First Year English Notes Sindh Board THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY

THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY

Q 1) What story has been stated in the poem “The Abbot of Canterbury”?

The story is about the quarrel and controversy between King John and the Abbot of Canterbury. King John, who was an autocrat, ruled England by his cruelty and powers and wanted to control all over the people and when he heard about the living standard and the growing fame of the Abbot of Canterbury so he got envious and jealous and asked him to his palace to answer three riddles to save his life.

Q 2) Why did King John call the Abbot in his palace?

King John had heard about the lavish living standard and growing rapidly fame of the Abbot of Canterbury so out of the jealousy he called to his court and accused him of defiance for which he decided to punish him.

“0, beware. my lord. Off jealousy:

It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock

The meat it feeds on.”

William Shakespeare, Othello

Q 3)     What were the three questions of King John?

The three questions of King John, which were asked to answer the Abbot in order to save his life, were:

1.         What was the worth of King John when he was sitting on his throne?

2.         How soon could he travel around the world?
3.         What was the King thinking at that time?

Q 4)    What efforts did the Abbot do in order to save himself?

The Abbot had become much anxious to listen all of those difficult questions of King John because he was not able to answer those at that moment so he asked three week space and tried very best to get the most possible answers and for that he went to Cambridge and Oxford but he could not get any wise man who could devise the answers by his skill.

Q 5)    What was the punishment that King John announced for the Abbot?

King John announced the bitter punishment for the Abbot that he would smite his neck from his body and would seize his property as a penalty if he could not answer his complicated questions. The reason behind that King John had much fear by the growing fame of the Abbot and thought that he would treason against his crown.

Q 6)    Who tried to help the Abbot out and up to what extent was he successful?

When the Abbot was in search of the best answers of those three difficult questions of King and before three days of ending his space he was returning towards home disappointed and depressed so he met his shepherd and told him a complete story. The shepherd was much confident after knowing the questions and assured the Abbot that if he would change him to go there to answer those questions as his imposter so he could give and if he failed so his head would be smitten instead of him and he was quite successful that the King announced to reward him four nobles a week.

Q 7)    What was the shepherd’s answer to the first question of the King?

The shepherd answered the first question that Jesus Christ, our Savoir was sold in thirty pence among the false Jews by Judas so your worth should be less one penny than to him. Hence your worth was twenty-nine pence. That answer amazed to the King because he never thought about his worth that could be so very small.

Q 8)    What was the shepherd’s answer to the second question of the King?

The shepherd answered the second question of King that if you got up with the sun and rode with the sun so you could easily travel the whole world in twenty-four hours. That answer amazed to the King because he never thought that it could be done so soon.

Q 9) What was the shepherd’s answer to the third question of the King?

To the third question, the shepherd answered that you thought that the Abbot of Canterbury was answering you but he was his poor shepherd saying this he took off his grab.

Q 10) What did the King announce when he got the answers?

The shepherd went to the King palace being an imposter of the Abbot and presented the answers in his grace wisely and successfully. He amazed the king by his wisdom in spite of that he was illiterate. He instantly announced to make the shepherd Abbot but he denied because he was not able to become the abbot because he was illiterate so the King announced him to pay four nobles a week as a reward for all his wisdom that he showed.

Q 11)  What questions did the King ask the Abbot? What answers did the King get from the Shepherd?

The King asked the Abbot three complicated questions because he felt jealousy with the Abbot’s lifestyle and his rising followers. He also did a condition that if Abbot would fail to give the answers to these questions so his head will be smitten with his body. The first question was to tell the King worth in penny, the second was to tell him that how soon he would ride the whole world and the third was to tell him without any doubt that what he was thinking at that time.

The Abbot researched a lot to get the answers but there was not a wise person who could devise answers. He met his shepherd who made his permission to answer King’s questions. He disguised himself as Abbot and presented himself before the King.

He answered the first question that Jesus Christ, our Savoir was sold in thirty pence among the false Jews so your worth should be less one penny than to him. Hence your worth was twenty-nine pence.

He answered the second question that if you got up with the sun and rode with the sun so you could easily travel the whole world in twenty-four hours. To the third question, he answered that you thought that the Abbot was answering you but he was his poor shepherd saying this he took off his grab.

Q 12) Why could the Abbot of Canterbury not answer the King’s questions instantly? What request did he make to the King?

The Abbot had become much anxious to listen all of those difficult questions of King John because he was not able to answer those questions instantly at that moment so he requested to King John for some space so he could come up with the answers and he was granted the three week space to discover and present the answers in his grace.

Q 13) Why did King John summon the Abbot to his court?

King John who ruled England because of his power and cruelty and when had heard about the lavish living standard and growing rapidly fame of the Abbot of Canterbury so he had become anxious and he got fear of treachery so out of the jealousy he called to his court and accused him of defiance for which he decided to punish him.