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WAEC - Literature In English (2024 - No. 35)

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Read the extract below and answer the question:

So should the murdered look, and so should I,

Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty;

Yes you the murdered look so bright in clear

As yonder, Venus in her, glimmering sphere

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Read the extract below and answer the question:

So should the murdered look, and so should I,

Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty;

Yes you the murdered look so bright in clear

As yonder, Venus in her, glimmering sphere

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Read the extract below and answer the question:

So should the murdered look, and so should I,

Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty;

Yes you the murdered look so bright in clear

As yonder, Venus in her, glimmering sphere

The speaker's experience is that 

the poor are eloquent
even the eloquent can falter in their speech
the poor are inhibited
even the poor can be tongue-tied

Explanation

In the speech, Theseus describes how even the most learned and eloquent individuals ("great clerks") struggle with nervousness when addressing him. He notes that they often shiver, look pale, pause awkwardly mid-sentence and even fail to complete their speeches due to fear or pressure. This suggests that even those who are skilled in speech can falter in certain situations, reinforcing the idea that confidence and ease in public speaking are not guaranteed, even for the well-educated.

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