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WAEC SSCE - Literature In English - 1998 (Objective)

Question 1 Report

Read the extract below and answer the question:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Twelfth Night

A : What country, friends, is this?
B : This is lllyria, Lady,
A : And what should I do in lllyria?
My brother he is in Elysium.
Perchance he is not drowned - What think you, sailors?
B : It is perchance that you yourself where saved
A : O my poor brother. and so perchance may he be
(Act 1 Scene II)

Why is speaker A afraid the brother might be drowned? It is because
Answer Details
Speaker A is afraid that the brother might be drowned because they were shipwrecked. The speaker mentions that the brother is in Elysium, which was a concept in ancient Greek mythology of the afterlife for the virtuous and heroic. The use of the word "perchance" suggests that there is some uncertainty about the brother's fate, but the speaker is hopeful that he may still be alive. The question directed to the sailors about the possibility of the brother being saved further emphasizes the speaker's concern and uncertainty about the situation. Overall, the context of the conversation suggests that the brother was on a ship that met with some kind of misfortune or disaster at sea.
Read lesson note on General Literary Principles (JAMB)
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