The Abbot Of Canterbury (Poem 6) - Questions And Answers - English (Compulsory) For HSC Part 1

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English I (Compulsory)
For HSC Part 1
Poem 6 - The Abbot Of Canterbury

Anonymous (Unknown) Poet

Questions And Answers

Q.1: What was the dispute between the King and the Abbot? OR Why was King John hostile to the Abbot of Canterbury? OR Why does King John feel jealous of the Abbot of Canterbury?
Ans: The dispute between the two, the king and the Abbot was about the wealthy and luxurious life style. When the king heard about the eye-dazzling life of the Abbot, he started to envy him and his wealth. He thought, though he was King, yet he did not live as luxuriously as the Abbot lived. So that he brought the Abbot in trial for his luxurious life.

OR

Ans: King John became jealous of the Abbot of Canterbury after hearing that the Abbot was leading a life far superior to his own. This jealousy led the king to called the Abbot to his court and accuse him of treason. After knowing about the Abbot's wealth, property, and social activities, King John suspected that the Abbot might be plotting against his crown, which fueled his hostility towards him.

OR

King John was hostile to the Abbot of Canterbury for several reasons. As a cruel ruler, he became envious of the Abbot's luxurious lifestyle and boundless wealth. The Abbot's servants were known to wear gold chains, which further fueled the king's jealousy. Upon learning of the Abbot's high renown, King John grew anxious and suspicious. He expressed his belief that the Abbot might conspire against him.

OR

Ans: When King John heard that the Abbot of Canterbury was leading a luxurious life, entertained hundreds of guests and that he had become more popular than the king, thus there was fire of hatred in his heart. Being jealous, he wanted to punish the Abbot. He summoned the Abbot and charged him with treason for betraying his kingdom. He, therefore, decided to behead the Abbot.

Q.2: What efforts did the Abbot make in order to save himself? OR Where did the Abbot go after he got three weeks? OR What did the Abbot has to do in order to save him from being beheaded and where did Abbot go to find answers to his questions?
Ans: The Abbot paid visit to the scholars and doctors of Oxford and Cambridge universities.

OR

Ans: To save himself, the Abbot was given three weeks to answer three difficult questions from the king, with the threat of beheading for failure. He sought help from scholars at Oxford, Cambridge, and other intellectuals to find the answers.

OR

Ans: When the Abbot learned that he would lose his life and property if he failed to answer the king's questions, he became very sad. He went to the wise men of Cambridge and Oxford, two famous universities in England, to find the right answers, but no one could provide the answers he needed.

OR

Because he was angry with the Abbot, King John asked him three difficult questions. The Abbot needed to answer these questions to save himself from being beheaded. To find the answers, the Abbot went to the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, which were known for their knowledge and wisdom at that time.

Q.3: What were the questions that the King asked?
Ans: The King asked the following three questions:
I. What was the price of the King?
2. How long would he take tine to travel the world?
3. What was he thinking at that time?

OR

Ans: Three questions of King John are as follows:
I. What was the worth of King John to one penny among all his liegemen so noble of birth with his crown of gold so fair on his head.
II. How soon he might ride the whole world about.
III. Third question was to tell him truly what king John was thinking.

Q.4: What was the shepherd's answer to the first question of the King? OR In answering the riddle, how did the shepherd justify valuing the king at twenty-nine pence?
Ans: The shepherd's answer to the first question of the king was that the price of the king would be 29 pence. Because, the Christ was sold for 30 pence, so the king would be sold one penny lesser that the price of the Christ.

OR

Ans: The first answer was:
The savior was sold for thirty pence among the false jews and the Kings worth was twenty-nine for he was one penny worser than Jesus Christ.

OR

Ans: The shepherd told the king that it is said that Jesus Christ was sold among the Jews for thirty (30) pence. The value of the king should not be more or equal to the Christ. So, if he is evaluated as only one penny less, then his worth will be 29 pence.

Q.5: What was the shepherd's answer to the second question of the King?
Ans: The shepherd's answer to the king's second question was that he could travel the world in a day. He explained that if he woke up early in the morning and started walking with the sun, he would surely return the next morning. Since there are 24 hours in a day, he could cover a significant distance by following the sun throughout that time.

OR

Ans: The second answer was:
The King must rise with the sun and ride until the next morning, when he will rise again. Then, without any doubt, he will ride around the whole world in 24 hours.

Q.6: What was the shepherd's answer to the third question of the King? OR How did he know the answer the third riddle?
Ans: The shepherd's answer to the third question was very funny. He told the king that he was thinking of him as the Abbot, but he was only his poor shepherd. And he begged pardon for the Abbot.

OR

Ans: The third answer given by poor shepherd was that the king thought that he was the Abbot of Canterbury but he disclosed that he was his poor shepherd. He also said that he came to beg pardon for him and for Abbot of Canterbury.

OR

Ans: The shepherd knew that the king must be under the impression that the Abbot was answering the question. He used his disguise to the answer of the third question.

Q.7: How did the king express his emotions after being answered his all questions?
Ans: The king became so happy. He laughed loudly and swore. Happily, he offered the post of Abbot to the shepherd.

OR

Ans: The King laughed and swore by saint Bine!, Saint John and mass after hearing the three answers respectively. He said that he would give shepherd four nobles a week. He also said that he had pardoned the Abbot of Canterbury.

OR

Ans: In the poem "The Abbot of Canterbury," the king, impressed by the shepherd's boldness and wit after he answered correctly, offered him a job at court. The shepherd declined, citing ineligibility. The king praised his honesty, respected his decision and awarding him four nobles a week instead. Additionally, the king pardoned the Abbot of Canterbury and rewarded him by restoring his lands and status.

OR

Ans: The poor shepherd, disguised as the Abbot of Canterbury, went to King John's court to answer his difficult questions. The shepherd's replies were witty and humorous, making the king laugh. He was pleased with the flattering answers, especially since he was compared to Jesus Christ for just twenty-nine pence. The king was so delighted that he forgot his original plans. Not only did he pardon the Abbot, but he also granted a pension of four nobles a week to the shepherd for his amusing performance.

Q.8: Why did the shepherd not accept king's offer?
Ans: The shepherd did not accept king's offer because he was an illiterate person. So he requested the King not to give him any high position which did not fit to his qualification.

OR

Ans: The shepherd excused himself by telling the king that he was an illiterate one and can neither read nor write.

OR

Ans: The shepherd did not accept the offer of the king because he was not fit to be an Abbot as he did not know how to read or write.

Q.9: How was the Abbot benefited by his shepherd's bold answers? OR How did the real abbot benefit from his shepherd's bold tricks?
Ans: The Abbot's life was saved by his shepherd's bold answers. It was settled between the king and the Abbot that the Abbot would be beheaded if he could not answer the three questions. The shepherd gave and got pardon for his master Abbot.

OR

Ans: The abbot succeeded in saving his life and got pardon from the king with the timely help of his shepherd.

OR

Ans: The shepherd, disguised as the Abbot and dressed in ceremonial clothes, answered the king's questions with such intelligence and wit that the king was amused and laughed. As a result, the king pardoned both the shepherd and the Abbot, allowing the Abbot to retain his life, land, and status.

Q.10: What is the main idea of this ballad? OR What is the theme of the poem?
Ans: The Abbot of Canterbury' is an interesting poem. The main idea of the poem is that it urges the readers not to judge the people and their wisdom on the ground of their appearance and profession. Education is not the legacy of any university or other institutions. It is not confined to book learning or registering oneself in any colleges or elsewhere. It is attained through experience, so one should try to learn from everywhere.

OR

Ans: The poem delivers the message that even the less educated or illiterate people possess wisdom. Sometimes they can outshine even the wisest and the most intelligent people of the time.

More Questions And Answers

Q.11: Who was sold for thirty pence?
Ans: Jesus Christ, the great Prophet of God according to the Bible was sold among the false Jews for thirty pence. He was betrayed by one of his disciples, Judah Iscariot.

Q.12: 'Wisdom is a God-gifted thing which can be bestowed upon anyone without education. Comment in the light of the poem `The Abbot of Canterbury'.
Ans: The poem `The Abbot of Canterbury' narrates the story of a Cruel monarch, King John. When the King called the Abbot of Canterbury to trap him, he asked three tricky questions. The Abbot got puzzled and failed to answer. The King declared capital punishment (death penalty) for the Abbot. Later, he showed generosity and allowed three weeks time to Abbot to find the answers to those questions. The Abbot travelled far and wide and approached renowned education institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. But no scholar could provide the right answers. The Abbot of Canterbury got disappointed and returned home preparing for death. His poor shepherd took upon himself the task of answering those questions. The shepherd who was illiterate, proved his supremacy over the Abbot because of his wisdom. "Education comes through experience, not from books and institutions."

OR

Ans: The Abbot of Canterbury was unable to find out the answers of the three difficult questions asked by King John. Then he met shepherd and told him the story. The shepherd reminded Abbot the famous proverb and remelted that sometimes a foolish person might be able to teach a lesson of wisdom to wise man. Therefore, the shepherd appeared into the court of King John and answered his questions using his wit and wisdom that the king was pleased and delighted. He forgave the Abbot and the shepherd and also announced that he would give shepherd four nobles a week. Hence, we can say that wisdom Is a God-gifted thing which can be bestowed upon anyone without education.

Q.13: Who was King John and how did he rule the country?
Ans: King John was the king of England. He ruled his country with main and with might. He did great wrong and maintained little right. Therefore, he was supposed to be an unjust ruler.

Q.14: What sentence did King John give to the Abbot of Canterbury?
Ans: King John was fearful of the Abbot of Canterbury and thought that he might treason his crown. Therefore, he asked three difficult questions from the Abbot and if he was unable to answer those questions, his head would be smitten from his body.

Q.15: Why could Abbot not answer the questions of King John?
Ans: The Abbot said that those were hard Questions at that moment. Therefore, he asked King John to give him three weeks' space and he would do his endeavour to answer his grace.

Q.16: What did the Shepherd say to the Abbot of Canterbury? OR How did the Shepherd console the Abbot?
Ans: The shepherd said to the Abbot of Canterbury that a fool he might learn a wise man wit. He asked him to give his serving man and his apparel and he would ride to London to answer the Questions.

OR

Ans: The shepherd was an intelligent man. He advised Abbot not to worry. He said a fool could not understand a wise man wit. He requested the Abbot to give him his dress along with servants and horses. He satisfied the Abbot by saying that as he resembled the Abbot so nobody would e able to recognize him. Therefore, in disguise he went to the court of the king and answered the questions.

Q.17: Who was the Abbot of Canterbury? OR What was an abbot?
Ans: An abbot is the highest official of a monastery, similar to a bishop in a local church. In this poem, the Abbot of Canterbury refers to the head of the Canterbury monastery in England. He was a wealthy man known for his luxurious lifestyle and renowned for his hospitality.

Q.18: What was the shepherd doing when he (the Abbot) met him?
Ans: When he met him, the shepherd was on his way to gather the sheep into a fold.

Q.19: When he met the shepherd how many days had passed since the King had given him the three riddles to answer?
Ans. When the abbot met the shepherd, he (the abbot) had wasted most of the given time and only three days were left to give the answers of the questions.

Q.20: What did the shepherd propose to do? OR How did shepherd solve the Abbot's dilemma?
Ans. The shepherd suggested the abbot that he (the shepherd) would go to answer the dispute because he not only knew the answers of the queries but he also resembles the abbot so no one in the whole London town would be able to identify him.

OR

A: The shepherd resembled the Abbot in appearance, so he promised him to solve his dilemma by disguising himself as the Abbot. He would then go to King John and answer his riddles to save the life of the Abbot.

Q.21: How did King John behave on finding out that he had been deceived?
Ans: Unexpectedly, when the king came to know that he was being deceiving he was greatly amused and showed his joy after every answer to his question.

Q.22: What reward did the shepherd receive? OR Why did the king give the shepherd four nobles a week? OR What was the reward given by King John to the shepherd?
Ans: The king was greatly pleased with the witty answers of the shepherd. He announced a reward of four nobles a week. Further he pardoned the Abbot of Canterbury and the Shepherd.

OR

Ans: The shepherd received a reward of a life time pension of four nobles a week.

OR

Ans: The king gave the shepherd a pension four nobles a week for the amusement he had given the king by those jokes.

Q.23: Give an introduction of the poem.
Ans: The poem The Abbot of Canterbury" is a typical old ballad of the south of England. Like all ballads, it tells a story and does so in a simple and traditional verse form.

Q.24: What is the name of the poet of the poem "The Abbot of Canterbury"?
Ans: The name of the poet of the poem "The Abbot of Canterbury" is not known i.e. the poet is anonymous.

Q.25: What do you mean by "The poet is anonymous"? OR What do we mean when we say that a poem is 'anonymous?
Ans: "The poet is anonymous" means that we do not know who has written the poem.

OR

Ans: When the authorship of a poem is marked as 'anonymous', it means the poet is unknown.

Q.26: What kind of a ruler was King John?
Ans: King John was a significant power ruler ("with main and with might") but was characterized by his unjust actions. He did many wrong things and was unfair, meaning he didn't treat people justly.

Q.27: How did King John rule over/England?
Ans: He ruled over England by cheer force and without the constant of the people, He was never tired of doing cruel deeds. He did nothing that was right or proper.

Q.28: What did the king hear about the Abbot of Canterbury?
Ans: King John heard that the Abbot of Canterbury had a great reputation, amassed wealth, and lived with great pomp and show. He kept a better house than the king himself and entertained a hundred men in his house every day. He had a large number of servants who waited on him, fifty of whom wore velvet coats and gold chains.

Q.29: What did the King John want to do with the Abbot of Canterbury?
Ans: King John wanted to behead the abbot of Canterbury.

Q.30: What rumor spread to the king about the Abbot?
Ans: The rumor that spread to the king was that the Abbot of Canterbury hosted a hundred men a day in his house and had fifty servants who wore golden chains and velvet coats.

Q.31: Why did King John of England fear the Abbot? OR Why did the king summon the Abbot to court?
Ans: The Abbot was very rich and well-known for his hospitality. He had a hundred servants, and fifty of them wore golden chains. Because of his wealth, King John feared that the Abbot could challenge his authority. Therefore, the king accused him of treason and wanted to killed him.

OR

Ans: King John summoned the Abbot to court to defend himself against the allegations made against him. The only way for the Abbot to avoid a death sentence was to answer three questions.

Q.32: What was the king's first questions to the Abbot?
Ans: His first questions was to tell him exactly what was the king's worth when he was sitting on the throne with his crown of gold so fair on his head among his liegemen so noble of birth.

Q.33: What was the king's second question to the Abbot?
Ans: The second questions was to tell him exactly how soon he could ride round the whole world.

Q.34: What was the third question of King John to the Abbot?
Ans:The third question was to tell him without any fear or hesitation what the king was thinking at that time.

Q.35: How much time did the Abbot ask the king to answer his questions, and why?
Ans: He requested King John to give him at least three weeks to answer the questions because they were very difficult. His life and honestly earned fortune were at stake, and he did not want to rush and risk losing both his property and his life.

Q.36: Why did the king pardon the Abbot?
Ans: The king pardoned the Abbot because he was very pleased with the answers given by the shepherd, who was disguised as the Abbot, to his three questions. He also told the shepherd to inform the Abbot that he had obtained the king's pardon for him.

Q.37: Why did the king offer to make the shepherd the Abbot?
Ans: The king offered to make the shepherd the Abbot because he provided witty and flattering answers to the king's three questions, which pleased him. The king was so impressed with the shepherd's wit and clevernes that he decided to offer him the position of Abbot of Canterbury in place of his master.

Q.38: Why did the king decide to act after he heard the shepherd's reply to his third question?
Ans: The king laughed upon hearing the shepherd's reply to his third question and swore by the mass that he would make him the Abbot of Canterbury in place of his master.

Q.39: Why was the king surprised to hear the shepherd's reply to his second question?
Ans: The king was very surprised and laughed upon hearing the shepherd's reply to his second question. Swearing by 'Saint John,' he said that he never thought anyone could ride around the whole world so quickly.

Q.40: How did the king welcome the shepherd as the Abbot?
Ans: When the shepherd, dressed as the Abbot, went to the king, no one could recognize him in the court, and even the king could not identify him. The king welcomed him as "Sir Abbot," expressing that it was good that the Abbot had come on the appointed day.

Q.41: What did the Abbot promise to give the shepherd after he made his request?
Ans: The Abbot was convinced by the shepherd's proposal. He told the shepherd that he would provide him with horses and servants, along with rich and splendid attire. The Abbot also promised to give the shepherd his crozier, mitre, and cope, as the Abbot had come on the appointed day.

Q.42: What news from King John did the Abbot give to the shepherd?
Ans: The Abbot shared sad news from King John with the shepherd. He told him that after spending most of the weeks at Cambridge and Oxford to find the answers to the king's questions, he had only three days left to live. If he failed to answer the king's three questions, he would be beheaded.

Q.43: What do you think is the moral of the poem?
Ans: To me the moral of the poem is that wisdom does not come with education, It is the blessing of God. A person commonly understood as fool can some times teach the Wiseman well.

Q.44: Name any two ballads in your book of poetry.
Ans: `The Abbot of Canterbury' and 'Lucy Gray' are the two ballads in our poetry book.

Q.45:What did the Abbot say to the charges of King John?
Ans: The Abbot was at his wit's end trying to understand the charges against him. He humbly told the king that he was not spending the government’s wealth; he was using his own honestly earned money. He was confident that the king would not punish him for spending his true gotten year. (money that he earned honestly.)

Q.46: Who answered the King's three questions?
Ans: As the Abbot was of shallow wit, he didn't know the answers to the King's questions. Therefore, his . shepherd, who was very clever, with the Abbot's consent, disguised himself as the Abbot and he answered the king's questions.

Q.47: Why did the king not disagree with the idea expressed in the reply to the first question?
Ans: King John was a smart ruler. He did not want to damage his reputation by claiming to be greater than Prophet Jesus Christ. He saw himself as the ruler of a small kingdom, while Jesus was a great Prophet. Additionally, the king was pleased by the reply and liked to think that he was the most important person after Christ. Therefore, the king did not disagree with the idea in the reply to the first question.

Questions And Answers
For Knowledge

Q.48: What is a ballad and its treasures? Name any two ballads in your book of poetry.
Ans: Ballad is a long narrative poem that tells a story, usually in four lines stanza called quatrains. It is one of the oldest forms in English language. The ballads are of two kinds:
Nothern ballads and Southern ballad. They belong to north and south explained respectively. There are some specific features of ballad.
1. Sometimes it opens abruptly, without any systematic introduction. Sometimes it begins with question, answer.
2. It is impersonal; with treatment nothing to do with the people's identity.
3. Refrain is its special quality. Often some lines are repeated from stanza to stanza.

Q.49: Does this ballad tell a true story?
Ans: Yes, this ballad tells a true story of King John of England who ruled England with might and injustice from 1199 to 1216.

Q.50: Who was the king of England at the time of story and when did he reign?
Ans: King John was the king of England at the time of the story 'The Abbot of Canterburry" he reigned from 1199 to 1216.