Class : 9 – Lesson (9) If I Were You
EXPLANATION & SUMMARY
📚 Introduction to the Play
If I Were You is a one-act play written by Douglas James. It is a suspenseful yet humorous drama that highlights the importance of intelligence 🟢, presence of mind 🔵, and wit 🟡 in overcoming danger. The play revolves around Gerrard, a playwright, and an intruder who attempts to kill him. With quick thinking and calmness, Gerrard outsmarts the criminal.
👨🎨 About the Author
Douglas James was a British playwright and short-story writer known for his witty and entertaining style. His works often explore irony, humour, and human behaviour.
💡 Themes of the Play
🟢 Presence of mind can defeat violence.
🔵 Crime and cunning are powerless before intelligence.
🟡 Truth and wit are stronger than lies and force.
🟠 Isolation and secrecy often lead to crime.
🟣 Good humour can disarm tense situations.
🎬 Main Episodes of the Play
1️⃣ Introduction of Gerrard
The play opens in Gerrard’s cottage. Gerrard is a playwright, witty, calm, and used to living alone. His solitude makes him vulnerable, but also sharpens his awareness.
2️⃣ The Intruder Appears
A stranger with a gun suddenly enters Gerrard’s house. He is a criminal who has murdered someone and is on the run. The intruder intends to kill Gerrard and take his identity. He chooses Gerrard because Gerrard lives alone in a remote cottage.
3️⃣ The Intruder’s Plan
The intruder explains his plan: since he resembles Gerrard in height and build, he will kill him and live in the cottage, pretending to be Gerrard. This will provide him with cover from the law.
4️⃣ Gerrard’s Calm Reaction
Instead of panicking, Gerrard remains calm and witty. He makes sarcastic remarks that confuse and irritate the intruder. Gerrard’s confidence shows his presence of mind and his ability to handle danger.
5️⃣ The Clever Trick
Gerrard tells the intruder that he himself is a criminal who has murdered someone and is hiding from the police. He adds that he expects trouble at any moment. This shocks the intruder and makes him uneasy.
6️⃣ Turning the Tables
When the intruder asks Gerrard to demonstrate, Gerrard uses the chance to disarm him. With a sudden move, Gerrard pushes the intruder into a cupboard, locking him inside. He thus outsmarts the criminal without violence.
7️⃣ The Ending
The play ends with Gerrard calling the police. His intelligence, humour, and presence of mind save him from certain death and expose the intruder’s foolishness.
🎭 Tone, Style, and Devices
✨ Tone – Suspenseful, witty, and humorous.
✨ Irony – The intruder thinks he is smart but is outsmarted by Gerrard.
✨ Humour – Gerrard’s witty replies lighten the tense atmosphere.
✨ Contrast – The violent intruder vs. calm and witty Gerrard.
✨ Symbolism – The cupboard represents the criminal’s defeat and foolishness.
🕊️ Lessons and Takeaways
✔️ Intelligence and presence of mind are more powerful than brute force.
✔️ Wit and humour can diffuse even dangerous situations.
✔️ Isolation may invite crime, but self-confidence ensures safety.
✔️ Criminal cunning fails against wisdom and truth.
✔️ One should stay composed and think rationally in crises.
🌟✨ Summary (Approx. 150 words) ✨🌟
If I Were You by Douglas James is a witty one-act play about Gerrard, a playwright, and a criminal intruder. The intruder plans to kill Gerrard and assume his identity to hide from the law, since Gerrard lives alone. However, Gerrard remains calm, witty, and composed instead of panicking. He cleverly pretends that he too is a criminal expecting trouble, which makes the intruder nervous. Taking advantage of the moment, Gerrard pushes him into a cupboard and locks him in. In the end, Gerrard calls the police. The play highlights the victory of intelligence, quick thinking, and humour over crime and violence. It conveys the message that presence of mind and wit can overcome even the most dangerous situations.
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PASSAGE
📖 Passage
“Gerrard: You are wrong. I do not think so. I’m afraid you’ve got me all wrong. But the thing is, you’ll soon stop being smart. I’ll make you crawl. I’ll have you in the gutter. This is your big mistake. You didn’t know that I’m also a criminal. I’ve killed someone already and I expect trouble at any moment.”
🌟 Questions and Answers
1️⃣ Question: Why does Gerrard claim to be a criminal in this passage?
🟢 Answer: Gerrard pretends to be a criminal to trick the intruder, making him uneasy and diverting his attention, so he can later overpower him.
2️⃣ Question: What effect did Gerrard’s words have on the intruder?
🟢 Answer: The intruder became shocked and doubtful, losing confidence in his plan, as Gerrard’s revelation unsettled him.
3️⃣ Question: Gerrard’s lie about being a criminal shows which quality of his personality?
🔵 Options:
A. Fear and nervousness
B. Cowardice and weakness
C. Quick wit and presence of mind
D. Aggression and violence
🟢 Answer: C. Quick wit and presence of mind
4️⃣ Question: How does Gerrard turn the situation to his advantage through this claim?
🟢 Answer: By convincing the intruder that danger was already near, Gerrard bought time, confused him, and prepared the ground to overpower him.
5️⃣ Question: Assertion (A): Gerrard’s revelation about being a criminal was true.
Reason (R): He had actually committed murder before.
🔵 Options:
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. Both A and R are false.
🟢 Answer: D. Both A and R are false.
6️⃣ Question: What lesson about handling danger can be learned from Gerrard’s behaviour in this scene?
🟢 Answer: The scene teaches that quick thinking, courage, and presence of mind are vital in crises. Calmness and wit can outsmart even violent threats.
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OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: –
1️⃣ Question: Who is the author of the play If I Were You?
🟢 Answer: The play is written by Douglas James.
2️⃣ Question: What is Gerrard’s profession?
🟢 Answer: Gerrard is a playwright who lives alone in a remote cottage.
3️⃣ Question: Why did the intruder choose Gerrard as his target?
🟢 Answer: He thought Gerrard lived a lonely life in isolation, making him the perfect person to kill and impersonate.
4️⃣ Question: What crime had the intruder already committed?
🟢 Answer: The intruder had murdered a man and was on the run from the law.
5️⃣ Question: What plan did the intruder make to escape the police?
🟢 Answer: He planned to kill Gerrard, live in his cottage, and pretend to be him to avoid arrest.
6️⃣ Question: How does Gerrard remain different from an ordinary victim?
🟢 Answer: Unlike most, Gerrard does not panic; he stays calm, witty, and confident, which confuses the intruder.
7️⃣ Question: How does Gerrard use his wit to trap the intruder?
🟢 Answer: He pretends to be a criminal himself, creating doubt in the intruder’s mind and then locks him in a cupboard.
8️⃣ Question: Why is the play titled If I Were You?
🟢 Answer: The title reflects the intruder’s desire to take Gerrard’s identity, but ironically Gerrard turns the tables and proves smarter.
9️⃣ Question: What quality of Gerrard made him succeed against the intruder?
🟢 Answer: His intelligence, presence of mind, and calm handling of the situation helped him succeed.
🔟 Question: How is irony used in the play?
🟢 Answer: The intruder thought he was clever, but irony lies in the fact that Gerrard outsmarted him with ease.
1️⃣1️⃣ Question: How does the intruder underestimate Gerrard?
🟢 Answer: He assumes Gerrard is helpless and lonely, not realizing Gerrard is witty, alert, and resourceful.
1️⃣2️⃣ Question: What does the play teach about handling dangerous situations?
🟢 Answer: It teaches that presence of mind, courage, and clever thinking are stronger than violence or brute force.
1️⃣3️⃣ Question: What message does the play If I Were You convey?
🟢 Answer: The play conveys that intelligence and wit triumph over crime and violence, and one must stay composed in times of crisis.
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