Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDFs, and guides for the drama The Bishop’s Candlesticks: MBOSE Class 12 Alternative English textbook Imprints, which is part of the syllabus for students studying under the board. These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
The play The Bishop’s Candlesticks by Norman McKinnell centers on a Bishop who lives a life of compassion, demonstrating immense kindness and patience. The story unfolds in his modest kitchen where he lives with his sister, Persomé. She is protective of her brother but struggles to understand his habit of helping others, even if it means sacrificing his own belongings. She expresses frustration over his acts of charity, fearing they may eventually leave him with nothing.
The Bishop, unlike his sister, is calm, understanding, and selfless. Despite Persomé’s concerns, he sells valuable family items, such as silver salt-cellars, to pay rent for a poor, bedridden woman named Meré Gringoire. Persomé’s annoyance reflects her love and concern for her brother, but it also shows her inability to grasp the depth of his compassion.
One night, a convict enters the Bishop’s house. He is harsh, starving, and desperate, having escaped from prison where he was confined for stealing food for his dying wife. This act, though motivated by need, led to severe punishment, and the harsh prison conditions turned him bitter and hardened. The convict, now mistrustful of everyone, threatens the Bishop with a knife, demanding food. The Bishop, however, remains calm and offers him a meal, showing no fear or resentment.
The convict finds it hard to believe the Bishop’s kindness, suspecting some hidden motive. During their interaction, he questions the Bishop’s faith and goodness, doubting anyone could genuinely be so kind. Despite the convict’s hostility, the Bishop treats him with respect, addressing him as “my son” and encouraging him to rest.
After the convict has eaten, he is left alone in the kitchen and notices the Bishop’s silver candlesticks, the only valuable items the Bishop holds dear, given to him by his mother. Overcome by his desire for a fresh start, the convict steals them and leaves. Persomé, discovering the theft, urges her brother to report it to the police. However, the Bishop refuses, saying he “led [the convict] into temptation” by leaving the candlesticks accessible.
Soon, the police capture the convict and bring him back, expecting the Bishop to identify him as a thief. In a remarkable gesture of forgiveness, the Bishop claims he gifted the candlesticks to the convict, surprising both the officers and the convict. This kindness deeply affects the convict, breaking down his hardened exterior. He feels a new sense of dignity and humanity, realizing that he is not condemned to a life defined by his past.
Video tutorial
Textbook solutions
Answer these questions briefly
1. Where had the Bishop gone and why?
Answer: The Bishop had gone to Marie’s mother’s house to see her, as she was feeling poorly.
2. What happened to the silver salt-cellars?
Answer: The silver salt-cellars were sold by the Bishop to help pay the rent of Mére Gringoire, who was in danger of being turned out of her home.
3. The Bishop told his sister he would never sell his candlesticks. Why?
Answer: The Bishop did not want to sell his candlesticks because they were given to him by his mother on her deathbed as a remembrance.
4. Give two instances of the Bishop’s kindness to the people in his parish.
Answer: One instance of the Bishop’s kindness is when he sold his silver salt-cellars to pay Mére Gringoire’s rent. Another instance is when he went out late at night to visit Marie’s mother, who was unwell.
5. Mention two characteristics of the Bishop’s sister Persomé that you see in the play.
Answer: Persomé is protective of her brother and is practical, as she is concerned about the Bishop giving away their belongings and believes in looking after their household first.
6. What crime had the convict committed for which he had been jailed? What was his punishment?
Answer: The convict had stolen to buy food for his ill wife, Jeanette. His punishment was ten years in the prison hulks, where he suffered greatly.
7. Apart from kindness, the Bishop shows two other characteristics which surprise the convict. Give examples of them.
Answer: The Bishop shows forgiveness by protecting the convict from being arrested again and generosity by gifting him the candlesticks even after the convict had stolen them.
8. Why does the convict want to go to Paris?
Answer: The convict wants to go to Paris because it is a big city where he hopes to lose himself and avoid capture.
Answer these questions in detail.
1. How does the convict describe ‘Hell’?
Answer: The convict describes ‘Hell’ as a place where he was chained up like a wild animal, lashed like a hound, fed on filth, covered with vermin, and slept on wooden boards. His complaints were met with more lashes, and he lived like this for ten years. He says they took away his name and soul, leaving him with a devil in its place.
2. How did the Bishop succeed in changing the convict? What psychology did he use?
Answer: The Bishop succeeded in changing the convict by treating him with kindness and compassion, which the convict was not used to receiving. The Bishop did not rebuke him for his actions or try to punish him. Instead, he offered him shelter, food, and even the candlesticks he tried to steal. This approach made the convict feel a sense of worth and goodness, which helped transform his attitude.
3. Contrast the characters of the Bishop and Persomé.
Answer: The Bishop is compassionate, selfless, and forgiving. He gives away his belongings to help others and sees goodness in everyone, including the convict. Persomé, on the other hand, is practical, protective, and somewhat distrustful. She is worried about their financial situation and does not agree with her brother’s generosity, especially towards people she deems unworthy, like the convict.
4. The Bishop has a sense of humour. Illustrate with examples.
Answer: The Bishop demonstrates his sense of humour in several instances. When Persomé is concerned about the convict holding a knife, the Bishop jokes, “The knife, oh, well, you see, dear, perhaps he may have thought that I had sold ours.” Also, when the convict hesitates with suspicion, the Bishop playfully reassures him, showing a lighthearted approach to tense situations.
Writing
Imagine you are the convict. Write your diary entry after reaching Paris.
Answer:
Paris,
The start of a new life
Today, I have finally reached Paris. The city is big, bustling, and indifferent—a place where I can be lost, where no one will find me, and yet, for the first time, I don’t feel entirely alone. It is strange—just days ago, I was filled with bitterness, anger, and mistrust for the world. I had seen only the worst in people. But then I met him—the Bishop. His kindness, his faith in me, and his words changed something deep inside me.
When I think back to that night, I remember his gentle voice, his compassion, and the unbelievable mercy he showed me by giving me the candlesticks. Those candlesticks—they’re more than silver to me now. They’re a reminder of his faith, and somehow, they feel like a light guiding me forward. The Bishop called me his friend. No one has done that in a long time.
I don’t know what the future holds here in Paris, but I want to live up to the hope he placed in me. I want to be worthy of the second chance he offered. I know now that I am more than just a number. I am a man, a man with a soul, and maybe, just maybe, I can begin again.
In the anonymity of Paris, the convict manages to get a job and gradually does well, but he does not sell the candlesticks. He opens a reformatory and gives employment to other ex-convicts. As the convict, write a letter to the Bishop, telling him all that you have been doing and thanking him for making you a new man.
Answer:
Paris,
[Sept 1, 1908]
Dear Monseigneur the Bishop,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and peace. It has been a while since I left your cottage, yet your kindness and mercy have stayed with me each day since. I still carry the candlesticks you gave me, and every time I look at them, I am reminded of the new path you set me on—a path I never imagined for myself.
After reaching Paris, I found work. It wasn’t easy at first, but with the strength you gave me, I was able to make a fresh start. Slowly, I have saved enough to open a small reformatory. Here, I offer jobs and a second chance to men who, like me, have known the harshness of prison. I want to give them hope, the way you gave it to me. Your belief in me made me believe in myself, and now I hope to pass that same belief on to others.
I cannot thank you enough, Monseigneur. You changed my life with your compassion, transforming me from a bitter, desperate man into someone who can look forward with hope. I am, because of you, a new man. I will always hold your words and kindness close to my heart, and I hope that I can continue to live up to the example you set for me.
May God bless you, always.
With deepest gratitude,
Jean Valjean
Discussion
1. Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, said, ‘Give a man a fish and he will eat one meal. Teach him how to fish and he will eat well the whole of his life.’ Do you agree?
Answer: This statement suggests that providing someone with a skill or knowledge that allows them to support themselves is more beneficial in the long term than simply giving them temporary help. Teaching self-sufficiency fosters independence and sustainable well-being, while short-term aid addresses only immediate needs.
2. Should corporal and capital punishment, the death sentence, be banned?
Answer: Corporal and capital punishment are intended as exemplary measures to prevent crimes by instilling fear. However, alternative approaches, such as compassionate actions, rehabilitation, and addressing the social and economic factors leading people to crime, may yield longer-lasting positive effects. Harsh punishments often harden individuals, while kindness and empathy, as shown by the Bishop in this story, can lead to genuine reformation.
Extras
Additional questions and answers
1. Was it right for the Bishop to sell the salt cellars? Why or why not?
Answer: The Bishop sold the salt cellars to help Mere Gringoire, who needed money for her rent to avoid being turned out. He believed in helping others selflessly, even if it meant selling things dear to him. Persome felt it was unfair as these items had sentimental value, but the Bishop prioritized kindness over material attachment.
23. Why does Persome express anger toward Marie?
Answer: Persomé expresses anger towards Marie because she blames Marie for making her brother go without his supper and staying out late.
Additional fill in the blanks
1. The play “The Bishop’s Candlesticks” was written by ______.
Answer: Norman McKinnell
19. The convict, after being released, feels as if he is a ______ again, not a wild beast.
Answer: man
Additional true and false
1. The Bishop’s name is Monseigneur.
Answer: False
19. The Bishop’s kindness has a transformative effect on the convict.
Answer: True
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