Questions Answers

1. Rearrange the following sentences in a meaningful sequence and write the summary of the play.

a)  Baldwin who returned home after meeting Gresham, informed his family that Gresham had offered a hundred thousand, if he would utter the words ‘I don’t remember’ in court, during the trial.

b)  The family members tried to justify Gresham’s act and enticed Baldwin into accepting the money.

c) Thus ‘The Hour of Truth’ had dawned relieving Baldwin of the heavy burden and guilt.

d)  Baldwin was an honest and upright man, working under John Gresham, in a bank.

e)  To save Baldwin, Mr. Marshall, President of the Third National, visited him and informed him that Gresham had confessed his crime, in order to free him from betraying his trusted friend and testifying painfully against him.

f)  Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years and Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham.

g)  Baldwin felt disgusted with himself and the attitude of his family members.

h)  Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him.

i)  Mr. Marshall also offered Baldwin a job in his Bank, to reward him for his honesty and integrity.

j)  The family members who were initially against Gresham, changed their mind on hearing the huge sum offered by him.

Answer:

d. Baldwin was an honest and upright man, working under John Gresham, in a bank.

f. Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years and Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham.

h. Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him.

a. Baldwin who returned home after meeting Gresham, informed his family that Gresham had offered a hundred thousand, if he would utter the words ‘I don’t remember ’ in court, during the trial.

j) The family members who were initially against Gresham, changed their mind on hearing the huge sum offered by him.

b. The family members tried to justify Gresham’s act and enticed Baldwin into accepting the money.

g. Baldwin felt disgusted with himself and the attitude of his family members.

e. To save Baldwin, Mr. Marshall, President of the Third National, visited him and informed him that Gresham had confessed his crime, in order to free him from betraying his trusted friend and testifying painfully against him.

i. Mr. Marshall also offered Baldwin a job in his Bank, to reward him for his honesty and integrity.

c. Thus ‘The Hour of Truth ’ had dawned relieving Baldwin of the heavy burden and guilt.

Summary of the play:

Baldwin was an honest and upright man, working under John Gresham, in a bank. Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years and Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham. Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him. Baldwin who returned home after meeting Gresham, informed his family that Gresham had offered a hundred thousand, if he would utter the words ‘I don’t remember’ in court, during the trial. The family members who were initially against Gresham, changed their mind on hearing the huge sum offered by him. The family members tried to justify Gresham’s act and enticed Baldwin into accepting the money. Baldwin felt disgusted with himself and the attitude of his family members. To save Baldwin, Mr. Marshall, President of the Third National, visited him and informed him that Gresham had confessed his crime, in order to free him from betraying his trusted friend and testifying painfully against him. Mr. Marshall also offered Baldwin a job in his Bank, to reward him for his honesty und integrity. Thus ‘The Hour of Truth’ had dawned relieving Baldwin of the heavy burden and guilt.

2.  Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each.

a)  Why did Baldwin meet Gresham?

John Gresham was accused of misappropriating the bank money. His trail was on the next day. Robert Baldwin had to give evidences against Gresham. Being a close of friend of Gresham, Baldwin met him.

b)  What made Martha withdraw her money from the bank?

Martha knew that her husband wouldn’t tell to draw her money out. He thought it was disloyal to Gresham. This made Martha withdraw her money from the bank.

c)  How is Martha’s strong conviction in Baldwin’s integrity revealed?

Martha’s strong conviction is that Baldwin is very honest. He is a man of principles. He never tells lies. He is kind and loyal to others. This is Martha’s strong conviction in Baldwin’s integrity.

d)  What had Donovan told John?

Donovan had told John that nobody had an idea that there was anything wrong until the bank crash came.

e)  John feels Gresham deserves punishment. Why?

Baldwin’s son thinks that John Gresham has acquired a lot of wealth in these twenty years while his father is getting just sixty dollars a week. In agitation, he feels Gresham deserves punishment.

f)  What was Baldwin’s advice to Gresham?

Baldwin advised Gresham to close the bank.

g)  What did Gresham want Baldwin to do?

John Gresham wanted Baldwin to tell “I don’t remember”, when the court asks anything about the bank crash during the trail.

h)  Explain the significance of the words ‘I don’t remember’.

By telling ‘I don’t remember’, Gresham wanted Baldwin to have an attack of his poor memory. He wanted Baldwin to forget a little about the bank crash. To say “I don’t remember” in the court, Baldwin could save Gresham from the punishment. Thus ‘I don’t remember’ is very significant to Gresham.

i)  Why does John turn wild on hearing that Gresham had offered his father money?

Since Baldwin is working under Gresham’s order, John has a doubt whether his father involved in the bank crash. He thinks that John Gresham has acquired a lot of wealth. But his father is getting just sixty dollars a week. So John turns wild on hearing that Gresham had offered his father money.

j)  When would Baldwin part company with Gresham?

When John Gresham ceased to be an honest man, Baldwin would part company with Gresham.

k)  What does John consider ‘a technicality’?

The depositors of the bank are not going to lose their money, though there is bank crash. As the money was safe, John considers it ‘a technicality’.

l)  Why was John filled with shame?

Baldwin’s son, John was named after John Gresham. If Gresham was convicted, it would spoil his name also. So John was filled with shame for bearing the name of criminal.

m)  How much did Gresham offer to pay Baldwin for saving his skin and how did he justify that?

Gresham offered one hundred thousand dollars to Baldwin for saving his skin. Though it was really a large amount of money, he justifies that it was a compliment and compensation for his low salary.

n)  What was Mr. Marshall’s offer to Baldwin?

Mr. Marshall’s was ready to offer Baldwin a better job in The Third National Bank.

o)  How was Baldwin’s honesty rewarded?

Mr. Marshall was impressed by Baldwin’s honesty. So he offered him a job at his bank. Thus he was rewarded for his honesty and integrity.

3.  Based on your understanding of the play, complete the Graphic Organiser given below.

Title : The hour of truth

Author : Percival Wilde

Setting: Baldwin’s cottage, At Sunday afternoon

Characters : Robert Baldwin, Martha, John, Evic, John, Greshamm, Mr.Marshal, Donovan

Theme : The good gets rewarded and the bad get punished.

Plot : The play analyses the bad trait, “greed” from different angles.

Climax : Baldwin got a job at the third National Bank.

Values highlighted in the play : Honesty and Integrity

4.  Answer in a paragraph of about 150 words each.

a)  Trace the bond of friendship between Baldwin and Gresham. Explain why Baldwin wished to attribute some credit to his friend.

Baldwin and Gresham had been friends since their boyhood. They had known each other for over 35 years. Baldwin was an honest, diligent and hardworking employee. He was very kind and loyal to his friend Mr.Gresham. Gresham was the president of National Bank. Baldwin considered Mr. Gresham as a good boss. He had even named his son after Gresham. Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him. Gresham had offered Baldwin a hundred thousand dollars, if he would utter the words “I don’t remember” in the court, during the trail. Though he was a good friend to Gresham, he had rejected the offer. The family members also forced him to accept the offer and also save his dearest friend of 35 years. Finally Gresham had confessed his crime. He knew that Baldwin would not tell lie. He appreciated Baldwin’s honesty. He changed his mind and surrendered at the end for the truthful attitude of his friend Baldwin.

b) How did Martha and John react when they came to know that Baldwin had rejected the generous offer made by Gresham?

Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him. Gresham was ready to offer a hundred thousand dollars, if Baldwin helped him. The family members who were initially against Gresham, changed their mind on hearing the huge sum offered by him. They began to convince Baldwin. Martha asked him whether the depostiors would lose their money. She came to know that the money was safe and no one would lose their money. Martha told him that since they named their son’s name after Gresham, it would be a disgrace to their son. So she began to persuade Baldwin to say lie and to help Gresham. John told-his father if Gresham did not go to jail, he would start a business and Baldwin could become his partner. If he accepted to tell lie, the family could lead a cozy life. Thus Martha and John tried to convince Baldwin to accept the offer and save Gresham.

c) Is Baldwin really honest or does he maintain his honesty fearing criticism? Why do you say so?

Baldwin is really honest. He does not maintain his honesty for fearing criticism. Baldwin leads a simple life with his family. He is an honest, diligent and hardworking employee. Infact he is kind and loyal to everyone. He is not ready to make any kind of compromise with his morality, when his friend has been arrested for misappropriation for money at the bank. Baldwin is to testify against him. Gresham has offered a hundred thousand dollars, if he will utter the word “I don’t remember” in the court, during the trail. But he has rejected the offer. At the same time, Baldwin’s family forces him to accept money. Baldwin wants to go to his grave clean. He wants to live the rest of his life with honesty and integrity. At the end Gresham also admits that Baldwin will not tell lie. Everyone knows the honesty and morality of Robert Baldwin. So it is not fear that makes him honest. His morality makes him honest.

d)  Sketch the character of: i) Robert Baldwin ii) John Gresham.

Robert Baldwin:

Robert Baldwin is the protagonist of this play. He leads a simple life with his family. He is working as the secretary of The National Bank. He is an honest, diligent and hardworking employee. Gresham and Baldwin have been thick friends for over 30 years. Baldwin has even named his son after Gresham. He is a good friend. When his friend John Gresham was arrested for the misappropriation in bank account, Baldwin was not ready to make any kind of compromise. He did not accept his friend’s offer and tried to save him. He is a man priciples. It is because of his deep-rooted morality and honesty, he gets a job at the Third International Bank.

John Gresham:

Mr. Gresham is the President of The National Bank. He is the corrupt from the beginning. He has a strong attachment with money. He misappropriates the money from his own bank. His attitude towards money is really selfish. He is ready to do anything for hiding his corrupted nature. He is ready to give and take bribes. He is arrested. Due to the truthful attitude of his friend John Baldwin, he becomes a new man. This shows that he has a will to be a man of honesty by confessing his crime.

e)  Who do you think exhibits true friendship–Baldwin or Gresham? Justify your answer.

Baldwin and Gresham had been friends since their boyhood. They had known each other for 35 years. Baldwin led a simple life with his family. He was an honest, diligent and hardworking employee. He was very kind and loyal to his friend Mr.Gresham. Gresham was the president of a National Bank. But he had a strong attachment with the money. Baldwin considered Mr. Gresham as a good boss. Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham. He exhibited his true friendship here. Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank. Before that he advised his friend to close the bank in order to save him. Being a good friend, he had tried to save Gresham. But Gresham did not care and was caught. Baldwin was to testify against him. Gresham had offered a hundred thousand dollars, if he would utter the word “I don’t remember” in the court, during the trail. But Baldwin had rejected it. As he was honest, he could not help his friend. But he did not give up his friendship. Even Gresham could understand the truthful attitude of Baldwin and confessed his crime at last. So I think, Baldwin exhibited true friendship.

5. IDIOMS

An idiom is an expression in English language that has a special meaning of its own. It cannot be understood from the meanings of the individual words.

Here are a few idioms that you came across in the play you have just read. For e.g. ‘I told him he would have to make good.’ The idiom ‘to make good’ means ‘to compensate for a wrongdoing’.

Now match the idioms under column A with their meanings in column B:

Summary of the play:

Baldwin was an honest and upright man, working under John Gresham, in a bank. Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years and Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham. Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him. Baldwin who returned home after meeting Gresham, informed his family that Gresham had offered a hundred thousand, if he would utter the words ‘I don’t remember’ in court, during the trial. The family members who were initially against Gresham, changed their mind on hearing the huge sum offered by him. The family members tried to justify Gresham’s act and enticed Baldwin into accepting the money. Baldwin felt disgusted with himself and the attitude of his family members. To save Baldwin, Mr. Marshall, President of the Third National, visited him and informed him that Gresham had confessed his crime, in order to free him from betraying his trusted friend and testifying painfully against him. Mr. Marshall also offered Baldwin a job in his Bank, to reward him for his honesty und integrity. Thus ‘The Hour of Truth’ had dawned relieving Baldwin of the heavy burden and guilt.

ESSAY

• Introduction

• Life of Baldwin

• Friendship with Gresham

• Bank crash

• Family members’ greed

• Baldwin’s Honesty

• Reward to Baldwin’s Honesty

• Conclusion

Introduction:

Percival Wilde, in his one act play ‘The Hour of Truth’, shows how easily people forget their moral values, and principles, being loved by greed.

Life of Baldwin:

Robert Baldwin was the protagonist of this play. He led a simple life with his wife Martha and his son John and daughter Evie. He was working as the secretary of The National Bank. He is an honest, diligent and hardworking employee.

Friendship with Gresham:

Mr. Gresham was the President of The National Bank. He was a corrupted person. His attitude towards money was really selfish. John Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years. Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham.

Bank crash:

Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him. Gresham had offered Baldwin a hundred thousand dollars, if he would utter the words “I don’t remember” in the court, during the trail.

Family members’ greed:

The family members who were initially against Gresham, tried to justify Gresham’s act and enticed Baldwin into accepting the money. Baldwin felt disgusted with himself and the attitude of his family members.

Baldwin’s Honesty :

Though Baldwin was a good friend to Gresham, he had rejected Gresham’s offer. He was not ready to make any kind of compromise with his morality.

Reward to Baldwin’s Honesty:

Mr. Marshall, President of the Third National Bank, visited him and informed him that Gresham had confessed his crime. It made free him from betraying his trusted friend and testifying painfully against him. Mr. Marshall also offered him a job in his Bank, to reward him for his honesty and integrity.

Conclusion :

Thus ‘The Hour of Truth’ had dawned relieving Baldwin of the heavy burden and guilt.

Moral: The Honesty get rewarded and dishonesty get punished.