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Marchbanks : (stopping her mysteriously) Hush! I go about in search of love; and I find it in…
Marchbanks : (stopping her mysteriously) Hush! I go about in search
of love; and I find it in unmeasured stores in the bosoms of others. But when I try to ask for it, this horrible shyness strangles me; and I stand dumb, or worse than dumb, saying meaningless things: foolish lies. And I see the affection I am longing for given to dogs and cats and pet birds, because they come and ask for it. (Almost whispering) It must be asked for: it is like a ghost: it cannot speak unless it is first spoken to. (At his usual pitch, but with deep melancholy) All the love in the world is longing to speak; only it dare not, because it is shy! shy! shy! That is the world’s tragedy. (With a deep sigh, he sits in the visitors’ chair and buries his face in his hands.)
Proserpine : (amazed, but keeping her wits about her: her point of
honor in encounters with strange young men) Wicked people get over that shyness occasionally, don’t they?
(i)[1.0]
Where are Marchbanks and Proserpine?
(ii)[2.0]
How does Marchbanks offend Proserpine?
(iii)[2.0]
What are Marchbanks’ ideas of love?
(iv)[2.0]
What is ‘like a ghost’? Why has he used this reference?
(v)[2.0]
What does Marchbanks tell about his shyness to Proserpine?
(vi)[1.0]
Does Marchbanks agree with Proserpine when she says that wicked people
do not feel shy?
Answer
No answer yet.
From ISC 2020 English Literature Paper 1, question 2(b).