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Unit 04: Self-Discipline
Icarus And Daedalus
English II (C)
For Class XII (All Groups)
Short Question Answers
From Text Book Exercise
Q.1: How does the story reflect the dangers of unchecked ambition?Ans: The story reflects the character of Icarus who exhilarates the ever-tasting sensation of light and ignores the warnings and orders of his father Daedalus. This myth links the ideas of controlled ambitions rather than unchecked ambition which Icarus has who ignores the wise councel. It highlights the limits of the human ambiton and dangers of overconfidence.
Q.2: Compare and contrast Daedalus and Icarus.
Ans: Daedalus symbolizes intelligence and craftsmanship. He proposes a plan to escape from the imprisonment by crafting wings for him and for his son Icarus but he fails to convey the significance of discipline to his son in freedom from the captivity.
Icarus symbolizes unchecked ambition which leads him to ignore the wise councel and ultimately his wish of going beyond the horizons due to his uncontolled ambiton and overconfidence. He paid the price of freedom without discipline in drowning at the end of the story.
Q.3: What is the significance of Daedalus dedicating his wings to Apollo after Icarus' fall?
Ans: Daedalus is dedicating his wings to Apollo after Icarus' fall because he is in deep grief after the lost of his son and presents his wings as offering to Appollo. Daedalus returns wings to Apollo and declares that the humans should not defy nature and be submissive to the supreme power of nature without challenging the supremacy of their gods.
Q.4: What moral lessons can be drawn from the story? Provide examples from the text to justify each lesson.
Ans: The first moral lesson is to have controlled ambition raher than unchecked ambition like Icarus has who ignores the wise councel of his father ralated to the dangers of overreaching.
The second moral lesson is to have intelligence and craftsmanship like Daedalus has who proposes a plan to escape from the imprisonment by crafting wings for himself and for his son Icarus.
Q.5: Did Daedalus foresee Icarus. fall when he warned him about flying too high or too low? Justify your response with evidence from the text.
Ans: Deadalus has already foreseen Icarus' fall when he warns his son Icarus, "Remember. never to fly very low or very high, but the blaze of the sun will surely melt your feathers apart if you go too near." He knows that Icarus likes to do the rash adventures and does not care of his warnings in favor of his unchecked ambitions.
More Short Question Answers
Q.6: How did Daedalus fix his feathers before flying?Ans: Daedalus gathered a store of feathers great and small and fastened with thread, moulded them in with wax, and so successfully made the two large feathers like a bird to fly. Deadalus fitted them to his own shoulders .He found that by waving his arms he was able to hold himself in air and wavered his flight with the wind.
Q.7: How did Daedalus get the idea of escaping from the imprisonment?
Ans: Daedalus was watching the seagulls flying in the sky and they were the only creatures were at liberty at that time. So he got the Idea of escaping from the impronsinment not only for himself but also for his son Icarus by crafting wings.
Q.8: What was the reaction of Icarus after listening to his father about the danger?
Ans: Icarus listened the warnings and precautions of his father and ignored them thoroughly. He asked the questions to himself: who could remember to be careful when he was to fly for the first time? Are birds careful? Icarus enjoyed the sensation of his flight of skyward till the last destiny that is the sun.
Q.9: What was the reaction the country folk after observing Daedalus and Icarus flying in the sky?
Ans: Both Daedalus and Icarus were ready to fly and checked all the wings put at their proper places. When they were flying, the country folks were watching and considering them as a vision of the gods Apollo and Cupid. Both of them were high above the tree-tops and moving towards the skyward.
Q.10: What was the terror in the joy of flying?
Ans: There was a terror in the joy because the empty space in the air dazzled them and a glance downward made them lose their balance and staggered violently. They were overwhelmed by the blow of the wind over their whole bodies especially their heads.
Q.11: Why did Icarus forget everyone and everything in the joy of the flight?
Ans: Icarus managed to fly with a blow of a great wind and sustained like a halcyon-bird in the hollow of the wave. He forgot everything in the world but joy. He forgot Crete and the other islands even he forgot his own father who was flying in the distance before him and wise councel that his father taught him. Icarus symbolizes the unchecked ambition.
Q.12: How did Icarus lose his life in the flight against the captivity?
Ans: Icarus decided to go near to the sun. When he was moving towards the sun, the wind turned out to warmer and warmer. The arms were not supporting the body of Icarus with the passage of time. He was falling towards the ground. At last, the heat of the sun melted the wax from his wings and feathers were falling one by one like snowflakes and there was no one to help him.
Q.13: What is the major theme of Icarus and Daedalus?
Ans: Self-discipline is the major theme of lcarus and Daedalus because unchecked ambition can be checked by the self-discipline on the track of goals and accomplishments. Icarus has no self-discipline against his wish of fight after the imprisonment ignoring the wise councel of his father related to the dangers of overreaching.
Daedalus symbolizes intelligence and craftsmanship. He proposes a plan to escape from the imprisonment by crafting wings for himself and for his son Icarus but he fails to convey the significance of self-discipline to his son in freedom from the captivity. His son paid the price of freedom without discipline in drowning at the end of the story.
Q.14: How was Icarus drowned?
Ans: Icarus ignored wise councel of his father and made his flight towards the sun. When the heat of the sun started melting the wax of the feathers, he was falling towards the ground. At last, the feathers were falling one by one like snowflakes and there was no one to help him. He felt like a leaf tossing down gradually towards the sea. Daedalus came and sought for his son but he saw nothing but the feathers afloating on the water and Icarus was drowned ultimately.
Q.15: What happened after the death of Icarus?
Ans: After the death of Icarus, Daedalus gave his son a tribute after naming the nearest island after his name 'Icarus' in the memory of his son. He went to the temple of Apollo in Sicily, Italy. He hang up his wings as an offering and never attempted to fly again in the worldly life.
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