{"id":2880,"date":"2019-06-19T15:44:42","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T15:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlinefreenotes.com\/?p=2880"},"modified":"2019-06-19T15:44:42","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T15:44:42","slug":"bishops-candlestick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mockupbw.site\/2025\/onlinefreenotes\/bishops-candlestick\/","title":{"rendered":"Bishop’s Candlestick: NBSE, BSEM English questions, answers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bishop’s Candlestick: NBSE, BSEM English Literature questions, answers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Bishop's<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Get notes, questions, answers, solutions, summary, pdf, and extras for the chapter Bishop’s Candlestick. However, these notes should be used only for references and additions\/modifications should be made as per the requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Select your version<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Summary and extras for all<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
NBSE Class 9 book specific notes<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
BSEM Class 10 book specific notes<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Summary<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The play is based on the theme that love and care can change a man, rather than violence. The play is about a convict who broke into the Bishop’s house one night as the Bishop’s sister Persome and the Bishop were about to have dinner. The convict had actually escaped from the prison because the police had forgotten to chain him up. He was sent to prison for ten years because he had stolen food for his sick wife because he didn’t have a job or money. The Bishop told the convict that he should not be afraid but take a rest. The benevolence of the bishop somewhat softened the convict, but, when he saw the candlesticks, he became greedy and stole them. He tried to run away with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The candlesticks were given to the Bishop by his dying mother and so they were very dear to him. The convict was, however, caught by the police and brought back to the Bishop without realising that they had caught an escaped criminal. The convict expected to go back to jail, but the Bishop informed the police that the candlesticks were a gift to the man and he was his friend. The act of kindness by the Bishop changed the convict’s heart and he believed in the spirit of God that dwells in the heart of every human being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the police were gone, the Bishop gave the candlesticks to the convict and told him to move to Paris and start a new life selling the candlesticks. The convict became a changed man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Additional\/extra questions and answers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. Why did the convict break into the Bishop’s house?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The convict broke into the Bishop’s house because he was starving and had not eaten for three days. As an escaped prisoner, he did not have any food, money, or shelter, so he resorted to stealing in order to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. How did the Bishop react when the convict threatened him with a knife?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: When the convict threatened the Bishop with a knife, demanding food, the Bishop remained calm and kind. He offered to get the convict some food from the cupboard, wanting to help feed the starving man despite being threatened. The Bishop showed no fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Where in the Bishop’s house does this play take place?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: This play takes place entirely in the kitchen of the Bishop’s modest cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. What did the convict demand from the Bishop when he first entered the house?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: When the convict first broke into the Bishop’s cottage, he demanded food, telling the Bishop he was starving and hadn’t eaten in three days. He threatened the Bishop with a knife, demanding to be quickly fed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Who is Persome and what is her relationship to the Bishop?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Persome is the Bishop’s sister. She lives with him and takes care of the household duties like cooking meals. She is protective of her brother but disapproves of his charitable habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

6. Discuss the conflict between Persome and the Bishop over his charitable actions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Throughout the play, Persome frequently becomes angry and disapproving over the Bishop’s charitable giving of their money and possessions to the poor. She sees his open-handed generosity as foolish, believing he is taken advantage of by greedy, lazy people who pretend to be in need. Their most heated conflict arises when the Bishop sells their family silver salt cellars, a treasured heirloom, in order to pay the rent of a sick elderly woman. Persome laments that soon they will have nothing left if he keeps giving everything away. However, the Bishop maintains that there is so much suffering in the world that he must try to help, even if he can only do a little. Their opposing viewpoints create ongoing tension between the siblings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Explain why the Bishop sold his silver salt cellars.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop sold his valuable family heirloom silver salt cellars in order to give the money to an impoverished, elderly woman named Mere Gringoire. She needed the money to pay her rent and avoid eviction. The kind-hearted Bishop wanted to help her in her time of need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. What item did the Bishop refuse to sell despite his sister’s insistence?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop refused to sell his candlesticks, even though Persome insisted he would end up selling them too based on his habitual generosity. The candlesticks were gifted to him by his mother on her deathbed, so they held deep sentimental value from his childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Who gave the Bishop the candlesticks and why were they so sentimental to him?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop’s mother gifted him the candlesticks on her deathbed shortly after Persome was born. She asked him to keep them in remembrance of her. This dying wish imbued the candlesticks with deep personal meaning to the Bishop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. How did the convict end up in prison for 10 years? Discuss the backstory given.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The convict reveals that he was originally a good man until hardship struck. He had a cottage and loving wife. However, when his wife grew gravely ill, he and his family were living in poverty, unable to find work or feed themselves. In an act of desperation, he stole food in order to save his wife from starving to death. However, when he was caught, the police and magistrates did not care about the circumstances that drove him to steal. They sentenced him to a devastating 10 years of hard labor on the prison ships. This cruel punishment for stealing to save his wife left him feeling enraged at society’s callousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Explain the harsh conditions the convict experienced while in prison.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The convict described the inhumane treatment and squalor endured on the French prison ships. He was chained up like an animal, lashed and beaten, given rotten food crawling with vermin, and forced to sleep on hard wooden boards. If he complained about the conditions, he was beaten more. The experience stripped away his humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Where did the convict plan to flee after robbing the Bishop? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: After robbing the candlesticks, the convict planned to flee to Paris. As a large city, he hoped he could disappear there and evade capture by the police who were hunting for him across the countryside as an escaped prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Discuss how the Bishop reacted when he learned the candlesticks were stolen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: When the Bishop learned the convict had stolen the candlesticks, he was deeply saddened at first that his only keepsake from his mother was gone. However, he quickly shifted perspective and took it as a just punishment for coveting material goods too much. He did not blame the convict, refusing to tell the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Who arrived with the candlesticks in hand after the robbery?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: After the convict fled into the night with the Bishop’s stolen candlesticks, he was spotted on the road by the local law enforcement. A sergeant of the gendarmes (French police) arrived at the Bishop’s cottage, accompanied by three other gendarme officers. The sergeant was in possession of the stolen silver candlesticks, which had apparently fallen out of the fugitive’s pockets during a struggle while the gendarmes arrested and detained him. Wanting to return the Bishop’s property, as well as confirm they were dealing with a robber, the sergeant brought the captured convict back along with the candlesticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Explain why the sergeant and police brought the convict back to the Bishop’s.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The sergeant recognized the valuable candlesticks they found on the convict as belonging to the Bishop. Wanting to return them and confirm they were stolen, they brought the caught convict and candlesticks back to the Bishop’s cottage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. How did the Bishop describe the convict to the sergeant? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: When the police brought the convict back, the Bishop insisted the man was his friend, not a robber. He claimed he had gifted the candlesticks willingly. The Bishop lied to protect the convict from being sent back to prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. What did the Bishop insist the sergeant do with the convict?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop firmly insisted that, as his “friend”, the sergeant must let the convict go free rather than arresting him for the robbery. After an uneasy standoff, the sergeant reluctantly agreed to release the prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. Why was the convict ashamed when brought back before the Bishop?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The convict was ashamed to be brought back and confronted with the truth of his crime after the Bishop’s generous kindness. He realized he had robbed one of the only good-hearted people he had met, who treated him like a human being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. Where did the Bishop advise the convict to flee after his release?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: After the police released the convict, the Bishop advised him to flee through the woods behind the cottage, following a hidden path that led directly to Paris. The Bishop was still trying to help him escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20. What did the convict ask the Bishop to do for him before he fled?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Deeply moved by the Bishop’s mercy and forgiveness, the convict humbly asked the Bishop to bless him before he continued fleeing to Paris. He hoped the blessing would help change his ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21. How did the convict react emotionally to the Bishop’s kindness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop’s astonishing kindness and forgiveness moved the convict to tears. After years of cruelty, he finally felt human again instead of like a wild animal. The Bishop’s blessings overwhelmed him with emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

22. What important life lesson did the Bishop teach the convict?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop taught the convict that despite his suffering, he always has hope because his body is a temple of God. He can still regain his humanity through compassion. This lesson deeply impacts the convict’s perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

23. Why did the convict believe he could never be good again?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: After years enduring inhumane treatment in prison, the convict felt he was no longer human but had become a wild beast. He didn’t believe there was any good left in the world or any hope for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

24. Explain how the Bishop demonstrated true Christian values.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop treats the dangerous, threatening convict with unconditional compassion and forgiveness. He feeds the hungry, protects the vulnerable, and sacrifices material goods for those in need – all while maintaining faith the man’s soul can be redeemed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

25. Analyze how small acts of kindness can effect great change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The play provides an impactful example of how even small acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion can profoundly transform another person’s life and perspective. Through humble actions like feeding the starving convict, forgiving his theft, speaking to him as a friend, and blessing him, the kindly Bishop reached past the man’s hardened, beast-like exterior that had been forged by years of cruelty. His grace ultimately penetrated the convict’s heart, evoking his long-buried humanity. This suggests we all have the power through simple kindness to redeem and reshape even the most broken souls, making the world a gentler place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Bishop’s Candlestick: NBSE Class 9 English questions, answers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Bishop's<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Get notes, questions, answers, solutions, pdf, and extras for the chapter Bishop’s Candlestick, which is a part of the syllabus of Class 9 for students studying under the Nagaland Board of School Education<\/a>. However, these notes should be used only for references and additions\/modifications should be made as per the requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Select your version<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Summary and extras for all<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
NBSE Class 9 book specific notes<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
BSEM Class 10 book specific notes<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Multiple Choice Questions<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. Marie is the Bishop’s<\/strong> ____ and Persome is the Bishop’s<\/strong> ____.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: cook, younger sister<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Which of the following can be used to best describe the theme of the play?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. \u2018I was a man once I’m a beast now and they made me what I am.’ Who is speaking?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Jean Valjean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. The Bishop attached a<\/strong> ____ value to the candlesticks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: sentimental<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. The crime committed by the man that made him a convict was that<\/strong> ____.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: he stole to feed his wife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read and Write<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. Why was Persome rude to Marie?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Persome was rude to Marie because she thought that Marie and all the other people were taking advantage of her brother’s kindness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Although it was quite late at night, why had the Bishop not returned?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Bishop did not return early because he had gone to visit Marie’s mother and pray for her as she was sick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.. Why does Persome feel that people pretend to be sick?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Persome felt that the people pretended to be sick as they wanted the Bishop to visit them and also pray for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Why had the Bishop gone to visit Mere Gringoire?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The bishop had gone to visit Mere Gringoire because she was bedridden, and so she was unable to work and parent. And because of this, she was threatened with being kicked out of her rented residence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. What did the Bishop give Marie as she was going out? why? what trait of the Bishop’s character does it highlight?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The bishop gave Marie his comforter as she was going out due to the extreme cold weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It shows his compassionate character, love and concern for the less fortunate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Why were the doors in the Bishop’s house never bolted?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The doors in The Bishop’s house were never bolted because he wanted anyone who was in need of shelter or food to come and stay in his house anytime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Why was Persome angry with the Bishop?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Persome was angry with the bishop because she felt that her brother, the bishop, was too kind and soft with everyone and for that, everyone took full advantage of his kindness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Why did the Bishop give the salt cellars to Mere Gringoire?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Give the salt cellars to Mere Gringoire because he wanted her to sell them and pay her pending rent otherwise, the bailiff would turn her out of the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Why did the convict become a thief? What happened to his wife?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The convict became a thief because he was jobless. He had no money to buy food for his sick wife, so he stole food for her and for doing that he was arrested and sent to prison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. What was the punishment given to the convict?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The Convict was imprisoned for 10 years. She was chained, treated like an animal, and forced to feed on filth. He was covered with vermin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Was the convict eager to reach Paris?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Yes, the Convict was eager to reach Paris. He felt that he could easily lose himself in the maze of hundreds of people of Paris and no one would ever find him there and he could start a new life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Why did the Bishop not go to the police?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The bishop did not go to the police because he was forgiving by nature. He wanted to help the convict and sympathised with him for all the suffering and pain he had to go through during his imprisonment. He also wanted to save his soul and bring him closer to God. Moreover, he felt that if he was sent back to prison, he would become worse than before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Before leaving the convict asks the Bishop to bless him. What brought about this change in him?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The bishop showed extreme love and sympathy towards the Convict despite the fact that the Convict stole his silver candlesticks and treated him and his sister with violence. He even told the sergeant that he had given the candlestick to the Convict so as to spare his life from being imprisoned for the second time. Hence, the genuine love end caring attitude of the bishop brought about a change in the hardened heart of the Convict who did not experience love and compassion in a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Fill in the blanks to complete the theme of the play.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: The play is based on the theme that love and kindness <\/strong>can change a man rather than violence. The play is about a convict <\/strong>who breaks into the Bishop’s house. The benevolence of the Bishop somewhat softens the convict but when he sees the candlesticks <\/strong>he steals them. He is caught <\/strong>and brought back. He expects to go back to jail but the Bishop informs the police that the candlesticks were a gift<\/strong>. The act of the Bishop leads <\/strong>the convict to a belief in the spirit of God that dwells in the heart of every human being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think and Write<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Read these statements from the play. Fill in the table given below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statement<\/th>Who says this?<\/th>To whom?<\/th>What traits does it reveal about the speaker and about the person spoken about?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
“Don’t keep saying ‘Yes Madam’ like a parrot nincompoop.”<\/td>Persome<\/td>Marie<\/td>Shows Persome’s impatience and authority, and Marie’s subservience.<\/td><\/tr>
“You told him she was feeling poorly did you? And so my brother is to be kept out of his bed and go without his supper because you told him she was feeling poorly. There’s gratitude for you!”<\/td>Persome<\/td>Marie<\/td>Illustrates Persome’s concern for her brother and criticism of Marie’s action.<\/td><\/tr>
“…take my comforter it will keep you warm.”<\/td>Bishop<\/td>Marie<\/td>Highlights the Bishop’s kindness and care for others.<\/td><\/tr>
“You are like a child. I can’t trust you out of my sight. No sooner my back is turned than you get that minx Marie to sell the silver salt-cellars.”<\/td>Persome<\/td>Bishop<\/td>Shows Persome’s frustration with the Bishop’s generosity and carelessness.<\/td><\/tr>
“Why the devil do you leave the window unshuttered and the door unbarred so that anyone can come in?”<\/td>Convict<\/td>Bishop<\/td>Reveals the convict’s surprise at the Bishop’s trust and openness.<\/td><\/tr>
“My mother gave them to me on her deathbed just after you were born and…and she asked me to keep them in remembrance of her so I would like to keep them.”<\/td>Bishop<\/td>Persome<\/td>Displays the Bishop’s sentimental value for the candlesticks and his mother’s memory.<\/td><\/tr>
“No lock of course. Curse it.” (Looks round and sees the candlesticks again.) “Humph! I’ll have another look at them.” (He takes them up and toys with them.) “Worth hundreds I’ll warrant. If I had these turned into money they’d start me fair.”<\/td>Convict<\/td>N\/A<\/td>Indicates the convict’s desperation and contemplation of theft.<\/td><\/tr>
“Ah thanks thanks Monseigneur. I (He sobs.) Ah I’m a fool a child to cry but somehow you have made me feel that that it is just as if something had come into me as if I were a man again and not a wild beast.”<\/td>Convict<\/td>Bishop<\/td>Shows the convict’s transformation and the impact of the Bishop’s kindness.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Do you think the bishop was right in selling the salt cellars? Why\/Why not? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: Yes, I think the bishop was right in selling the salt cellars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my opinion, we all should always try to help anyone who is in need of our help irrespective of our differences. The bishop, being a religious leader, should, therefore, live by the example of being a kind person in the likeness of Christ. His selling the salt cellars, therefore, was an absolutely right thing that he should have done because it was meant to help someone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Do you think the punishment given to the convict was justified? Why\/Why not? Why is the convict eager to reach Paris?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: No, I don’t think the punishment given to the Convict was justified. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Convict was punished harshly for a minor crime which he committed out of circumstances. He was poor and unemployed and in no position to provide for the basic needs of his ailing wife who was bedridden. He simply did not have the money. He was compelled to steal food for his wife and was caught by the police in the act. The punishment of 10 years and the treatment that he received in the prison because of that small crime could not be justified in any way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Convict was eager to reach Paris because he felt that he could easily lose himself in the maze of hundreds of people of Paris and no one would ever find him there and he could start a new life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. The term “irony” refers to a disagreement. This can be between what someone says and what he or she really means. This is verbal irony. The discrepancy can be between a situation that one would logically anticipate or that would seem appropriate and the situation that actually develops. This is situational irony. The discrepancy can even be between the facts known to a character and the facts known to us, the readers or the audience. This is called dramatic irony. Now, pick two examples of dramatic irony from the text.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n