NABTEB LITERATURE III ANSWERS (DRAMA POETRY)



NOTE: In this theory, Type A, B, C & D are the same but reshuffled. Use the answers provided to trace the correct questions in your booklet before answering. WE USED TYPE-C IN SOLVING, SO TRACE FROM YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE COPYING THE ANSWERS.





SECTION A: ANSWER ONE(1) QUESTION FROM THIS SECTION


(1)
The character of Iya Agba (Omofadeke Adunni) is central to the play’s concern with tyranny, truth, and the downfall of unjust rulers in Once Upon an Elephant. The play presents Ajanaku as a usurper-king who maintains power through manipulation, greed, and the suppression of opposition, and against this backdrop, Iya Agba becomes an important voice of truth that exposes the corruption of his rule and foretells its collapse.

Iya Agba is an elderly woman in the palace who is wrongly regarded as mad and therefore dismissed by the royal court. However, beneath this label, she is portrayed as a figure who possesses deep knowledge of palace secrets, including the truth about Ajanaku’s origin and legitimacy. She first appears during a dispute where Ajanaku acts unjustly and interrupts with a symbolic story of an elephant destroyed by its own desire for power. She later confronts him directly, refusing his royal title and calling him by his birth name, Olaniyonu, while also hinting at the truth known by Serubawon. She further challenges Omoyeni and criticises the moral decay of the palace, leading repeatedly to her banishment by Ajanaku.

The major literary device used in her portrayal is symbolism. Iya Agba represents truth and justice operating outside the corrupt political system. Her so-called madness functions as a disguise that allows her to speak freely without immediate destruction. Her riddles and story of the elephant serve as allegory, foreshadowing Ajanaku’s downfall since the elephant symbolically represents him. Her repeated banishment also highlights the inability of tyranny to tolerate truth.

The significance of her role is that she shows that truth, though often ignored or silenced, cannot be permanently destroyed. Despite being dismissed, she continues to speak out until her revelations contribute to the exposure and eventual fall of Ajanaku. She therefore embodies the play’s message that justice and truth ultimately overcome tyranny.

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(2)
The dramatic techniques in Once Upon an Elephant are closely tied to its central themes of tyranny, truth, and the downfall of unjust power. Ademilua-Afolayan uses these techniques not merely for artistic expression but to expose corruption in Ajanaku’s rule and to highlight the eventual triumph of justice. Through devices such as historification, symbolism, and riddling speech, the playwright effectively communicates political criticism and reinforces the moral message of the play.

One key technique is historification, where the play is set in a fictionalised Yoruba kingdom. This distance allows the playwright to critique issues like corruption, bribery of kingmakers, and oppression of dissent without directly naming real political figures. It also makes the message universal, showing that tyranny and abuse of power are not limited to one society or era but can occur in any political system.

Another important technique is symbolism, especially the image of the elephant. Ajanaku identifies himself with the elephant to represent strength, authority, and dominance over others. However, Iya Agba’s allegorical story of an elephant destroyed by its own ambition transforms this symbol into a warning of self-destruction. The elephant therefore becomes a symbol of tyrannical power that eventually collapses under its own excesses, reinforcing the idea that oppression is temporary.

The third technique is riddles and proverbs, mainly used through Iya Agba. This reflects Yoruba oral tradition, where indirect speech is used to communicate sensitive truths safely. Through riddles, she reveals Ajanaku’s illegitimacy and the moral decay within the palace while avoiding direct confrontation. This technique also shows how traditional wisdom serves as a voice of resistance against political oppression.

In conclusion, historification, symbolism, and riddling speech work together to strengthen the play’s central message.


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SECTION B: ANSWER ONE(1) QUESTION FROM THIS SECTION

(5)
The theme of social responsibility is central to An Inspector Calls, and Inspector Goole is the main figure through which Priestley expresses this message. He is not only an investigator but also a dramatic symbol of conscience, exposing the moral failures of the Birling family.

Inspector Goole arrives to investigate the suicide of Eva Smith and reveals how each character contributes to her death. Mr Birling dismisses her from his factory, Sheila has her sacked from Milwards, Gerald Croft exploits and abandons her, Eric forces a relationship on her and steals money, while Mrs Birling refuses her charity support. Through his questioning, the Inspector shows that these separate actions combine to cause tragedy, making him a moral force rather than a normal policeman.

The main literary device is personification of conscience. His name suggests something ghostly, and his calm authority and knowledge of events make him seem beyond an ordinary inspector. The revelation that no Inspector Goole exists on police records strengthens his symbolic role as a representation of moral judgement rather than a real person.

This is reinforced in his final speech, where he warns that people must realise they are “members of one body” or face consequences “in fire and blood and anguish.” This reflects Priestley’s post war message that ignoring social responsibility leads to disaster. The Inspector does not punish the characters physically but forces them to recognise their guilt.

His significance is that he embodies conscience itself. Even after his disappearance, the final telephone call confirming another death suggests that his warning is real and ongoing. Priestley uses him to show that conscience cannot be escaped and that society will always be called to account until it learns responsibility.
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(6)
(i) Sybil Birling: In An Inspector Calls, social responsibility is the central theme, and Sybil Birling’s actions reveal the dangers of class prejudice and selfishness. Sybil Birling is Mr Birling’s wife, a wealthy and status conscious woman who serves on a charity committee. The Inspector reveals that she refused assistance to a pregnant Eva Smith, who had approached the committee under another name. Believing Eva to be undeserving, Sybil harshly rejected her request and insisted that the father of the child should bear responsibility, only to discover that the father was her own son, Eric. Her significance lies in her self righteous refusal to accept guilt even after the truth is exposed. She therefore represents the older generation’s resistance to change and Priestley’s criticism of social irresponsibility.

(ii) Inspector Goole: Inspector Goole is the mysterious investigator whose arrival and questioning drive the action of the play. His true identity remains uncertain because no inspector of that name appears to exist, suggesting that he may represent something beyond an ordinary policeman. Throughout the play, he exposes each character’s contribution to Eva Smith’s suffering and challenges their moral values. His famous statement that “we are members of one body” expresses Priestley’s belief that society functions best when people care for one another. The significance of Inspector Goole lies in his role as the embodiment of conscience, justice, and social responsibility, warning humanity of the consequences of selfishness and neglect.

(iii) Gerald Croft: Gerald Croft is Sheila Birling’s fiancé and the son of Mr Birling’s business rival. During the investigation, it is revealed that he had an affair with Eva Smith, whom he knew as Daisy Renton, and supported her for a period before ending the relationship when it no longer suited him. Although Gerald is more honest than some of the older characters and admits his actions, he quickly welcomes the possibility that the Inspector was a fraud and attempts to move on from the incident.

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SECTION C: ANSWER ONE(1) QUESTION FROM THIS SECTION

(9)
New Tongue by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara explores the tension between adopting a foreign language and remaining rooted in native linguistic and cultural identity, with cultural alienation as the central consequence. The “new tongue” represents colonial language, often associated with education and social advancement, but also with the loss of cultural belonging.

The central figure is the speaker, who is caught between two linguistic worlds: the “old tongue,” linked to family, tradition, and ancestral identity, and the “new tongue,” linked to modern education and wider opportunity. The main literary device is symbolism, as the “tongue” represents not only language but also identity, culture, and worldview. Thus, acquiring a new tongue symbolises a shift in identity and belonging.

Cultural alienation is shown in the speaker’s experience of distance from family and community as fluency in the new language increases. Mastery of the new tongue weakens connection to the old one, creating a sense of in-betweenness where the speaker fully belongs to neither world.

The significance of this theme is that it reflects the postcolonial experience of linguistic displacement. Kamara presents the new tongue as both beneficial and costly, offering opportunity while causing cultural separation. By using the image of the tongue itself, the poem personalises alienation as a deep identity change that affects how the speaker relates to others and to self.
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(10)
Osundare’s Not My Business explores political oppression under dictatorship and the danger of complacency expressed through the attitude “it’s not my business.” Euphemism, the use of mild or indirect language to soften harsh realities, is a key device used to expose how state violence is disguised and normalised.

The main terms include euphemism itself and the repeated refrain that reflects the speaker’s self-deception. The victims Akanni, Danladi, Chinwe, and later the speaker, show how this language operates across different incidents of oppression.

Euphemism is seen in descriptions of violence such as Akanni being “taken away,” which hides the reality of arrest or abduction. Danladi is “dragged out” of class and “detained,” a word that conceals unlawful imprisonment, while Chinwe’s job application simply “disappeared,” masking workplace victimisation. These expressions reduce brutal actions into mild, almost routine language.

The speaker also uses euphemism in the refrain that as long as the violence does not affect his food or comfort, it is “not my business.” This turns moral indifference into a false sense of self protection, disguising cowardice as practicality.

The significance of this pattern is revealed when the soldiers eventually come for the speaker himself. The earlier softened language collapses into direct violence, showing that euphemism has been used to hide reality and encourage silence. Osundare therefore warns that distancing oneself through gentle language or indifference only delays the consequences of injustice, which eventually affects everyone.

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SECTION D: ANSWER ONE(1) QUESTION FROM THIS SECTION

(11)
Digging by Seamus Heaney explores the theme of poetic vocation and ancestral legacy, with hard work and diligence as the linking values across three generations of the speaker’s family, his grandfather, father, and himself.

The central figures are the speaker, a poet at his writing desk, his father, seen digging in the flower beds, and his grandfather, remembered cutting turf at Toner’s bog. All three are united by skill, precision, and dedication to their work, despite the different forms it takes.

Hard work is shown through detailed images of physical labour. The father is described digging with his spade “going down and down,” showing steady effort and control. The grandfather is remembered as a highly skilled worker who could cut more turf than anyone else, reflecting excellence and endurance. Even as a child, the speaker observes this diligence when he brings milk to his grandfather, who quickly returns to his work, showing complete focus and commitment.

The main literary device is extended metaphor, as Heaney compares writing poetry to digging. The repetition of family labour establishes a tradition of hard work, while the speaker’s pen is described as “snug as a gun,” suggesting readiness and precision. When he says he has “no spade to follow,” it marks a shift from physical labour to artistic labour, but not a rejection of effort.

The significance is that Heaney validates poetry as a form of work equal in value to farming and manual labour. By transferring the imagery of digging to writing, he shows that true diligence lies in skill, effort, and depth of engagement, not in the type of work performed. The poem ends with the speaker affirming, “I’ll dig with it,” showing continuity between generations through different forms of labour.
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(12)
She Walks in Beauty is built around the theme of ideal beauty as a perfect harmony of physical appearance and inner goodness. Byron presents beauty as a balanced union of light and darkness, moving from cosmic imagery in the first stanza to moral qualities in the final stanza.

The central figure is the woman described by the speaker, inspired by Byron’s encounter with Lady Wilmot Horner at a social event, whose dark mourning dress with sparkling decoration influenced the poem’s contrast of light and dark.

The first major image compares the woman to “the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies,” presenting beauty as a harmony of opposites. The darkness of night combined with the brightness of stars reflects her physical appearance and introduces the idea that beauty lies in balance. This is reinforced in the contrast between “all that’s best of dark and bright” and the “tender light” denied to “gaudy day,” suggesting that subtle harmony is superior to harsh brightness.

In the second stanza, the image of balance continues through precise description: “one shade the more, one ray the less” would destroy her “nameless grace.” Her “raven tress” and softly illuminated face reinforce the blend of dark and light, while also suggesting that her beauty depends on perfect proportion and cannot be altered without loss.

The final stanza shifts from physical imagery to moral qualities. Her “smiles” and “tints that glow” reflect inner goodness, while her “mind at peace with all below” and “heart whose love is innocent” show that her outward beauty mirrors inner virtue. The same language of light and calm is used to link appearance with morality.

The significance of this imagery is that Byron presents beauty as a unified harmony of body and soul. The poem’s structured movement from cosmic imagery to physical description and finally to moral character reinforces the idea that true beauty exists in the perfect balance between external appearance and internal goodness.