Thinking About The Text

Answer these questions

  1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”
    (i) Who says this?
    Gerrard says this. (ii) Why does he say it?
    Gerrard says this sarcastically to the intruder when the intruder wants to listen to his story. (iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?
    He is sarcastic.
  2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?
    The intruder chooses Gerrard because he thinks Gerrard lives a secluded life and nobody would notice if he is killed. The intruder, who is a criminal, believes that by taking over Gerrard’s identity, he can escape from the police without being recognized.
  3. “I said it with bullets.”
    (i) Who says this?
    Gerrard says this. (ii) What does it mean?
    It means that Gerrard has dealt with trouble or dangerous situations in the past, possibly involving a gun or some kind of confrontation. (iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
    No, it is not the truth. Gerrard says this to mislead the intruder into believing that he, too, leads a dangerous life and has had to face criminals before.
  4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
    Gerrard is a playwright. In the play, he mentions, “In most melodramas, the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated. You are much luckier.” He also says, “Sorry I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal.”
  5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”
    (i) Who says this?
    The intruder says this. (ii) Why does the speaker say it?
    The intruder says this because Gerrard is talking back to him and making clever remarks, which annoys the intruder. (iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?
    According to the intruder, once he kills Gerrard, Gerrard will stop being clever or “smart.”
  6. “They can’t hang me twice.”
    (i) Who says this?
    The intruder says this. (ii) Why does the speaker say it?
    The intruder says this because he is already a murderer, and since he is already facing the death penalty for his crimes, he feels that killing another person won’t make any difference to his punishment.
  7. “A mystery I propose to explain.”
    What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
    The mystery Gerrard proposes to explain is his life. He pretends that his life is full of danger and secrets, leading the intruder to believe that Gerrard has his own criminal past, which is why the police are after him.
  8. “This is your big surprise.”
    (i) Where has this been said in the play?
    This is said towards the end of the play when Gerrard reveals to the intruder that he is not as innocent or helpless as he seems. (ii) What is the surprise?
    The surprise is that Gerrard tricks the intruder, revealing that he has anticipated the intruder’s move and has a plan to defeat him, ultimately locking the intruder in a cupboard and calling the police.

Thinking About Language

I. Choosing the correct word from the pairs given in brackets:

  1. The site of the accident was ghastly.
  2. Our college principal is very strict.
  3. I studied continuously for eight hours.
  4. The fog had an adverse effect on the traffic.
  5. Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant artist.
  6. The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary collage of science fiction and mystery.
  7. Our school will host an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.
  8. Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and shake well before using the contents.

II. Irony in the play “If I Were You”:

Irony occurs when someone says something but means the opposite. Here are some examples from the play:

  1. What the author says:
    “Why, this is a surprise, Mr —er—”
    What he means:
    Gerrard pretends that the intruder is a social visitor, even though he knows that the intruder has dangerous intentions. In this way, he hides his fear.
  2. What the author says:
    “At last a sympathetic audience!”
    What he means:
    Gerrard sarcastically pretends that the intruder is interested in listening to him, whereas the intruder actually wants information for his own benefit.

Three more ironic expressions from the play:

  1. What the author says:
    “This is your big surprise.”
    What he means:
    Gerrard is ironically referring to the surprise he is about to reveal to the intruder, which is not pleasant at all for the intruder, as Gerrard will turn the tables on him.
  2. What the author says:
    “I said it with bullets.”
    What he means:
    Gerrard ironically implies that he has been involved in violent situations, but this is just part of his ploy to deceive the intruder.
  3. What the author says:
    “In most melodramas, the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated.”
    What he means:
    Gerrard is making a sarcastic comment on the typical villain’s behavior in melodramas, implying that the intruder is foolishly delaying his actions, just like those villains.