. Answer these questions. 1. “At last a sympathetic audience.” (i) Who says this? (ii) Why does he say it? (iii) Is he sarcastic or serious? 2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on? 3. “I said it with bullets.” (i) Who says this? (ii) What does it mean? (iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this? 4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer. 5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.” (i) Who says this?(ii) Why does the speaker say it? (iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart? 6. “They can’t hang me twice.” (i) Who says this? (ii) Why does the speaker say it? 7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain? 8. “This is your big surprise.” (i) Where has this been said in the play? (ii) What is the surprise?

3. 

(i) Gerrard says the given line.

(ii) It means that when things went wrong, he had used his gun to shoot someone for his escape.

(iii) No, it is not the truth. The speaker says this to save himself from getting shot by the intruder.

4.  Gerrard is a playwright by profession. Several parts of the play that reflect this. Some of these are:

This is all very melodramatic, not very original, perhaps, but

At last a sympathetic audience

In most melodramas the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated

I said, you were luckier than most melodramatic villains.

That's a disguise outfit; false moustaches and what not.

Sorry I cant let you have the props in time for rehearsal, I've had a spot of bother quite amusing. I think'll put it in my next play.

5. 

(i) The intruder says the line under reference.

(ii) Peeved at the smartness displayed by Gerrard, the intruder says this to warn him against acting smart as he is unaware of the consequences that he might suffer.

(iii) The speaker thinks that Gerrard would stop acting smart once he comes to know about his plan to kill Gerrard and take over his identity.

6. 

(i) The speaker of the given line is the intruder.

(ii) Since he is already being hunted for having killed someone else, murdering Gerrard won't make any difference. Hence, he says that he cannot be hanged twice.

7. The speaker proposes to explain the mystery about himself. He tells the intruder that he would not be able to lead a peaceful life even as Vincient Gerrard. This is because he himself is a criminal living an unstable life, being hunted by the police.

8. 

(i) This has been said twice in the play. On the first occasion, it is spoken by the intruder while revealing his plan to kill Gerrard. Secondly, it is spoken by Gerrard before he reveals his fictitious identity to the intruder.

(ii) The intruder's surprise is his plan to kill Gerrard and take on his identity to lead a secure and hassle-free life. Whereas, Gerrard's surprise is his fictitious identity, his way of refraining the intruder from killing him.