ISC English Literature 2025 Question Paper with Answers
All 32 questions of the ISC English Literature 2025 Question Paper, in printed order. Open a question to read it in full and see its answer.
- Q1(i) How does Ross describe Macduff to Lady Macduff in Act IV Scene ii of the play, Macbeth? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(ii) In his soliloquy in Act III Scene i of the play, Macbeth, which one of the following does Macbeth refer to as a reason for… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(iii) “Nought’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content;” What does this quote by Lady Macbeth in Act III Scene ii of… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(iv) In Act V Scene v of the play, Macbeth, what is Macbeth’s first reaction when the messenger informs him that “the wood began to… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(v) Why did Charushashi smash Tarapada’s flute in the short story, Atithi? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(vi) What does the ever-ticking clock in the short story, There Will Come Soft Rains, symbolise? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(vii) Read the following two statements from the short story, The Medicine Bag, and choose the correct option from the ones given… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(viii) Which one of the following BEST describes Beethoven’s father’s attitude to him in the poem, Beethoven? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(ix) In the poem, Small Towns and the River, what is the river compared to? 1 mark · MCQ
- Q1(x) In the poem, Tithonus, what does Tennyson illustrate through the image of ‘the woods decay and fall....Man comes and tills the… 1 mark · MCQ
- Q2(i) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In Act III Scene v of the… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(ii) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In Act IV Scene iii of the… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(iii) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In Act V Scene i of the… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(iv) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In Act IV Scene i of the… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(v) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In the short story, The… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(vi) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In the short story, The… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(vii) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In the short story, Atithi… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(viii) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In the poem, Tithonus… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(ix) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In the poem, Beethoven, the… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q2(x) Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question. In the poem, Telephone… 1 mark · Short answer
- Q3(i) How does Lady Macduff respond to her husband’s sudden departure in Act IV Scene ii? What does her response suggest about her… 5 marks · Long answer
- Q3(ii) What secrets does Lady Macbeth reveal as she walks in her sleep in Act V Scene i? What changes do you notice in her from the… 5 marks · Long answer
- Q3(iii)(a) Do you think that Malcolm has the kingly qualities that Macbeth lacks? Justify your answer in 200 - 250 words by referring to the… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q3(iii)(b) The minor characters in the play act as commentators to the events that unfold in Scotland. Discuss the statement in 200 - 250… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q4(i) In the short story, Indigo, Bhola Babu warns Aniruddha against undertaking a solo car journey from Calcutta to Dumka. Describe… 5 marks · Long answer
- Q4(ii) Referring closely to the short story, There Will Come Soft Rains, describe any four routine activities performed by the automated… 5 marks · Long answer
- Q4(iii)(a) Why do Martin’s friends appreciate his ‘Grandpa’ in the short story, The Medicine Bag? How does peer pressure affect Martin’s… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q4(iii)(b) Explore Tarapada’s relationship with Annapurna and Charushashi in the short story, Atithi. Why, in your opinion, does Tarapada… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q5(i) How does the poet depict the eternal nature of the river in the poem, Small Towns and the River? Write your answer in 100 - 150… 5 marks · Long answer
- Q5(ii) Describe Beethoven’s efforts to live up to his father’s expectations. Write your answer in a short paragraph of about 100 - 150… 5 marks · Long answer
- Q5(iii)(a) The poem, Telephone Conversation, does not unite but separates the two individuals engaged in a telephone conversation. Analyse… 10 marks · Long answer
- Q5(iii)(b) With reference to the theme of immortality, analyse the portrayal of Eos / Aurora in the poem, Tithonus, in 200 - 250 words. 10 marks · Long answer