JAMB Literature in English 2010 Past Questions & Answers

The question tests your knowledge of the plot and characters in the prescribed African drama, 'Sons and Daughters'. The speaker is James Ofosu, who is deeply frustrated because his children have disappointed him. His son, George, was expelled from medical school, and his daughter, Hannah, refused to marry the lawyer he chose for her, leading to his feeling of being let down by them.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C (Aaron and Maanan) because they are also part of the family conflict, but James Ofosu's primary disappointment is with his own children's failure to meet his expectations.

In the play 'Sons and Daughters', Maanan's father, James Ofosu, trusted his friend Lawyer B to look after his children while he was away. However, Lawyer B betrayed this trust by making improper sexual advances towards Maanan instead of acting as a guardian. This deep betrayal of her father's confidence is the main reason Maanan dislikes and distrusts Lawyer B so much.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option B because Lawyer B's advances are a direct cause of her anger, but the core issue is that these advances represent a deeper betrayal of the trust her father placed in him.

In J.C. De Graft's 'Sons and Daughters,' the Aunt is the character who strongly represents and upholds the traditional order and values. She constantly reminds the family of their cultural duties and opposes the modern, Western ideas that the younger characters are interested in. Her beliefs and actions are rooted in the old ways, making her the clear symbol of tradition in the play.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Maanan because she is a central character involved in the conflict, but she actually represents the struggle against tradition, not tradition itself.

The question tests your knowledge of the setting of J.C. De Graft's play, 'Sons and Daughters'. The entire play is set in a single location, which is the sitting-room of the Ofosu family's house. Therefore, the correct answer is that the play takes place in Ofosu's place.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'In Aunt's house' because Auntie Dede is a prominent character, but the play's action is confined to the Ofosu family home which she only visits.

This quote is spoken by Friar Laurence to Romeo after Romeo has been banished. The 'deadly sin' refers to Romeo's killing of Tybalt, which was a crime punishable by death according to the law of Verona. The Friar is scolding Romeo for being ungrateful because the Prince has shown mercy by reducing the punishment from death to banishment.

Common mistake: Students might incorrectly choose the suicides of Romeo or Juliet because they are major tragic events, but this quote happens much earlier in the play, right after Tybalt's death.

William Shakespeare wrote most of his plays, including Romeo and Juliet, in a form called blank verse. Blank verse is poetry written with a regular rhythm or meter (specifically, iambic pentameter) but without a rhyming scheme. This technique makes the language of the noble characters sound elevated and poetic, yet still natural enough for the stage.

Common mistake: Students often confuse blank verse with free verse because both can be unrhymed, but they forget that blank verse has a consistent rhythm which free verse lacks.

This statement is made by Juliet in Act 3, Scene 2, after she learns that Romeo has killed her cousin, Tybalt. She is expressing her shock and confusion that her handsome husband, who has a 'flowering face', could also have a 'serpent heart' capable of such a violent act. The line shows her internal conflict between her love for Romeo and her horror at his deed.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose Tybalt because he is the aggressive character in the fight, but the quote is Juliet's conflicted expression about her lover, Romeo, who did the killing.

The question asks for the location where the story of 'Romeo and Juliet' takes place. The play's opening lines, spoken by the Chorus in the Prologue, explicitly state, 'In fair Verona, where we lay our scene.' This directly tells the audience that the major events of the play happen in the Italian city of Verona.

Common mistake: Students often mix up the settings of Shakespeare's various plays, for example, confusing Verona with Venice, which is the setting of 'The Merchant of Venice'.

In Act 3, Scene 1 of the play, Tybalt kills Romeo's friend, Mercutio, in a street fight. In a fit of rage and to avenge his friend's death, Romeo then fights and kills Tybalt. As a punishment for this bloodshed, Prince Escalus banishes Romeo from Verona, ordering him to go to Mantua or face execution.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because the secret marriage is the central conflict of the play, but it was the specific act of killing Tybalt that directly led to the Prince's sentence of banishment.

The question tests your understanding of the core themes in the prescribed novel, 'The Joys of Motherhood'. In the society depicted, men hold significantly more power and are valued more highly than women, which is the definition of male ascendancy. Nnu Ego's entire struggle and sense of worth are tied to producing sons for her husband, showing that a man's position is superior.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'procreation' because having children is very important in the novel, but the story specifically emphasizes the superior value placed on male children over female ones.