IGNOU BEGC-110 Solved Question Paper PDF Download

IGNOU BEGC-110 Previous Year Solved Question Paper in Hindi

IGNOU BEGC-110 Previous Year Solved Question Paper in English

Q1. Explain with reference to the context any four of the following in about 50 words each : (a) In the stormy east-wind straining, The pale yellow woods were warning, The broad stream in his banks complaining, Heavily the low key raining Over tower’d Camelot. (b) For the journey is done and the summit attained, And the barriers fall, Though a battle’s to fight ere the guerdon be gained, The reward of it all. (c) Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here Buckle ! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier ! (d) “For there is no friend like a sister In calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, To fetch one if one goes astray, To lift one if one totters down, To strengthen whilst one stands.” (e) She had a heart—how shall I say ? —too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate’ver She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. (f) Go, for they call you, shepherd, from the hill; Go, shepherd, and untie the wattled cotes ! No longer leave thy wistful flock unfed, Nor let thy bawling fellows rack their throats, Nor the cropp’d herbage shoot another head.

Ans. (a) These lines are from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shalott.” They describe the gloomy and foreboding atmosphere surrounding the Lady’s tower. The personified imagery of the stormy wind, waning woods, and complaining stream creates a sense of entrapment and impending doom, contrasting with the distant, vibrant world of Camelot. (b) These lines are from Robert Browning’s poem “Prospice.” The speaker, facing death, views it as the culmination of life’s journey. “Prospice” means “look forward.” He sees death as a final battle to be fought in order to gain the “guerdon” (reward), which is the reunion with his deceased beloved (his wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning). (c) These lines are from Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem “The Windhover.” The speaker is observing a kestrel in flight. The word “Buckle!” signifies the convergence of all the bird’s qualities—its beauty, valour, and pride—as well as its sudden dive. These qualities become a symbol for the glory of Christ, the speaker’s “chevalier,” which is infinitely lovelier and more dangerous. (d) These lines are from the conclusion of Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market.” Spoken by Lizzie to her sister Laura, they encapsulate the poem’s central moral: the unbreakable bond of sisterhood. It asserts that a sister is a constant support in all circumstances, offering guidance, redemption, and strength, reflecting the poem’s theme of sisterly love and sacrifice. (e) These lines are from Robert Browning’s famous dramatic monologue, “My Last Duchess.” The speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, is describing his late wife to an envoy. He criticizes her for being indiscriminately happy and pleasant to everyone, which he interpreted as a lack of special appreciation for him. This perceived failing was his justification for having her killed. (f) These lines are from Matthew Arnold’s poem “The Scholar-Gipsy.” The speaker, wishing to escape the “sick hurry” of modern life, dismisses his shepherd companion. He desires to be left alone to contemplate the legend of the scholar-gipsy, who represents a spiritual escape from the material world that the shepherd, with his earthly duties, embodies.

Q2. Give a detailed account of Dickens’ treatment of revolutionaries in A Tale of Two Cities. Or Analyse the character portayal of Sydney Carton and Charles Darney. Who according to you is the hero of the story ?

Ans. Dickens’ Treatment of Revolutionaries in A Tale of Two Cities In A Tale of Two Cities , Charles Dickens presents a complex and deeply ambivalent portrayal of the French revolutionaries. While he is profoundly sympathetic to the causes of the revolution, he is unequivocally critical of its violent and vengeful methods . Sympathy for the Cause: Dickens masterfully depicts the abject poverty, starvation, and brutal oppression suffered by the French peasantry at the hands of the aristocracy. Characters like the Marquis St. Evrémonde, who carelessly runs over a child with his carriage, embody the callous indifference of the ruling class. The iconic scene of the spilled wine cask, where the people of Saint Antoine desperately lap the wine from the street, serves as a powerful symbol of their “hunger,” both literal and metaphorical, for sustenance and justice. Dickens makes it clear that the revolution was an inevitable and justified response to years of systemic cruelty. Critique of the Methods: However, once the revolution begins, Dickens’s tone shifts to one of horror and condemnation. He shows how the oppressed, upon gaining power, become oppressors themselves, perpetuating a cycle of violence.

• The Defarges: Madame Defarge is the primary embodiment of this vengeful fury. Her personal quest for revenge against the Evrémonde family consumes her, transforming her from a victim into a merciless monster. Her constant knitting of the names of the condemned and her desire to exterminate the entire Darnay line, including the innocent Lucie and her child, illustrate how the revolutionary cause has been perverted by personal hatred. Monsieur Defarge is more conflicted but is ultimately swept away by the mob’s frenzy.
• The Mob: Dickens portrays the revolutionary mob, the “Jacques,” as a bloodthirsty, irrational, and subhuman force. The Reign of Terror is depicted as a descent into madness, where the “La Guillotine” is deified and public executions become a form of entertainment. Justice is replaced by mob rule, and reason is drowned out by the thirst for blood.

Dickens’s Message:

Through this dual portrayal, Dickens issues a powerful warning. He argues that while social injustice inevitably breeds revolution, the revolution itself can easily devolve into a savage and self-destructive force. He contrasts the revolutionaries’ thirst for vengeance with the Christian ideal of sacrifice and resurrection, embodied by Sydney Carton. For Dickens, true revolution is not found in the guillotine but in the transformation of the human heart through love and self-sacrifice. Thus, he presents the revolutionaries as both tragic victims and terrifying villains, a testament to the moral complexity of violent upheaval.

OR

Character Analysis of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay

In

A Tale of Two Cities

, Charles Dickens masterfully uses the characters of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay as foils. They are physical doppelgängers but moral opposites whose paths converge to illuminate the novel’s central themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the transformative power of love.

Charles Darnay: The Conventional Hero

Charles Darnay is presented as the conventional hero. He is noble, honourable, and principled. Born into the French aristocracy as Charles St. Evrémonde, he renounces his title and the evils associated with his family. He strives to live a virtuous and respectable life as a tutor in England. Darnay is kind and loving, but he is also a somewhat passive character. He is frequently a victim of circumstance, imprisoned first in London and then twice in Paris, and often relies on others to save him. His goodness is static; he is a good man from beginning to end.

Sydney Carton: The Unlikely Hero

Sydney Carton is the novel’s most dynamic and complex character. He is introduced as a cynical, alcoholic, and dissolute lawyer who wastes his brilliant mind. He is the “jackal” to his colleague Stryver’s “lion,” doing all the work for none of the credit. He sees his life as meaningless and squandered. However, beneath this self-destructive exterior lies a profound capacity for love and self-awareness. His selfless, unrequited love for Lucie Manette becomes the catalyst for his transformation. He sees in her and her family the possibility of a life he could have had, and he vows to do anything for her happiness.

Who is the Hero?

While Charles Darnay is the protagonist, it is

Sydney Carton

who is the true hero of the story. Darnay lives a good life, but Carton transforms a wasted life into a sublime one through a single, ultimate act of heroism. Carton undergoes a profound character arc, moving from despair to purpose, from nihilism to self-sacrifice.

The climax of the novel is Carton’s ultimate act of redemption. He orchestrates a plan to take Darnay’s place in prison, willingly going to the guillotine so that Lucie and her family can be happy and safe. His final thoughts, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,” signify his complete redemption. Darnay is the man who is saved, but Carton is the saviour who achieves a form of immortality through his sacrifice. Thus, through his moral journey and ultimate self-abnegation, Sydney Carton emerges as the true and unforgettable hero of

A Tale of Two Cities

.

Q3. Do you agree that The Mayor of Casterbridge is a story of ‘a man of character’ ? Give reasons for your answer. Or Discuss the parallel between The Mayor of Casterbridge and Greek tragedy.

Ans. The Mayor of Casterbridge as a Story of ‘a Man of Character’ Yes, I agree that The Mayor of Casterbridge is unequivocally the story of ‘a man of character,’ but this phrase, the novel’s subtitle, must be understood in its full, ironic complexity. Thomas Hardy uses it not to denote a man of high moral virtue, but rather to describe a man, Michael Henchard, who is defined and ultimately destroyed by the sheer force of his powerful, unyielding, and impulsive personality. Henchard’s “character” is the engine of both his rise and his fall. Character as a Strength: Henchard’s strength of character is what allows him, a humble hay-trusser, to rise to become the wealthy and powerful Mayor of Casterbridge. He possesses immense energy, determination, and a will to succeed. His character also contains a rough-hewn sense of justice; he rigidly adheres to his oath of sobriety for twenty-one years and is capable of punishing himself for his wrongdoings. This indomitable will is, in many ways, admirable. Character as a Fatal Flaw: However, the very traits that make Henchard strong are also the source of his downfall. His “character” is his tragic flaw.

• Impulsiveness: His defining act, selling his wife and child in a drunken fit, is a rash, impulsive decision that sets the tragedy in motion. This impulsiveness continues throughout his life.
• Pride (Hubris): Henchard’s pride is monumental. He cannot bear to have a rival, leading him to foolishly turn against the talented and innovative Donald Farfrae. This rivalry, born of pride, directly leads to the collapse of his business and his social standing.
• Stubbornness: He is fiercely stubborn, clinging to outdated methods and refusing to adapt. He alienates those who could help him, like Farfrae and Elizabeth-Jane, because his character will not allow him to bend or admit he is wrong until it is too late.
• Possessiveness: He views people, particularly Lucetta and Elizabeth-Jane, as possessions, leading to further conflict and alienation.

Conclusion:

Hardy’s novel is a profound exploration of how a dominant “character” fares against the forces of fate, chance, and social change (represented by the modern, methodical Farfrae). Henchard is a man

of

character in that he is a forceful, memorable, and powerful individual. But he is not a man

of good

character, and his rigid, passionate nature proves tragically ill-suited to the complexities of life. His character is a cage from which he cannot escape, making the subtitle a deeply ironic commentary on his tragic fate.

OR

Parallels between

The Mayor of Casterbridge

and Greek Tragedy

Thomas Hardy’s

The Mayor of Casterbridge

shares profound structural and thematic parallels with classical Greek tragedy, presenting Michael Henchard as a modern tragic hero in the Aristotelian mould.

1. The Tragic Hero:

Like Oedipus or Creon, Henchard is a man of high stature—the Mayor of Casterbridge—who is brought down not by sheer villainy but by a

hamartia

, or tragic flaw. He is a man of great potential, energy, and will, but his downfall is precipitated by his own character defects: primarily his explosive impulsiveness and overwhelming pride (

hubris

).

2. Hamartia and Hubris:

Henchard’s initial sin, the selling of his wife and child, is the foundational act of hamartia that haunts his entire life. His subsequent actions are driven by a hubristic pride that makes him incapable of tolerating a rival in Donald Farfrae. He defies the ‘President of the Immortals’ (as Hardy might say) by trying to control his destiny and the people around him, leading directly to his ruin.

3. Peripeteia (Reversal of Fortune):

The novel charts a classic peripeteia. Henchard experiences a dramatic rise from a disgraced hay-trusser to the most powerful man in Casterbridge. This is followed by an equally dramatic and complete reversal. The arrival of Susan, followed by the ascendency of Farfrae, marks the beginning of his fall, which continues relentlessly until he loses his wealth, position, loved ones, and finally, his life.

4. Anagnorisis (Recognition):

Henchard experiences several moments of anagnorisis, or recognition of his folly, but they often come too late or he is too proud to act on them. He recognizes his mistake in driving Farfrae away and his cruelty to Elizabeth-Jane, but his attempts at reconciliation are clumsy and ill-fated. His final will, in which he asks to be forgotten, is his ultimate, tragic recognition of his complete failure and isolation.

5. The Role of Fate and Chance:

As in Greek tragedy, external forces conspire with the hero’s character to seal his doom. The return of the furmity-woman at the precise moment to expose him, the bad weather that ruins his harvest, and the public reading of Lucetta’s letters are all strokes of ill-fortune or cruel chance that work against him. The setting itself, with the ancient Roman amphitheatre of Casterbridge, evokes a sense of an inescapable, pre-ordained destiny.

Through these elements, Hardy elevates Henchard’s story from a simple tale of a man’s failure into a powerful, universal tragedy about the collision of character, fate, and the unforgiving nature of existence.

Q4. What is the central theme of the poem ‘Dover Beach’ ? Discuss the imageries used in the poem to depict the theme. Or Attempt a critical analysis of the poem ‘Ulysses’.

Ans. The Central Theme and Imagery of ‘Dover Beach’ The central theme of Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” is the profound loss of religious faith in the modern world and the resulting sense of anxiety, alienation, and existential despair. The poem contrasts the calm, serene beauty of the natural world with the harsh, chaotic reality of human existence stripped of the certainties that faith once provided. Arnold masterfully employs a series of powerful images to develop this theme: 1. The Imagery of the Sea (Auditory and Visual): The poem opens with a tranquil, beautiful image: “The sea is calm tonight.” The moonlight on the straits creates a scene of peace. However, this visual tranquility is immediately undercut by auditory imagery. The speaker hears the “grating roar / Of pebbles” as the waves draw back, and he interprets this sound as the “eternal note of sadness.” The sea, initially an object of beauty, becomes a symbol of humanity’s sorrowful condition. 2. “The Sea of Faith”: This is the poem’s core metaphor. The speaker imagines a time when the “Sea of Faith” was “once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore / Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furl’d.” This image depicts a world unified and protected by religious certainty. But now, in the Victorian era of scientific discovery and skepticism, that faith is receding. The speaker only hears its “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar.” This auditory image powerfully conveys a sense of loss and abandonment, leaving humanity exposed on the “naked shingles of the world.” 3. Imagery of Light and Darkness: The poem contrasts the deceptive light at the beginning (“the glimmering and vast”) with the terrifying darkness at the end. The world, which “seems / To lie before us like a land of dreams,” is revealed to have “neither joy, nor love, nor light.” This loss of faith has plunged the world into a spiritual darkness. 4. Imagery of Battle: The poem culminates in a terrifying simile. The speaker concludes that without the guiding light of faith, humanity is lost: “we are here as on a darkling plain / Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, / Where ignorant armies clash by night.” This image portrays the modern world as a chaotic, meaningless battlefield where people fight without knowledge, purpose, or a clear enemy. In the face of this bleakness, Arnold offers one fragile consolation: personal love and fidelity. The plea, “Ah, love, let us be true / To one another!” suggests that authentic human connection is the only refuge in a faithless, bewildering universe. OR A Critical Analysis of the Poem ‘Ulysses’ Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Ulysses” is a seminal dramatic monologue that captures the restless, forward-looking spirit of the Victorian age. Through the voice of the aged Greek hero, the poem explores the insatiable human desire for knowledge, experience, and progress, powerfully rejecting a life of idleness in favour of perpetual striving. Themes and Content: The poem is spoken by Ulysses, now an old king in Ithaca, who is deeply dissatisfied with his quiet, domestic life. He finds it “dull” to “pause, to make an end” and considers his kingly duties—governing a “savage race”—to be unfulfilling.

• The Quest for Knowledge and Experience: This is the poem’s central theme. Ulysses yearns to travel again, not for glory, but “to follow knowledge like a sinking star, / Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.” He is a symbol of the human intellect’s refusal to be confined by physical or mortal limits.
• Action versus Inaction: The poem creates a stark contrast between the stagnant life in Ithaca and the dynamic life of adventure. Ulysses represents the spirit of action, believing that life’s purpose is found in doing, not just being. He dismisses the passive existence, arguing “’tis not too late to seek a newer world.”
• Aging and Mortality: Ulysses is acutely aware of his own mortality and diminished strength. He and his mariners are “Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will.” However, instead of seeing old age as a time for rest, he sees it as a final opportunity for a great undertaking, to achieve something noble before “the silent end.”

Character of Ulysses:

Ulysses is often celebrated as a heroic figure, the embodiment of courage, intellectual curiosity, and indomitable will. His final line, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield,” has become an inspirational motto for perseverance.

However, a more critical reading reveals a more complex, and perhaps less admirable, character. His desire to leave can be seen as selfish and irresponsible. He speaks of his “aged wife” and his son Telemachus in a detached, almost dismissive manner. While he praises Telemachus for his prudence and suitability to rule, it is clear that Ulysses himself scorns such domestic duties. He is willing to abandon his responsibilities to his kingdom and family for a personal quest.

Language and Form:

Written in powerful and sonorous blank verse, the poem’s language is grand and epic in tone. The flowing iambic pentameter carries the speaker’s thoughts forward, mirroring his own desire for constant motion. The dramatic monologue form allows Tennyson to create a complex psychological portrait, revealing the hero’s motivations and flaws through his own words.

Conclusion:

“Ulysses” remains a powerful and enduring poem. It is both a celebration of the heroic spirit of exploration and a complex character study of a man who cannot rest. It captures a fundamental human tension between the call of duty and domesticity, and the endless, often restless, search for what lies beyond the horizon.

Q5. Give a character sketch of the Duke in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’. Or Attempt a critical analysis of the poem ‘The Windhover’ by Hopkins.

Ans. Character Sketch of the Duke in ‘My Last Duchess’ In Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue, “My Last Duchess,” the Duke of Ferrara emerges as one of literature’s most chilling and memorable villains. Through his own words, spoken to an envoy for his next marriage, the Duke unwittingly paints a masterful self-portrait of a man defined by arrogance, possessiveness, and a cold, calculating cruelty, all hidden beneath a veneer of aristocratic sophistication. The key traits of the Duke’s character are: 1. Arrogance and Pride: The Duke is consumed by his own importance, particularly his “nine-hundred-years-old name.” He believes his status is a “gift” that his late wife failed to appreciate sufficiently. His pride is so immense that he considers it “stooping” to correct his wife’s behaviour, a compromise his ego would never allow. 2. Possessiveness and Objectification: He treats people, especially women, as objects to be owned and controlled. His “last Duchess” is now literally a piece of his art collection: “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall.” He controls who views the portrait, just as he sought to control her smiles in life. His discussion of his new potential bride focuses on the dowry, further highlighting his view of women as transactional objects. 3. Pathological Jealousy and Insecurity: Beneath his aristocratic hauteur lies a deep and profound insecurity. He was driven mad by the fact that the Duchess found joy in simple pleasures—a “bough of cherries,” “the white mule”—and that she bestowed her pleasant nature on everyone equally. He could not tolerate not being the sole source and object of her happiness. 4. Ruthless Cruelty and Power: The Duke’s monstrous nature is revealed in the chillingly casual line: “I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.” This euphemism makes it clear he had his wife murdered. He shows no remorse, only a cold satisfaction in having exerted his ultimate power. His ability to recount this story to the envoy of his next wife shows his absolute belief in his impunity. 5. Materialism and Aestheticism: The Duke is a connoisseur of art, but his appreciation is rooted in ownership and status, not genuine aesthetic feeling. The poem is framed by two art objects: the portrait of the Duchess and the bronze statue of Neptune. His final line, pointing out the statue, shows how quickly his mind moves from his murdered wife to his next beautiful acquisition, revealing his cold, materialistic heart. In conclusion, the Duke is a complex figure of civilized monstrosity. Browning brilliantly uses the dramatic monologue to expose the dark psychology of a man whose obsession with control and pride leads him to become a tyrant and a murderer, all while maintaining the polished facade of a Renaissance nobleman. OR A Critical Analysis of ‘The Windhover’ by Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins’s sonnet, “The Windhover,” dedicated “To Christ our Lord,” is a dense, dynamic, and deeply spiritual poem. It is a prime example of Hopkins’s unique poetic genius, using the observation of a kestrel in flight to craft a profound meditation on the nature of Christ’s glory, beauty, and sacrifice. Structure and Language: The poem is a sonnet, but one that stretches the form’s boundaries with Hopkins’s signature “sprung rhythm,” alliteration, and internal rhyme. This creates an energetic, muscular verse that mirrors the bird’s powerful flight. The octave (the first eight lines) is a masterful depiction of the bird’s “inscape”—its unique, essential being. The speaker is captivated by the bird’s mastery of the air, its “dapple-dawn-drawn” beauty, and its “brute beauty and valour and act.” The Turn: “Buckle!” The sestet (the final six lines) begins with the explosive and ambiguous word “Buckle!” This single word acts as the poem’s volta, or turn. It can be interpreted in several ways:

• The physical buckling of the bird’s wings as it dives.
• The “buckling” or coming together of all the bird’s magnificent qualities in one moment of action.
• A “buckling” or collapse, as the physical glory of the bird surrenders to the far greater spiritual glory of Christ.

At this point, the poem’s focus shifts from the bird to its dedicatee, Christ. The “fire that breaks from thee then” is the glory of Christ, which is “a billion / Times told lovelier, more dangerous.” The magnificent kestrel, in all its glory, is merely a reflection of a divine beauty that is infinitely greater.

The Paradox of the Sestet:

The poem’s final three lines present a beautiful paradox. Hopkins argues that this divine glory, this “gold-vermilion” fire, is found not only in spectacular, heroic acts like the falcon’s flight. It is also revealed in the humble, the mundane, and the suffering. “Blue-bleak embers” that are broken and seem to be dying suddenly “gash gold-vermilion.” The simple plough, through the drudgery of its work breaking the soil (“plod”), shines brightly. This is a profound Christian insight: the greatest beauty and glory are revealed through sacrifice, humility, and service—the core message of Christ’s Passion.

Conclusion:

“The Windhover” is far more than a nature poem. It is a complex theological and aesthetic statement. It celebrates the “instress” of God’s presence in the physical world but ultimately subordinates natural beauty to the spiritual beauty of Christ. The poem powerfully argues that divine glory is manifest both in moments of spectacular grandeur and in the quiet, often painful, duties of everyday life.