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Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature
Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
Justify the title Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Answer:
The title is absolutely justified as the story is about two young boys, who despite their youth, were already true gentlemen. They were dignified, conscientious, sincere and hardworking. They shouldered the responsibility of looking after their sister Lucia and paid her hospital bills by working hard without expecting any help from anyone. They lived with dignity and pride.
Question 2.
Where did the narrator meet the two boys for the first time? What were they doing?
Answer:
The narrator met the boys for the first time as he was driving towards Verona on the foothills of the Alps. The boys were selling baskets of strawberries and they stopped his car to sell him some too.
Question 3.
Why did the narrator say that what struck one most was their willingness to work?
Answer:
Though the boys were fairly young, they were extremely hard-working. Even when they were tired, they ‘ worked without complaint. They did many jobs and worked willingly and cheerfully.
Question 4.
Why was the square deserted?
Answer:
The square was deserted because it was very late at night. People had returned home.
Question 5.
Were the boys quite happy to work? Which sentence tells -you this?
Answer:
Yes, we know that the boys were happy to work as the narrator observes, “What struck one most was their willingness to work.”
Question 6.
What made the narrator think that they were earning much?
Answer:
The narrator saw the boys doing multiple jobs. They shined shoes, sold fruit, hawked newspapers, conducted tourists round the town and ran errands. Therefore, the narrator thought they were earning a good amount of money.
Question 7.
The narrator feels that the boys worked very hard but spent very little. What impression has he formed of their character?
Answer:
The narrator saw that the boys worked very hard at many jobs. He also noticed that despite their earnings, they spent nothing on clothes and ate very frugal meals. He assumes that the boys were hoarding money to emigrate to the United States.
Question 8.
Where did the boys go every Sunday? Why did they do so?
Answer:
Every Sunday, the boys went to the hospital in Poleta to meet their sister Lucia who was admitted there. Lucia was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine.
Question 9.
Do you think the boys looked after Lucia willingly? Explain.
Answer:
Undoubtedly the boys looked after Lucia willingly. They worked at various jobs and performed errands for people cheerfully, spending little on themselves. They neither looked to others for help nor for sympathy. They could have easily taken help from the narrator and other people, but they preferred to look after their sister themselves.
Question 10.
How does the story of the Two Gentlemen of Verona give promise of greater hope for human society?
Answer:
The two boys—one 13 and the other 12—shouldered responsibility for their ailing sister without complaints. They worked hard and tirelessly, not looking for help or pity. They did not shirk from their duty towards their family or country. They were the embodiment of selflessness, nobility and gentleness. The two boys prove that hope, faith, positive thinking and hard work can help overcome all troubles in life.
Question 11.
Why did the boys work so hard?
Answer:
The boys worked hard because their sister was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine and was hospitalized.
They had to take care of her hospital bills as they were orphans with no other family. Also, they were proud, wanting neither help nor pity.
Question 12.
What had happened to their parents?
Answer:
The boys had lost their mother very early in life. Their father had been killed during the war.
Question 13.
Who is Lucia?
Answer:
Lucia was the elder sister of Nicola and Jacopo. She was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine and was in hospital for treatment.
Question 14.
What were Nicola’s feelings when the narrator commented on his frugal lifestyle?
Answer:
When the narrator commented on the fact that the boys worked hard and probably earned a good deal of money yet lived very frugally, Nicola was embarrassed and he did not say anything, just looked down.
Question 15.
Why did the narrator follow the boys to the villa? Why did he not meet Lucia?
Answer:
The narrator was curious about why the boys had gone to the villa. He wanted to find out more about them, so he followed them to the villa. He did not go in to meet Lucia as he did not wish to embarrass the boys.
Question 16.
What were the narrator’s feelings about the two boys at first? What change did they undergo and why?
Answer:
At first the narrator was impressed by the hard work the boys put in. He became fond of them as they were friendly and ran errands for him. But when he saw them with Lucia and realised that they were working hard to shoulder the responsibility of an ailing elder sister, he was filled with admiration and respect for them.
Question 17.
Did the boys try to prevent the narrator from finding out the real purpose of their visit to Poleta? Did they succeed?
Answer:
The boys tried to prevent the narrator from finding out the real purpose of their visit. They jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and rushed off after telling the narrator that they would meet him in an hour’s time. They did not succeed because the narrator, fired by curiosity, went inside later and found out the truth.
Question 18.
How did the war affect the boys’ family?
Answer:
The boys’ father was killed shortly after the war started. Subsequently, a bomb destroyed their home and the three children were thrown out into the streets. They suffered horribly from near starvation and exposure to the cold winter. During the German occupation, the boys joined the resistance movement. The hardships and suffering led to the sister developing tuberculosis of the spine.
Question 19.
“Just plans, sir….” Why does Nicola say it in a low voice? Does he want to hide anything?
Answer:
Nicola is embarrassed by the narrator’s observation on their frugal spending and shabby clothing despite them and his brother earning what must be a considerable amount. Nicola also wanted to hide the real reason behind their saving money from the narrator.
Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Write a paragraph on the early life of the two boys during the war.
Answer:
The father of the two boys was a well-known singer and a widower. He was killed in war and a bomb blast had destroyed their home. As a result, the boys and their sister were left on the streets. They suffered starvation and exposure to cold winter and barely managed to keep themselves alive. They built a shelter with their own hands amid the rubble. The boys had joined the resistance movement. During this time, their sister developed tuberculosis of the spine.
Question 2.
Give a brief character sketch of Nicola and Jacopo.
Answer:
Nicola and Jacopo endured immense suffering. They were motherless and had lost their father in the war. A bomb blast had destroyed their house but their spirit was not broken. They were a resourceful duo and had made their own shelter. They were hard-working and willing to do any job to pay for their sister’s stay in the hospital.
They were devoted to their sister and did not spend money on themselves. They were dignified and conscientious and also patriotic as they had joined the Resistance movement against Germans, though they were mere children. They were proud and did not want sympathy from anyone.
Question 3.
Give a brief character sketch of Nicola.
Answer:
He was a brave and spirited boy. Despite enduring immense suffering in the absence of his mother and father, his spirit was not broken. He was the stronger of the two brothers and was extremely resourceful. He even made his own shelter. He was hard-working and willing to do any job. He was devoted to his sister and was willing to do any kind of hard work to pay for her stay in the hospital. He did not spend money on himself. He was patriotic by nature and had joined the Resistance movement against Germans though was very young. He was proud and did not want sympathy from any one for his plight. He was also childish and innocent.
Question 4.
In what way is Jacopo different from his elder brother?
Answer:
He was a brave and spirited boy and the terrible hardships that he had to endure had not broken his spirit. He was the younger of the two brothers. He was childish and innocent and was naughty as a squirrel.
Question 5.
“Yet in both these boyish faces there was a seriousness which was far beyond their years.” Does this sentence signal anything to you?
Answer:
The boys had imbibed a sense of responsibility at a very young age. They were ready to do any job and were extremely hard-working. Their selfless action and devotion to their sister’s treatment is remarkable. Their hard-earned money was spent shouldering responsibility far beyond their years.
Question 6.
Justify the title Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Answer:
A ‘gentleman’ is a person who is gentle and considerate and respects the feelings of others while treating them. He adheres to high standards of behaviour and responsibility and is mindful of his duty. The two boys are gentlemen as they are hardworking and conscientious as well as imbued with a sense of duty towards their country. They are also aware of their responsibility towards their sister Lucia.
Question 7.
The journey to Poleta changed the narrator’s previous impression about the boys. He was deeply moved by their story. He could not sleep that night. He wrote about them in his diary. Write the diary of the narrator.
Answer:
Dear Diary,
I have met two very hard working boys. I saw them doing a number of jobs. They had a frugal nature that reflected in their appearance as well food habits. I presumed that they were saving to emigrate. One day I accompanied them to Poleta and followed them to a villa. I learnt of their hard life. I came to know about the loss of their father and how their home was destroyed. I came to know about the extreme hard work that they were doing to pay for their sister’s hospital bills and I was mighty impressed by their sense of responsibility. I admired the pride that the two boys had, as they refused to be looked upon with pity by others.
Question 8.
The nurse in the hospital told Lucia that she had completely recovered from the illness and she could go home the next day. Lucia became very happy and that day she wrote a diary. What would that diary entry be?
Answer:
Dear Diary,
I have recovered from my illness after staying in the hospital for ,many months. My brothers have endured immense hardships to pay the hospital fees. I have tremendous admiration for their resourcefulness and their sense of duty. I will work as a singer and try to give them a good life.
Question 9.
Two Gentlemen of Verona deals with the importance of family relationships. Comment.
Answer:
The values revealed by the two boys are selflessness, devotion to duty, willingness to work hard and cheerfulness in adverse circumstances. It gives us promise of a greater hope for society. The war had destroyed everything Nicola and Jacopo had. Moreover, their sister Lucia was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine and had to be hospitalized. However, it did not fill them with despair. They resolved to start a new life for themselves after the war. They got Lucia admitted to a hospital and worked very hard to pay for her treatment.
Question 10.
How does the story Two Gentlemen of Verona by A.J. Cronin promise hope for society?
Answer:
The story stresses the importance of relationships and one’s duty towards society and country. The boys’ father was killed in the war and their home was destroyed. Nicola and Jacopo worked at numerous jobs and ran errands to earn money to pay for their sister’s treatment.
The destruction caused by the war could not break the spirit of the two boys. Rather it filled them with a new energy to rebuild from what was left after the war. In this world, where values are eroding, these boys and their work promise a new hope for society. Their selflessness, devotion to duty, willingness to work hard and cheerfulness in adverse circumstances give us promise of a greater hope for society.
Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context
Read the following passages taken from Two Gentlemen of Verona and answer the questions:
Question 1.
“One boy had on a worn jersey and cut-off khaki pants; the other a shortened army tunic gathered in loose folds about his skinny frame. Yet, gazing at the two little figures, with their brown skins, tangled hair and dark earnest eyes, we felt ourselves strangely attracted. ”
(a) What quality of the boys attracted the narrator?
Answer:
The narrator was attracted by the honesty in the boys’ eyes.
(b) How did the narrator help the boys?
Answer:
The narrator helped the boys by buying the strawberries they were selling.
(c) How do we know that the boys were poor?
Answer:
We know that the boys were poor as they were wearing tom and oversized clothes.
Question 2.
“Next morning, coining out of our hotel, we saw our friends bent over shoeshine boxes beside the fountain in the public square, doing a brisk business. We watched for a few moments; then as trade slackened we went over. They greeted us with friendly faces. ”
(a) Whom does the narrator refer to as ‘our friends’?
Answer:
The narrator refers to Nicola and Jacopo as ‘our friends’.
(b) What were the ‘friends’ doing?
Answer:
The boys were shining shoes in the town square.
(c) What does the phrase ‘trade slackened’ mean?
Answer:
The phrase means that the boys’ business of shining shoes had slowed down. They were not very busy.
Question 3.
“As we made the rounds, my interest was again provoked by their remarkable demeanour. ”
(a) What does the phrase ‘making the rounds’ mean?
Answer:
The phrase means to go around from one place to another. The narrator means he was sightseeing in the town of Verona. ’
(b) What did the narrator notice about their ‘demeanour’?
Answer:
The narrator noticed that the boys were very serious.
(c) Why was it ‘remarkable’?
Answer:
It was remarkable because the boys were rather young. The seriousness did not go well with their age.
Question 4.
“The following afternoon we drove to the tiny village set high upon the hillside. ”
(a) Who went on the trip to the tiny village?
Answer:
The narrator and the two brothers, Nicola and Jacopo went on the trip.
(b) What was the name of the village they had driven to?
Answer:
The narrator and the boys had driven to the village called Poleta.
(c) Why was the narrator surprised when Jacopo directed him as to where he should stop?
Answer:
The narrator was surprised as he had thought they would stop at some humble dwelling, but Jacopo guided him to a large villa.
Question 5.
“The boys grew to hate the Germans. When the resistance movement began to form they were among the first to join. ”
(a) Who are the ‘boys’?
Answer:
The ‘boys’ are Nicola and Jacopo.
(b) Why did the boys grow to hate the Germans?
Answer:
The boys hated the Germans as not only they had lost their father early in the war but a German bomb had also destroyed their beautiful home.
