaker : Bishop
Quality revealed : pious, trusting

4. Speaker : Persome
Quality revealed : caring, concerned

5. Speaker : Bishop
Quality revealed : benevolent, sympathetic

6. Speaker : Bishop
Quality revealed : sentimental

7. Speaker : Convict
Quality revealed : suspicious, clever

8. Speaker : Bishop
Quality revealed : sympathetic

9. Speaker : Convict
Quality revealed : wild, cruel

10. Speaker : Convict
Quality revealed : embittered

11. Speaker : Convict
Quality revealed : suspicious

12. Speaker : Convict
Quality revealed : trusting, credulous

Q4. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct options.

(A) Monseigneur, the Bishop is a ... a hem!

(a) Why does Persome not complete the sentence?
(i) She used to stammer while speaking.
(ii) She was about to praise the Bishop.
(iii) She did not wish to criticise the Bishop in front of Marie.
(iv) She had a habit of passing such remarks.

Ans : (iii)

(b) Why is she angry with the Bishop?
(i) The Bishop has sold her salt-cellars.
(ii) The Bishop has gone to visit Mere Gringoire.
(iii) He showed extra concern for Marie.
(iv) She disliked the Bishop.

Ans. (i)

(B) She sent little Jean to Monseigneur to ask for help.

(a) Who sent little Jean to the Bishop?
(i) Mere Gringoire
(ii) Marie
(iii) Persome
(iv) Marie’s mother

Ans. (i)

(b) Why did she send Jean to the Bishop?
(i) So that he could pray for her.
(ii) As she knew that he was a generous person.
(iii) As she was a greedy woman.
(iv) As she was a poor woman.

Ans. (ii)

(C) I offered to take her in here for a day or two, but she seemed to think it might distress you.

(a) The Bishop wanted to take Mere Gringoire in because _________.
(i) She was sick
(ii) She had no money
(iii) She was unable to pay the rent of her house
(iv) She was a close friend of Persome.

Ans. (iii)

(b) Persome would be distressed on Mere Gringoire’s being taken in because _______
(i) She did not want to help anyone.
(ii) She felt that Mere Gringoire was taking undue advantage of the Bishop.
(iii) She was a self-centred person.
(iv) She would be put to a great deal of inconvenience.

Ans. (ii)

Q5. Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) Do you think the Bishop was right in selling the salt-cellars? Why / Why not?

Ans : Looking at Bishop’s nature and profession, it is obvious that magnanimity and humanity scores over personal preferences. Persome may cherish the salt-cellar but when it comes to helping others, there is no hesitation on Bishops. So he sells the salt-cellars to help Mere Gringoire, who could not pay her rent.

(b) Why does Persome feel the people pretend to be sick?

Ans : Persome is protective and wishes to maintain the household. She is pained to see that the entire humanity is turning upon them for charity and benevolence. She feels people like Marie’s mother pretend to be sick and take undue advantage of the Bishop.

(c) The convict says, “I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff”. What does he mean?

Ans. The convict has suffered, he is embittered, he is experienced. So he couldn’t be tricked. He ordered the Bishop to stay put because he couldn’t trust anyone not to report to the police and get him arrested.

(d) Why was the convict sent to the prison? What was the punishment given to him?

Ans. The convict was caught red-handed stealing a loaf of bread. He was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment.

(e) Do you think the punishment given to the convict was justified? Why / Why not? Why is the convict eager to reach Paris?

Ans. No, the punishment was not justified because stealing a bread was not such a brutal act as to deserve such severe punishment. The convict was eager to reach Paris since nobody knew him there and he wanted to start a fresh life there.

(f) Before leaving, the convict asks the Bishop to bless him. What brought about this change in him?

Ans. The Bishop’s benevolent, kind and caring attitude had brought about a change in the convict. That is why before leaving for Paris, he asks the Bishop to bless him.

(g)What did Persome mean by, ‘charity begins at home’?
Ans. Persome told the Bishop that charity begins at home, meaning that he was not being charitable towards Persome and Persome did not appreciate that. The Bishop had sold her salt-cellars which made her feel sad and frustrated. If he was bothered by people’s problems then first he should attend to the problems of people at his home, his sister Persome. 

(h) What is the reason behind the convict quoting a number as his identity?

Ans. The Convict, quoting the number 15729, explained to the Bishop that in prison, every inmate is assigned a number for identification. This number becomes their identity in the harsh prison environment where they are treated poorly, like wild animals. The convict endured beatings, chains, and rotten food, which dehumanized him to the point where he identified more with his prison number than with being a human.

(i)The role of a ‘mother hen’ aptly fits Persome. Comment.

Ans. The role of a ‘mother hen’ suits Persome well because she behaves like a caring and protective figure towards her brother, the Bishop. Just as a mother hen nurtures and protects her chicks, Persome looks after the Bishop's well-being. She shows concern when the Bishop is deceived and worries about his safety, showing a nurturing and protective nature similar to that of a mother hen.

Q6. Answer in detail.

a) People say that the smallest change in perspective can transform a life. What facts from the play would you select to justify the above statement with reference to the Bishop?
Ans. People say that the smallest change in perspective can transform a life. This is true and we can multiple instances warranting this statement throughout the chapter. The Bishop transformed the convict’s life by letting go of his attachment to materialistic objects which was the candlesticks. He realised that his candlesticks were just another item which he could use to make the convict’s life better. There is no better deed in this world than to save the life of another person, and by giving the candlesticks to the convict, he saved the convict’s life. The Convict believed that there was no good in this world. However, the Bishop saved him from going back to Hell, regardless of the fact that he stole his precious candlesticks. He then realised that goodness can still be found, and he became human again. 

b) People say that the smallest change in perspective can transform a life. What facts from the play would you select to justify the above statement with reference to the Bishop?

Ans. This statement holds true in the play, especially through the Bishop's interaction with the convict. The Bishop's compassionate actions towards the convict soften the hardened criminal. By treating him with kindness and forgiveness, the Bishop inspires remorse in the convict, who had previously lost faith in humanity. This small change in perspective from judgment to compassion transforms both the convict's and the Bishop's lives.

c) Evaluate the roles of Persome and the 12-year-old Sudha Murthy (from how I talk my grandmother to read) in the light of the given quote. “I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” —Pablo Casals
Ans. Both these characters cared for their family. Their acts of concern towards the family brought a significant enrichment to their own character. Persome takes care of her brother, cooks for him and is concerned for his well-being. This makes her responsible, patient, caring and kind-hearted. Similarly, Sudha teaches her grandmother to read, is worried when she sees her crying and assures her that she will be able to read by herself. This enriches Sudha’s character because she becomes mature, responsible, caring, educator and kind-hearted. The trait of family bonding is developed in both of them. This enhances their characters and later, they become good human beings.

Q7.The term irony refers to a discrepancy, or disagreement, of some sort. The discrepancy can be between what someone says and what he or she really means or verbal irony. The discrepancy can be between a situation thq| one would logically anticipate or that would seem appropriate and the situation that actually develops or situational irony. The discrepancy can even be between the facts known to a character and the facts known to us, the readers or audience or dramatic irony. Working in groups of four complete the following table. Find instances of irony from the play and justify them.

Ans:

Q8. Identify the situations which can be termed as the turning points in the convict’s life?
Ans. The Convict lived a harsh and poor life. He lost his house, wife and humane nature. There are certain situations which can be termed as the turning points in the convict’s life which led to such a harsh and cruel life. The first situation is when he was caught stealing food for his wife. He was desperate for food to save his wife, Jeanette from dying from her sickness. When he explained his wife’s physical condition and his desperation to save her to the policemen, they laughed at him and sent him to one of the prison-ships. When he reached there, the gaoler told him that Jeanette had died of her illness. This caused an immense amount of pain to him. The next situation is when he escaped the prison. He realised that even though he was free to do anything, he had no food nor shelter. He had to steal food, rags and slept in woods and barns. He dare not ask for work or go to town as the police were looking for him. He realised he was free to starve to death. The next situation is when the Bishop lied about him stealing his candlesticks. The Bishop made him realise that goodness could still be found in people and he should not bottle up his emotions. He realised that he could still be a man. The Bishop even gave him the candlesticks and a secret passage to Paris, which made him grateful to the Bishop. He even asked the Bishop to give him a blessing.