The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Solution and Explanation
The story "The Tiger King" is a supreme example of dramatic irony.Dramatic irony
refers to a situation where the complete significance of a character's words or actions
is transparent to the audience but is not known to the character.
The character acts in a way grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances or expects the
opposite of what fate holds in store for him. Kalki has used a very dexterous use of dramatic
irony in the story. After killing the first tiger the King flaunts its dead body before the
astrologer to show that he is more powerful than the tiger. However, the astrologer warns
the king that he should be "careful with the hundredth tiger". The king chooses to prove the
astrologer wrong once again and makes frantic efforts to kill hundred tigers. Thus, having
shot at the old tiger, the Tiger king believes he has killed the hundredth tiger. But the reader
as well as the king's officers and minions soon come to know that the emaciated tiger does
not get killed but only has fainted. The king gets happy of killing the tiger but in actual
ignorance of this ironical fate the prediction proves to be right and mere sliver on wooden
tiger's body causes his dramatic death. Quite ironically the hundredth tiger kills the king
instead and astrologer's predictions stand vindicated.
Top Questions on The Tiger King
- What did the dewan do to procure the hundredth tiger for the king? (The Tiger King)
- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English Core
- The Tiger King
- Why does the Tiger King get a wooden tiger for his son? (The Tiger King)
- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English Core
- The Tiger King
- How did the Maharaja’s harmless wooden tiger lead to his death? (The Tiger King)
- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English Core
- The Tiger King
- Read the following extract and answer the following questions:
At another time he was in danger of losing his throne. A
high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very
fond of hunting tigers. And fonder of being photographed with the
tigers he had shot. As usual, he wished to hunt tigers in
Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja was firm in his resolve. He
refused permission. “I can organise any other hunt. You may go on a
boar hunt. You may conduct a mouse hunt. We are ready for a
mosquito hunt. But tiger hunt! That’s impossible!”
(The Tiger King)
(i) Complete the following suitably.
The passage suggests that the Maharaja was in danger of losing his throne because ___.
(ii) What phrase in the above passage indicates that the Maharaja was a determined man who stuck to his decision?
(iii) By saying ‘that’s impossible’, the Maharaja in the above passage means ___.
(A) he will not give up his throne
(B) that the British officer cannot go on a tiger hunt in his kingdom
(C) he would pass a law which forbade hunting of boars
(D) that the Maharaja would accompany the officer on a tiger hunt
(iv) List any one characteristic of the Maharaja as demonstrated in the above passage.- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English Core
- The Tiger King
Not that he faced no dangers. There were times when the bullet missed its mark, the tiger leapt upon him and he fought the beast with his bare hands. Each time it was the Maharaja who won. At another time he was in danger of losing his throne. A high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers. And fonder of being photographed with the tigers he had shot.
(The Tiger King)- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
- English Core
- The Tiger King
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- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
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- A conductor of length \( l \) is connected across an ideal cell of emf E. Keeping the cell connected, the length of the conductor is increased to \( 2l \) by gradually stretching it. If R and \( R' \) are initial and final values of resistance and \( v_d \) and \( v_d' \) are initial and final values of drift velocity, find the relation between:
\( R' \) and \( R \)
\( R' = 4R \)- CBSE CLASS XII - 2025
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