920/2 Plays STPM 2013

2014/04/27

SECTION A : Critical Appreciation
(25 marks)

Answer only one question from this section.

     
SHAKESPEARE: Twelfth Night

Maria
.. here comes my lady: make your excuse wisely, you were best.
[Exit]

Enter Lady OLIVIA [attended,] with MALVOLIO

Feste
Wit, and’t be thy will, put me into good fooling! Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus? “Better a witty fool than a foolish wit’ – God bless thee, lady.
Olivia
Take the fool away.
Feste
Do you not hear, fellows? Take away the lady.
Olivia
Go to, y’are a dry fool: I’ll no more of you; besides, you grow dishonest.
Feste
Two faults, Madonna, that drink and good counsel will amend: for give the dry fool drink, then is the fool not dry; bid the dishonest, if he cannot, let the botcher mend him. Anything that’s mended is but patched: virtue that transgresses is but patched with sin, and sin that amends is but patched with virtue. If that this simple syllogism will serve, so; if it will not, what remedy? As there is no true cuckold but calamity, so beauty’s a flower. The lady bade take away the fool; therefore I say again, take her away.
Olivia
Sir, I bade them take away you.
Feste
Misprison is the highest degree! Lady, cucullus non facit monachum: that’s as much to say as I wear not motley in my brain. Good madonna, give me leave to prove you a fool.
Olivia
Can you do it?
Feste
Dexteriously, good madonna.
Olivia
Make your proof.
Feste
I must catechise you for it, madonna. Good my mouse of virtue, answer me.
Olivia
Well, sir, for want of other idleness, I’ll bide your proof.
Feste
Good madonna, why mourn’st thou?
Olivia
Good fool, for my brother’s death.
Feste
I think his soul is in hell, madonna.
Olivia
I know his soul is in heaven, fool.
Feste
The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother’s soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen.
Olivia
What think of you this fool, Malvolio? Doth he not mend?
Malvolio
Yes, and shall do, till the pangs of death shake him; infirmity, that decays the wise, doth ever make the better fool.
Feste
God send you, sir, a speedy infirmity, for the better increasing your folly!...


Twelfth Night Act 1 Scene V

Analyse how Feste, Lady Olivia's jester (or 'fool'), provides entertainment as well as criticism in this passage, and how Olivia and Malvolio respond to him. 

Or
2   
LORRAINE HANSBERRY: A Raisin in the Sun

RUTH (studying her mother-in-law furtively and concentrating on her ironing, anxious to encourage without seeming to): Well, Lord knows, we’ve put enough rent into this here rat trap to pay for four houses by now …
MAMA (looking up at the words “rat trap” and then looking around and leaning back and sighing – in a suddenly reflective mood - ): “Rat trap” – yes, that’s all it is. (Smiling) I remember just as well the day me and Big Walter moved in here. Hadn’t been married but two weeks and wasn’t planning on living here no more than a year. (She shakes her head at the dissolved dream) We was going to set away, little by little, don’t you know, and buya little place out in Morgan Park. We had even picked out the house (Chuckling a little Looks right dumpy today. But Lord, child, you should know all the dreams I had ‘bout buying that house and fixing it up and making me a little garden in the back – (She waits and stops smiling) And didn’t none of it happen.

(Dropping her hands in a futile gesture)


MAMA: I guess that’s how come that man finally worked himself to death likehe done. Like he was fighting his own war with this here world that took his baby from him. […] Crazy ‘bout his children! God knows there was plenty wrong with Walter Younger – hard-headed, mean, kind of wild with women – plenty wrong with him. But he sure loved his children. Always wanted them to have something – be something. That’s where Brother gets all these notions, I reckon. Big Walter used to say, he’d get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say, “Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the back man nothing but dreams- but He did give us children to make them dreams seems worth while.” (She smiles) He could talk like that, don’t you know.

How does this passage reflect the idea of a dream deferred?



Section B: SHAKESPEARE: Twelfth Night
(25 marks)

Answer the question below.

3 What effects does Viola have on Duke Orsino and Countess Olivia? Discuss with close reference to the play.



Section C: LORRAINE HANSBERRY: A Raisin in the Sun
(25 marks)

Answer the question below.

4 Discuss the different responses to money of the major characters in this play.



© Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia 2012

Darcy's Confession of Love

These are the lines from Chapter 34Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The quotes are specifically highlighted to be used as reference in essay writing or further understanding.

1. "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you"
The feeling he suppressed and long felt was told. It is mentioned "he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride". Darcy optimistically hope that she will reciprocate his feelings by accepting his hand. Lizzy could easily see that Darcy is confident that she will have him.

2. "In spite of her deeply rooted dislike,.. at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; till, roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion to anger"
Lizzy was taken aback by his confession and she could not accept his compliments. Slowly listening to him, makes her even more angry and she lost all her compassion for him.

3. "But I cannot- I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I am sorry to have occasioned pain to any one"
THE REJECTION. The pride in Lizzy is blocking out all his good intentions. Darcy is surprised by her answer, "his complexion become pale with anger and the disturbance in his mind was visible in every feature". Darcy is disturbed with her negative reaction, maintaining his composure, asked Lizzy why she rejected him and calls it "a small importance"  on his part to understand.

4. "..a design of offending and insulting me, you chuse to tell me that you liked me  against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?.."
Lizzy is holding her grudge against him, trying to justify Jane's broken heart and relationship with Bingley. Darcy honestly proclaim that he did separate Bingley from her sister but he is not rejoiceful about it. Lizzy finds it disdainful looking at his civility and thus, finds another reason to prove his fault. She then mentioned Wickham's story.

5. "You take an eager interest in that gentleman's concerns", said Darcyin a less tranquil tone, and with a heightened colour.
There is a hint of jealousy in Darcy. He thinks that Lizzy's rejection of him is sabotaged by Wickham, unknowingly. Darcy exclaims his disappointment n her judgment of him through the words of others. Darcy reveals his pride more the less.

6. "Had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design" cried Darcy.
Lizzy felt herself getting more angry and she said to him that he could not make his proposal in any way possible for her to accept it.Her prejudice is made clear here:-

7. "From the very beginning, your arrogance, your conceit, your selfish disdain of the feelings of other.. before I felt you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry"
Notice her strong usage of words, to show Lizzy's thoughts on him that is so affected by the events that happened and swore that he could not impress her any how, intentionally or not, she had crushed Darcy's pride.



A question to ponder by the readers:
After Darcy left, Lizzy sat down and cried for half an hour.
Why did Lizzy break down?