Short Questions
1. What is the name of the kingdom in the play?
→ The kingdom is called Andher Nagari.
2. Who is the king of Andher Nagari?
→ The king is Chaupat Raja.
3. What is strange about the market in Andher Nagari?
→ Everything is sold at the same price, whether it is sweets or vegetables.
4. Why does the thief complain to the king?
→ His friend was killed when a weak wall collapsed while they were trying to rob a house.
5. Who does the king blame first for the weak wall?
→ The merchant, the owner of the house.
6. Why does the merchant blame the bricklayer?
→ He says that the bricklayer built a weak wall.
7. Why does the bricklayer blame the mortar-maker?
→ He claims that the mortar was of poor quality.
8. Why does the potter get blamed?
→ The mortar-maker says that the potter made a defective pot, which caused too much water to pour into the mortar.
9. Why does the king decide to hang the disciple?
→ The noose did not fit anyone else, so the disciple was chosen to be hanged.
10. Why does the sage want to be hanged?
→ He pretends that whoever is hanged will become the next king, to trick Chaupat Raja.
11. What does the king do after hearing the sage’s words?
→ He orders the guards to hang him instead, believing he will become king again in his next life.
12. What lesson does the play teach?
→ The play shows the foolishness of an unjust king and a senseless legal system.
Long Questions
1. Why does the thief blame the merchant for his friend’s death?
→ The thief says that the merchant’s wall was weak, and it collapsed when they were robbing the house. He argues that the merchant is responsible for his friend’s death.
2. How does the blame keep shifting in the play?
→ The merchant blames the bricklayer, the bricklayer blames the mortar-maker, the mortar-maker blames the potter, and finally, the blame reaches the goldsmith and the money-lender’s daughter.
3. Why does the king order the hanging of different people?
→ The king keeps punishing random people without proper judgment. He simply follows a senseless system of justice in Andher Nagari.
4. What trick does the sage use to save his disciple?
→ The sage pretends that the one who is hanged will become the next great king, which tricks Chaupat Raja into wanting to be hanged instead.
5. Why does the king want to be hanged at the end?
→ The king believes he will be reborn as a great king if he is hanged, so he orders the executioners to hang him without delay.
6. How does the play criticize foolish rulers?
→ The play shows how blind justice and senseless decisions can lead to absurd and dangerous outcomes.
7. Why is the name “Andher Nagari” suitable for this kingdom?”
→ Andher Nagari” means a land of darkness (ignorance). The king’s decisions are foolish and unfair, making it a place of injustice.
8. What lesson does the play teach about leadership?
→ A leader must be wise and just. The play shows that foolish rulers can bring chaos to their kingdom.
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