Std XII English THE TIGER KING BY KALKI
Std. XII English “THE TIGER KING” BY KALKI
An Introduction The Tiger King is a satire on those in power. The story is a mixture of the supernatural, humour and irony. The Tiger King has been magical from his birth. His arrogance takes him on a path of destruction of the tiger population. He is so much engrossed in exercising his power as the king that he fails to notice the havoc he has created. Even he forgets his duty towards his subjects and their well being. His minions are scared of him and fail to guide him. Ultimately, he meets the tragic death by the piercing of the sliver from a roughly crafted wooden toy tiger.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR • Tamil writer, journalist, poet, short story writer, critic and Indian Independence Activist • He was named after “Kalki avatar”, the tenth and last avatar of lord Vishnu • His writings include 120 short stories, 5 novels, 3 historical romances, editorial and political writings and hundreds of film and music reviews KALKI R. KRISHNAMURTHY
THEME OF THE STORY • The story deals with theme of crime and punishment/retribution which leads to the doom of the Tiger King, ironically, by a wooden toy tiger. • The other important theme of the story is a scathing criticism on the wanton killing of the innocent beasts by the Tiger King causing great havoc to nature. Hence, nature has to be preserved and not decimated.
CORE IDEAS OF THE STORY • The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram: The Tiger King The maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Bahadur is popularly known as the Tiger King as Tiger ruled his life and career. • The prediction about the death of the Tiger King by the chief astrologer: The chief astrologer told the ten days old prince that he was born in the hour of the Bull as the Bull and the Tiger were enemies, hence, his death would come from the tiger. • The Maharaja took up a massive tiger hunt mission: At the age of twenty, the state came into the hands of the young prince. He started out on a tiger hunt. The Maharaja was overjoyed when he killed his first tiger. He sent for the state astrologer and showed him the dead beast. The astrologer warned him to be ware of the hundredth tiger. The king asked what would happen if the hundredth tiger was also killed. The astrologer declared that he would tear up all his books on astrology and set fire to them.
CORE IDEAS OF THE STORY • The Tiger King banned tiger hunting by anyone except him: The King banned tiger hunting in his kingdom by anyone except him. If anyone dared to disobey, all his wealth and property would be confiscated. But a high ranking British officer wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. He was refused permission by the King. • The Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom: As the Maharaja displeased a British official, he was in danger of losing his kingdom. The Maharaja and the Dewan held deliberations over this issue. The Maharaja sent fifty expensive diamond rings to the British officer’s good lady expecting she would choose one or two of them. But the greedy lady kept all the rings and sent a letter of thanks to the Maharaja. The Maharaja was happy that though he had lost three lakhs of rupees, he had managed to retain his kingdom. • The King’s mission of killing tigers came to a halt: After killing seventy tigers within ten years, the tiger population became extinct in the forests of Pratibandapuram.
CORE IDEAS OF THE STORY • The King decided to marry: The King decided to marry a princess of the neighbouring kingdom in which there would be large tiger population. Each time he visited his father-in-law’s house, he killed five or six tigers. In this way, he killed ninety nine tigers. • The hundredth tiger evaded the King: The Maharaja could not find the hundredth tiger to kill and complete his mission. The Maharaja was worried and sad. The Dewan arranged a tiger from the People’s Park in Chennai. It was released into the forest, where the Maharaja was hunting, in the dark hours of the night. The next morning the Maharaja went for hunting the tiger. The Maharaja took a careful aim and the tiger fell in a crumpled heap. The Maharaja was elated that he had killed the hundredth tiger and completed his mission. But after he had left, the tiger was found to be alive and was killed by one of his hunters. The dead tiger was taken in a procession through the town and burried.
CORE IDEAS OF THE STORY • The Maharaja’s son’s third birthday was celebrated: The Maharaja bought a wooden tiger that was roughly crafted from a shop as a special birthday gift for his son. While the maharaja and his son were playing with the toy-tiger, one of its slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. • The hundredth tiger took its final revenge: The next day, infection flared in the Maharaja’s right hand. In four days, it developed into a sore and spread all over his arm. Three surgeons were sent for from Madras. They decided to operate. The operation was successful but the Maharaja died. In this manner the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King.
WORD MEANINGS • • • Imperative: of vital importance; crucial Indomitable: impossible to subdue or defeat Vital; absolutely necessary; essential Abode: a place of residence; a house or home Demise: a person’s death Compelled: force or oblige ( someone) to do something Emerge: move out of or away from something and become visible Hindsight: understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened Drawled: speak in a slow, lazy way with prolonged vowel sounds Fling: throw or hurl forcefully Confiscated: take or seize(someone’s property) with authority Quake: shake or tremble
TEXTUAL OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS 1)Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name? Ans: i)The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, Sir jilani Jung Bahadur ii)He gets that name as Tiger ruled his life and he took up a massive hunting mission of killing hundred tigers 2)What did the royal infant grow up to be? Ans: i)Grew taller and stronger, drank the milk of an English cow, brought up by an English nanny and tutored in English by an Englishman and saw only English films ii)At the age of twenty the kingdom came into his hands 3)What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill? Ans: i)After killing seventy tigers, tiger population in Pratibandapuram came to the verge of extinction ii)Maharaja decided to marry a princess of the neighbouring kingdom with large tiger population
TEXTUAL OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS 4)How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate? Ans: i)Maharaja was worried angry ii)Report of a tiger from a hillside village- happy and exempted task for three years for the villagers-the tiger not found, hence in fury, the Maharaja doubled the task of the villagers iii)The Dewan arranged the hundredth tiger from the People’s Park in Madras to be killed by the Maharaja 5)What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably disproved? Ans: i)Nothing will happen to the astrologer ii)The Maharaja did not kill the hundredth tiger which was killed by one of the hunters iii)As the toy tiger which was the hundredth tiger was the cause of his death, hence, the prophecy was proved
EXTRA QUESTIONS 1)What was the miracle that happened when the astrologer predicted about the death of newborn child? Ans: i)The ten day old baby spoke clearly after hearing the prediction about his death ii)Everybody was stunned into silence 2)Why did the chief astrologer predict that the death of the king would come from a tiger? Ans: i)The king was born on the hour of Bull and Tiger are enemy ii)Hence, the death from a tiger 3)What was the reply of the astrologer, when the Tiger King asked him what he would do if the hundredth tiger was killed? Ans: i)That he would tear all his books on astrology and set fire to them ii)Cut off tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent
EXTRA QUESTIONS 4)Why did the Maharaja not agree to the proposal of the British officer’s secretary? Ans: i)The Maharaja had banned tiger hunting by others in his kingdom ii)If the British officer was allowed other British officers would also turn up for tiger hunts 5)Why did the Maharaja decide to get married? Ans: i)Tiger population almost extinct in his kingdom ii)Wanted to marry a girl from a state with large tiger population to continue his tiger hunting mission 6)How did the Tiger King kill the hundredth tiger? Ans: i)The hundredth tiger evaded the King ii)The Dewan found the risk of losing his job and arranged the tiger from The People’s Park in Madras iii)The King took aim and killed the tiger but in reality the tiger fainted to a swoon and was killed by one of his hunters later
EXTRA QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE 1)What did the Maharaja do to complete his mission of killing a hundred tigers? 2)How did the Maharaja save his kingdom? 3)What was special about the gift the Maharaja had given to the crown prince on his third birthday? 4)How was the Maharaja hurt and what was the result of the wound? 5)How does the author satirize the upbringing and education of crown princes of Indian states? 6)Do you agree the Maharaja’s statement, ‘You may kill even a cow in self-defence’? 7)How did the hundredth tiger take revenge upon the king? 8)When did the Maharaja decide to double the land tax for a village?
TEXTUAL LONG QUESTIONS 1)The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story? Ans: i)The Tiger King is a satire on the pride and stubbornness of those in power ii)The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram tried to disprove the prediction of the chief astrologer and win over death iii)Went on wanton killing of tigers to kill the hundredth tiger iv)Irony of fate brings an unexpected end for him v)Elated at killing of the hundredth tiger which fainted to swoon later to be killed by one of his hunters vi)The wooden toy tiger took revenge upon him ultimately
TEXTUAL LONG QUESTIONS 2)What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the wilfulness of human beings? Ans: i)The author has rightly portrayed how human beings have subjected innocent animals to untold suffering and death ii)Mostly done for satisfying their own whims and fancies iii)The Maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to their extinction iv)The Maharaja was oblivious to the consequences of his action and went on a killing spree proving his chief astrologer wrong
TEXTUAL LONG QUESTIONS 3)How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards you or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Dow we find a similararity in today’s political order? Ans: i)The King’s minions feared him and tried to please him ii)The astrologer: initially reluctant to predict the king’s future but spoke when the king assured him to speak without any fear iii)The Dewan: did not advise him to stop killing innocent animals; rather he searched for a kingdom with a high population of tigers for the King to kill and arranged the hundredth tiger for the King iv)The royal hunters: did not inform the King about the hundredth tiger being alive in fear of losing their jobs v)The shopkeeper: sold the wooden toy tiger to the king at a high price because he feared punishment vi)In today’s political order this is also observed that the sub ordinates try to please their seniors in order to retain their position
LONG QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE 1)Sketch the character of The Tiger King. 2)The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons in support of your answer. 3)How did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How was he able to avoid the danger? 4)Discuss theme of the story in The Tiger King. 5)Give an account of the Maharaja’s encounter with the hundredth tiger and his subsequent death. 6)How did The Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his death? 7)Justify the title of the story, ‘The Tiger King’. 8)Do you think the Tiger King’s life would have taken a different course if he had not heard the prophecy about his future? What kind of a king would he have proved to be?
VSATQ FOR PRACTICE 1. The Maharaja was thrilled beyond measures when he killed his first tiger. He sent for the State astrologer and showed him the dead beast. a) Why did the Maharaja send for the State astrologer? b) What did the astrologer reply? c) When did the astrologer warn the Maharaja about the hundredth tiger? d) How did the astrologer try to confirm his prediction about the hundredth tiger? 2. The tiger was not easily found. It seemed as if it had wantonly hid itself in order to flout the Maharaja’s will. a) Which tiger is referred to in the extract? b) Why was the Maharaja worried about this tiger? c) Why did the Dewan think of arranging the tiger? d) Where from did the Dewan arrange the tiger to be killed by the Maharaja?
- Slides: 19
