KPSC HSA English - Summary and Model Objective Questions of "Sonnet 121" by William Shakespeare

Summary of Sonnet 121 by William Shakespeare

The speaker declares that it is better to be truly wicked than to be wrongly considered wicked. This is especially true when one's good intentions are misjudged by others. The speaker feels that genuine joy is lost when it is judged by external perceptions, not by personal feelings. He questions why others' dishonest and corrupt viewpoints should influence his lively nature. He also wonders why weaker individuals act as spies, scrutinising his weaknesses. These individuals often deem as bad what the speaker considers good.

The speaker firmly asserts his true identity: "No, I am that I am". Those who criticise his faults are, in fact, revealing their own imperfections. They should recognise their own shortcomings. He suggests that he might be morally upright even if his accusers are crooked in their own conduct. His actions should not be interpreted through their depraved thoughts. Their judgement is distorted by their own corrupt minds.The speaker implies that if everyone maintains a belief that all people are inherently bad, then badness will prevail universally. This general evil would then dominate society.

He argues against being defined by the false perceptions of others. The poem defends the speaker's right to live authentically. It challenges the hypocrisy of those who judge others while being flawed themselves. Ultimately, the sonnet is a powerful statement on self-acceptance and the rejection of external, often biased, judgement. It emphasises the importance of internal integrity over public reputation.

Multiple Choice Questions and Answers from Sonnet 121

1. What does the speaker prefer according to the first line of the sonnet?

(A) To be esteemed highly by others

(B) To be truly vile rather than falsely accused of vileness

(C) To avoid all forms of vileness

(D) To be judged by his feelings

Answer: (B) 

2. What is lost when pleasure is "so deemed" by others' seeing?

(A) Their reputation

(B) The just pleasure itself

(C) The ability to see

(D) Others' feelings

Answer: (B) 

3. What does the phrase "false adulterate eyes" refer to?

(A) Eyes that are literally impure

(B) Eyes that are deceitful and corrupt in judgment

(C) Eyes that are weakened by age

(D) Eyes that admire beauty

Answer: (B) 

4. What does the speaker's "sportive blood" represent?

(A) His violent tendencies

(B) His lively and cheerful nature

(C) His athletic prowess

(D) His family lineage

Answer: (B) 

5. Who are the "frailer spies" mentioned in the poem?

(A) Secret agents

(B) Individuals who are morally weaker but scrutinize others

(C) People who are physically frail

(D) Friends who offer advice

Answer: (B) 

6. What do these "frailer spies" count as bad?

(A) What the speaker thinks is good

(B) What the speaker thinks is bad

(C) Their own actions

(D) Everyone's actions

Answer: (A) 

7. What is the significant statement the speaker makes about his identity?

(A) "I am what I seem"

(B) "No, I am that I am"

(C) "I am changing constantly"

(D) "I am defined by others"

Answer: (B) 

8. What does the speaker imply about those who "level / At my abuses"?

(A) They are perfect

(B) They are rectifying their own mistakes

(C) They are reckoning up their own abuses

(D) They are seeking justice

Answer: (C) 

9. What is the meaning of "I may be straight though they themselves be bevel"?

(A) The speaker is physically straight while others are crooked.

(B) The speaker is morally upright, while others are dishonest or askew.

(C) The speaker is direct, and others are indirect.

(D) The speaker is a tailor, and others are carpenters.

Answer: (B) 

10. How does the speaker believe his deeds should NOT be shown?

(A) By his own thoughts

(B) By their rank thoughts

(C) By public opinion

(D) By legal judgement

Answer: (B) 

11. What is the "general evil" that "they maintain"?

(A) That all men are inherently bad

(B) That the speaker is bad

(C) That spying is good

(D) That honesty is rare

Answer: (A) 

12. What is the ultimate consequence if this "general evil" is maintained?

(A) All men will become good.

(B) Badness will reign.

(C) Justice will prevail.

(D) Society will improve.

Answer: (B) 

13. What is the primary theme of Sonnet 121?

(A) The beauty of nature

(B) The pain of lost love

(C) The importance of self-integrity against false judgement

(D) The joy of true friendship

Answer: (C) 

14. Which literary device is evident in the line "'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed"?

(A) Metaphor

(B) Paradox

(C) Simile

(D) Alliteration

Answer: (B) 

15. What is the tone of the speaker in the lines "No, I am that I am"?

(A) Apologetic

(B) Defiant

(C) Indifferent

(D) Questioning

Answer: (B) 

16. The poem primarily focuses on the conflict between:

(A) Love and hate

(B) Internal truth and external perception

(C) Wealth and poverty

(D) Youth and old age

Answer: (B) 

17. What type of sonnet is Sonnet 121 based on its structure and author?

(A) Petrarchan

(B) Spenserian

(C) Shakespearean

(D) Miltonic

Answer: (C) 

18. The speaker’s argument suggests a critique of:

(A) His own actions

(B) Social hypocrisy and judgemental attitudes

(C) The political system

(D) Religious beliefs

Answer: (B) 

19. What does the speaker mean by "receives reproach of being" when "not to be"?

(A) He is praised for not existing.

(B) He is criticised for something he isn't.

(C) He is blamed for being alive.

(D) He receives compliments for his true self.

Answer: (B)

20. The poem implies that external judgment can lead to the loss of:

(A) Wealth

(B) Social status

(C) "Just pleasure"

(D) Physical health

Answer: (C) 

KPSC HSA English - Summary and Model Objective Questions of "The Trumpet Club" by Sir Richard Steele

The essay "The Trumpet Club" by Sir Richard Steele, published in The Spectator, No. 34, describes the author's usual custom of relaxing after intense study by engaging in conversation with easy-going companions. He finds this practice essential for gradually easing into sleep. He likens this pre-sleep conversation to taking a "first nap" before bed, indicating the comfortable and undemanding nature of these interactions. The author feels a duty to posterity and to the "society at the Trumpet" to record an account of the individuals with whom he has spent a significant portion of his life over the past forty years. 

The club, originally consisting of fifteen members, has been reduced to a third of that number due to "the severity of the law in arbitrary times" and the natural effects of old age. Despite this reduction, the author finds solace in the belief that "the best company is said to consist of five persons." The essayist admits that, in addition to the benefit of conversation, he enjoys being the most intelligent among them, serving as their "oracle in all points of learning and difficulty." This position provides him with a quiet satisfaction within the group. 

Sir Jeoffery Notch is the oldest member of the club, always occupying the right-hand chair and holding the exclusive privilege of stirring the fire. He is depicted as a gentleman from an ancient family who inherited a large estate before he had the maturity to manage it, subsequently squandering it on hounds, horses, and cock-fighting. Despite his financial misfortunes, he considers himself an "honest, worthy gentleman" and dismisses any successful individual as a "pitiful upstart." His character represents a blend of past grandeur and present resentment towards those who have thrived. 

Major Matchlock, the second most senior member, is a veteran of the last civil wars and prides himself on his detailed recollection of all the battles. He considers no event in Europe worth discussing since the Battle of Marston Moor. A recurring anecdote he shares is being "knocked off his horse at the rising of the London apprentices," an event for which he is highly esteemed among the club members. His character embodies a focus on past military glory and a disregard for contemporary events. 

Honest old Dick Reptile is the third member, a good-natured and indolent man who speaks very little but readily laughs at the jokes of others. He regularly brings his eighteen-year-old nephew, a quiet youth, to the club. Dick's intention is to expose his nephew to "good company" and give him a "taste of the world." Whenever the nephew speaks or laughs, Dick jocularly remarks, "Ay, ay, Jack, you young men think us fools; but we old men know you are," highlighting the generational difference and a subtle wisdom of the elders. 

The club's other notable wit, besides the author, is a bencher from a neighboring inn. In his younger days, this bencher frequented ordinaries around Charing Cross and claims to have been acquainted with Jack Ogle. He can recite approximately ten couplets from Hudibras from memory and consistently applies them before leaving the club. His tendency to shake his head at the "dulness of the present age" when modern wit or town-frolics are mentioned further emphasizes his nostalgic preference for past times and literary works. 

The Trumpet Club serves as a microcosm of early 18th-century English society, showcasing various character types and the social customs of the time. Through these sketches, Steele offers a gentle satire of human nature, highlighting the quirks, pretensions, and simple pleasures of his companions. The essay itself, a reflection on conversation, friendship, and the passage of time, provides insight into the values and intellectual pursuits prevalent during the period. 

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Objective Questions from "The Trumpet Club" 

1. What is the author's usual custom after applying his mind with extraordinary attention to his studies? 

(A) To read more books
(B) To relax and unbend in conversation
(C) To write more essays
(D) To engage in physical exercise
Answer: (B)

2. What does the author compare his evening conversations with his club members to? 

(A) A second study session
(B) A long journey
(C) Taking his first nap before bed
(D) A formal debate
Answer: (C)

3. How long has the author been a member of the society at the Trumpet? 

(A) Ten years
(B) Twenty years
(C) Forty years
(D) Sixty years
Answer: (C)

4. How many members did the Trumpet Club originally consist of?

(A) Five
(B) Ten
(C) Fifteen
(D) Twenty
Answer: (C)

5. To what number has the club been reduced at present? 

(A) Five
(B) Three
(C) Seven
(D) Eight
Answer: (A)

6. What is the consolation the remaining members of the club have? 

(A) They have more space
(B) The best company is said to consist of five persons
(C) They can talk more
(D) They save money
Answer: (B)

7. What does the author particularly enjoy about being in this select society?

(A) The lively debates
(B) Finding himself the greatest wit among them
(C) The variety of opinions
(D) The food and drink
Answer: (B)

8. Who is the oldest member of the club?

(A) Major Matchlock
(B) Honest old Dick Reptile
(C) Sir Jeoffery Notch
(D) The bencher
Answer: (C)

9. What exclusive privilege does Sir Jeoffery Notch possess in the club?

(A) Leading discussions
(B) Telling stories
(C) Stirring the fire
(D) Choosing the topics of conversation
Answer: (C)

10. How did Sir Jeoffery Notch squander his estate? 

(A) On lavish parties
(B) On books and studies
(C) On hounds, horses, and cock-fighting
(D) On political campaigns
Answer: (C)

11. How does Sir Jeoffery Notch view every thriving man? 

(A) As a successful businessman
(B) As a lucky individual
(C) As a pitiful upstart
(D) As a potential friend
Answer: (C)

12. Who is the next senior member after Sir Jeoffery Notch? 

(A) The author
(B) Major Matchlock
(C) Honest old Dick Reptile
(D) Dick Reptile's nephew
Answer: (B)

13. What historical event does Major Matchlock often refer to? 

(A) The Battle of Hastings
(B) The fight of Marston Moor
(C) The French Revolution
(D) The American Civil War
Answer: (B)

14. What recurring anecdote does Major Matchlock share that earns him great esteem? 

(A) Winning a duel
(B) Being knighted
(C) Being knocked off his horse at the rising of the London apprentices
(D) Discovering a treasure
Answer: (C)

15. What kind of person is Honest old Dick Reptile? 

(A) Argumentative and loud
(B) Good-natured and indolent
(C) Witty and sharp
(D) Energetic and talkative
Answer: (B)

16. Who does Honest old Dick Reptile bring along with him to the club? 

(A) His wife
(B) His young nephew
(C) His daughter
(D) His servant
Answer: (B)

17. What is the age of Dick Reptile's nephew? 

(A) Sixteen
(B) Eighteen
(C) Twenty
(D) Twenty-two
Answer: (B)

18. What is Dick Reptile's jocular remark to his nephew? 

(A) "You are so smart."
(B) "We old men know you are fools."
(C) "You will learn someday."
(D) "Youth is wasted on the young."
Answer: (B)

19. Who is considered the greatest wit of the company, next to the author? 26

(A) Sir Jeoffery Notch
(B) Major Matchlock
(C) Honest old Dick Reptile
(D) A bencher of the neighbouring inn
Answer: (D)

20. What literary work does the bencher often quote from? 

(A) Paradise Lost
(B) Hudibras
(C) The Aeneid
(D) Juvenal
Answer: (B)

21. What is the bencher's reaction to mention of modern wit or town-frolics? 

(A) He praises them.
(B) He shakes his head at the dulness of the present age.
(C) He tells new jokes.
(D) He starts a debate.
Answer: (B)

22. According to the essay, what effect does the conversation of "heavy honest men" have on the author before sleep? 

(A) It energizes him.
(B) It takes his mind down from abstractions and lulls him into tranquillity.
(C) It makes him restless.
(D) It inspires him to write more.
Answer: (B)

23. The essay begins with a quotation from which classical author? 

(A) Virgil
(B) Homer
(C) Cicero
(D) Juvenal
Answer: (C)

24. What is the primary purpose of the author in recounting the members of the Trumpet Club? 

(A) To criticize their shortcomings
(B) To amuse his readers with their eccentricities
(C) To give an account of the persons among whom he has spent much time
(D) To show his superior intellect
Answer: (C)

25. The essay "The Trumpet Club" is found in which publication?
    (A) Tatler
    (B) The Spectator
    (C) The Guardian
    (D) The Rambler
    Answer: (B)