Chapter 9: If I were you

Question 1: At last a sympathetic audience.

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does he say it?

(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?

(i) Gerrard.

(ii) He says it as he is asked by the intruder to speak about himself.

(iii) He speaks the given dialogue sarcastically.

Question 2: Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?

The intruder chooses Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on as they were of similar built.

Question 3: I said it with bullets.

(i) Who says this?

(ii) What does it mean?

(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker's reason for saying this?

(i) Gerrard says the given line.

(ii) It means that when things went wrong, he had used his gun to shoot someone for his escape.

(iii) No, it is not the truth. The speaker says this to save himself from getting shot by the intruder.

Question 4: You'll soon stop being smart.

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?

(i) The intruder says the line under reference.

(ii) Peeved at the smartness displayed by Gerrard, the intruder says this to warn him against acting smart as he is unaware of the consequences that he might suffer.

(iii) The speaker thinks that Gerrard would stop acting smart once he comes to know about his plan to kill Gerrard and take over his identity.

Question 5: They can't hang me twice.

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

(i) The intruder.

(ii) Since he is already being hunted for having killed someone else, murdering Gerrard won't make any difference. Hence, he says that he cannot be hanged twice.

Question 6: A mystery I propose to explain. What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?

The speaker proposes to explain the mystery about himself. He tells the intruder that he would not be able to lead a peaceful life even as Vincient Gerrard. This is because he himself is a criminal living an unstable life, being hunted by the police.

Question 7: This is your big surprise.

(i) Where has this been said in the play?

(ii) What is the surprise?

(i) This has been said twice in the play. On the first occasion, it is spoken by the intruder while revealing his plan to kill Gerrard. Secondly, it is spoken by Gerrard before he reveals his fictitious identity to the intruder.

(ii) The intruder's surprise is his plan to kill Gerrard and take on his identity to lead a secure and hassle-free life. Whereas, Gerrard's surprise is his fictitious identity, his way of refraining the intruder from killing him.