NCERT QUESTIONS

Q1. “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?

(Dramatic irony involves a situation in which the readers shares with the author knowledge of which a character is ignorant.)

The story is a satire on the conceits, whims & fancies of people in power. The Maharaja embodies the conceit of a powerful man who tends to defy his fate. He is an autocratic dictator who uses his entire might to fulfil his eccentric mission to kill hundred tigers.

Kalki has used a very dexterous use of dramatic irony in the story. After killing the first tiger the King flaunted its dead body before the astrologer to show that he was more powerful than the tiger. However, the astrologer warned the king that he should be "careful with the hundredth tiger". The king chose to prove the astrologer wrong once again and made frantic efforts to kill hundred tigers. Thus, having shot at the old tiger, the Tiger king believed he killed the hundredth tiger. He got happy of killing the tiger and disproving the prediction. But the reader as well as the king's officers and minions soon came to know that the emaciated tiger did not get killed but only fainted. The king was also unaware of the fact that the hundredth tiger was arranged by Dewan himself. Moreover, he was fooled by the shopkeeper who quoted Rs. three hundred for the toy tiger he wanted to purchase for his son’s birthday. The Tiger King was unaware of the actual cost of the toy tiger which was two annas. Finally, the readers came to know that prediction proved to be right and mere sliver on wooden tiger's body caused his dramatic death. But the king did not know that his death occurred due to the hundredth tiger, though a wooden tiger only.

Q2 What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?

Ans. Through this satirical story the author has rightly portrayed how human beings have subjected innocent animals to untold torture and death, merely to fulfill their own whims and fancies. In order to prove an astrologer wrong, the maharaja went on killing hundred tigers proving his dominance over the hapless animals. He quoted an old saying “ You may kill even a cow in self-defense”. Hence he found no objection in killing tigers in self-defense.

The maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to their extinction in some states, but the Maharaja was oblivious to the grave consequences his action was leading to.

Q3. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?

Ans. Maharaja’s minions were subservient and sycophantic. Most of them were scared of Maharaja and tried to keep him in good humour by obeying his orders. They did not dare to disobey him as his displeasure could mean loss of their job or even loss of their lives.

The astrologer was afraid of predicting his death , till Maharaja told him to “ speak without fear”. Dewan who should have advised the king not to kill the tigers did not dare to go against his wishes and aided his marriage to a princess whose father’s kingdom possessed a large number of tigers. Being afraid of losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims of his Maharaja. Likewise , the hunters chose not to inform him of the survival of the 100^th tiger and instead killed it themselves fearing that they might lose their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who sold the king a cheap wooden toy tiger, quoted a higher price lest he should be punished under the rules of emergency.

So ,it is evident that the king’s minions were driven by fear rather than any feelings of sincerity towards their ruler.

Today’s political order is no different--- we know too well that many of the people in power are not there because of their ability but because of their influence and power. Moreover, others pander to them for their own vested interests rather than for the good of the country.