English Booklet

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About the author:
Anthony Hope Hawkins was born on 9 February 1863 in London,
England. He was educated at Marlborough College and at Balliol
College, Oxford. He was a model student and classic all-rounder,
emerging from Oxford with first-class degrees in the classics,
philosophy and ancient history. In 1887, he was called to the Bar,
where he worked as a junior barrister (lawyer) for H. H. Asquith, the
Liberal politician and future Prime Minister.
Hope maintained a great interest in politics throughout his life. In 1892
he stood for Parliament as a Liberal candidate in South Bucks, but was
not elected. He enjoyed the company of politicians, and joined a
political club, whose members included Winston Churchill and Lloyd
George.
Some of his contemporaries thought Hope could have been Lord
Chancellor if The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) had not got in the way.
Hawkins lived with his widowed father while pursuing his career in
law and writing. Hope published around thirty fictional works in his
lifetime, but it was The Prisoner of Zenda that made him famous,
enabling him to give up law, and become a full-time writer and literary
man. Hope was an efficient and quick writer. The first draft of The
Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel, Rupert of Hentzau (1898) were
completed in just a month.
In 1903 Hope was returning from a lecture tour in the States, when he
met 18-year-old American, Elizabeth Somerville. They fell in love and
were married in the summer of that year. They had two sons and a
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daughter and lived in rural Surrey. Hope was knighted in 1919 for his
work during the First World War, when he worked for the Ministry of
Information and wrote pamphlets to offset German propaganda. He
died of throat cancer in 1933.
Meet the Characters:
Rudolf Rassendyll
- Rich English gentleman
- Twenty-nine years old
- Well-educated, travels a lot
- Fluent in German and English, good at French
- Good swordsman and horseman
- Looks like King Rudolf the Fifth
King Rudolf the Fifth
- The rightful King of Ruritania
- Waiting to be crowned as King Rudolf the Fifth
- Jovial gentleman and friendly
- Looks like Rudolf Rassendyll
Princess Flavia
- Beautiful Princess of Ruritania
- Cousin of the King to whom she is engaged
- Caring, warm and gentle person
- Dutiful and honest
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Duke Michael of Strelsau
- Younger brother of King Rudolf the Fifth
- Interested in becoming King
- Has black hair and is called ‘Black Michael’
- Loves Princess Flavia
- Enemy of Rassendyll and the King
- Has six evil followers called The Famous Six
Colonel Sapt
- Advisor and friend of the King
- Brave warrior
- Loyal and honorable
- Concerned over the king’s well-being
Fritz Von Tarlenheim
- Advisor and friend of the King
- Brave warrior
- Loyal and honorable
Antoinette de Mauban
- Rich and beautiful French widow
- Lives in Paris
- Loves Black Michael
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Lauengram
Bersonin
Rupert
Krafstein
De Gautet
Detchard
Setting
The setting of the novel “The Prisoner of Zenda” is in Ruritania, a country in Central
Europe. The adventures in the story take place in Strelsau (Capital of Ruritania) and
Zenda (a small town with castles). The story is about the king of Ruritania, Princess
Flavia, government officials, army personnel, and the people of Ruritania. Rassendyll,
an Englishman, travels from England to Ruritania to tour the country. He is caught in
the middle of a plot to prevent King Rudolf from becoming King of Ruritania.
The story begins in England with Rudolf Rassendyll having a chat with his sister-inlaw Rose. His brother, Robert, informs him that he has found an interesting job for
Rassendyll. He is offered a job with the Ambassador to Ruritania. He has six months’
time before he starts work. So, Rassendyll decides to go on a tour in Ruritania. He
wishes to attend the coronation of King Rudolf the Fifth in Strelsau. Rassendyll travels
to Ruritania to visit the country. He cannot get accommodation in Strelsau ,so he leaves
for Zenda and stays in an inn.
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Map of Ruritania
Ruritania
- An imaginary country located in Central Europe.
Strelsau (Capital of Ruritania)
- The king’s palace is located here
- The coronation is held in Strelsau
- Divided into two parts, New Town and Old Town
Zenda a small town (50 miles from Strelsau) ,is also the place where the two castles are
located: Zenda and Tarlenheim.
Castle of Zenda (Both the Old Castle and New Castle are parts of Zenda Castle)
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Plot
The "Prisoner of Zenda" is a story of adventure, mistaken identity, love, hope and
victory.
The story begins with Rassendyll leaving England to visit Ruritania. He wishes to
witness the coronation of King Rudolf the Fifth. He ends up replacing the King at his
coronation. Rassendyll and others try to rescue King Rudolf the Fifth who is a prisoner
in Zenda. Rassendyll faces a series of adventures and is compelled to choose between
love and honour.
The plot of the story can be divided into three parts:
- Before the coronation of King Rudolf the Fifth.
- The coronation of King Rudolf the Fifth
- After the coronation
Climax
Conflict
Falling action
Rising action
Resolution
Basic situation
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Chapter “1”
The Rassendylls
Fill in the mind map about the characters’ traits:
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Rudolf
Rassendyll
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Summary:
1. Rudolf Rassendyll is a twenty –nine year old, witty, charming gentleman living in
London during the 1800s. He inherited the Elphberg red hair and long nose as
well as a large wealth and spoke excellent German and French.
2. Rose, his sister in law, wishes that Rudolf would do something with his life, so he
promises her to take a job with an ambassador in six months’ time.
3. Rudolf decides to visit Ruritania to attend the king’s coronation and on the train
he sees the pretty widow Antoinette de Mauban.
4. An official at the Ruritanian boarder looks at Rudolf as if he has seen a ghost.
5. Hotels are crowded in Strelsau, so Rudolf decides to stay in Zenda until the
coronation day.
6. Rudolf gets to know a great deal about the state of the country from his talk with
the young girl in the inn.
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How to answer ‘Comment’ questions:
Who? Whom?
When? Where? Why?
What does it reveal about the characters?
Theme
Plot( rising action – climax- falling action)
Characterization(direct –indirect)
Your opinion.
Organize your answer in a paragraph form.
Example:
1. “No, I won’t promise, but if I find enough material I will.” (Comment )
This is an extract from ---------------------------------- by --------------------------------.
----------------------------- said these words to ----------------at ------------------------ when
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.It shows
that he is ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
The theme revealed here is----------------------------------. This is part of the ----------------------------of the plot. I think------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Answer the following questions:
1. “Yes, they love one another as men do who want the same place and same wife”.
(Comment)
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2. “Opportunities are duties”. ( Comment )
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3. What does Rassendyll know about the state of the country from his talk in the
inn?
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Chapter “2”
A Merry Evening with a New Relation
Fill in the mind map about the characters’ traits:
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King
Rudolf
the Fifth
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--------------Summary:
1. Rudolf decides to climb the hill that leads to the castle which is the country house
of the duke of Strelsau. He falls asleep in the forest and is woken by the voices of
colonel Sapt and Fritz Von Tarlenheim.
2. Rudolf knows now that he looks like the king.
3. Rudolf meets the king and the king invites him for dinner.
4. The king drinks a drugged bottle of wine and is not able to wake up.
5. Rudolf is urged by Sapt to impersonate the king at the coronation in order to save
the throne and ruin Black Michael’s plans to take the throne. Rudolf agrees.
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How to answer essay questions:
First underline clues in the question.
Write an introductory (general) sentence about
the novel.
Write about the characters, themes etc.
mentioned in the question.
Give examples and mention situations to prove
your words.
Write an ending that includes your point of view.
Organize your answer in a paragraph form.
Example:
1. Although Rassendyll seems a bit careless at the beginning, he agrees to take the
king’s place. Discuss.
Answer: Rudolf Rassendyll is the protagonist as well as the narrator of the Prisoner
of Zenda. At the beginning of the story he appears to be -----------------------------------------------------------------------. We know that from his conversation with -----------------------who tries to convince him to-----------------------------------------.Rassendyll decides to
travel to ------------------------------------------------------, but things don’t go as he expects
because-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------so he agrees to take the king’s place to--------------------------. Rassendyll’s decision shows
that he is -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Answer the following question:
1. Black Michael expects to gain a lot by drugging the bottle of wine but his plan
does not succeed. Explain
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2. Colonel Sapt and Fritz Von Tarlenheim prove to be the king’s loyal subjects.
Discuss.
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3. Rudolf’s decision to impersonate the king is a risky one. Explain
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Chapter “3”
The King Keeps His Appointment
Fill in the mind map about the characters:
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Colonel
Sapt
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---------------Summary:
1. Sapt thinks of everything to make the plan work out and promises to be at
Rudolf’s side at every moment of the day.
2. Rudolf reaches Zenda pretending to be the king.
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3.
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The absence of Black Michael.
Rudolf insists on riding unguarded through the people and the streets of Strelsau.
The coronation ceremony takes place.
Rudolf meets Princess Flavia.
The Setting is important in a novel. The setting helps to give
meaning to the story. Setting in a novel tells us where and when a story
takes place. Thus, setting is the background to the story in the novel.
Setting does not only give information on the time and place. It also
provides information on the people living in the place in the story.
This includes the people’s social and cultural practices.
Example:
1. How does Rudolf describe the city of Strelsau ?
• Write a starting sentence about the place.
• Find information about the following points in the text:
Streets:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The people:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The sounds he heard:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------His own feelings:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Organize your answer in a paragraph form.
• Don’t forget to write an ending sentence to finish your paragraph.
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Answer the following question
1. Why does Rudolf insist on riding unguarded through the streets of Strelsau?
What does it reveal about him?
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2. The old town preferred Black Michael. Explain.
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3. “Do be careful! …you must keep a better watch on him ...” Comment.
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