Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women

Madhurawada, Visakhapatnam
(Affiliated to AU, Approved by AICTE, New Delhi)

UNIT 3 : The Death Trap

The Death Trap by Saki is a one act pay where a group of conspirators loyal
to Prince Karl plan to assassinate the young Prince Dimitri of Kedaria. A
friend of the prince tries to prevent the murder.

Dimitri is the protagonist , the ruler of Kedaria whose family were in rivalry
with Karl’s . some of the soldiers like Girintza, Vontieff and Shultz who
favor Karl, hatch a plan to kill the 17 year Dimitri so as to get their favorite
Prince Karl to occupy the throne. Dimtri is aware of the plan. Though very
young, he is conscious of the danger he is in as the last surviving member of
his line, he knows Karl’s supporters will definitely finish him off . He is also
helpless as all his weapons have been removed from him on one pretext or
another. He is in despair that in time between the change of his loyal
guards, he would be killed.

Despite knowing his enemies have decided to execute him, Dimitri

fearlessly faces the circumstances. He is a responsible man who took over
ruling the empire at a very young age. It is really a sad state when he knows
he is trapped and there is no escape for him.

Among the three conspirators, Girintza is of a suspicious nature, and

seems to be blood thirsty for his choice of weapon is a dagger. He wants to
erase the entire dynasty. If they did not kill the boy, he would grow up to be
a man and have a family. Then the conspirators have to kill a lot more
people. Shultz, on the other , projects an image of absolute confidence and a
daring attitude and is sure of his marksmanship with his revolver.
Vontieff seems to be a slightly kind and god fearing person. He would like
the intervention of God to eliminate Dmitri, so as not to suffer from the guilt
of killing a teenager.

Though in despair, the young Prince projects courage. He is relieved to see

his friend Dr. Stronetz . The doctor is aware of the circumstances the prince
is in. For he could come in with great difficulty, civilian clothes, with all his
arms confiscated by the conspirators. D i m i t r i a d m i t s t h a t h e t o o i s
weaponless. The pathetic situation Dimitri is in is evident
w h e n h e s a y s “I’m not a coward…but I do so want to live.” H e h a s a
zest for life and wants to experience life of which he has seen
so little. He is fully aware that in 24 hours he would be
history, with a servant washing up the blood stains. It is
heart rending for the young man probably knows the place of
his execution- the corner of the room.

D r . Stronetz o f f e r s t o g i v e t h e P r i n c e p o i s o n s o t h a t t h e l a t t e r
can commit suicide without falling into the enemies hands.
The prince rejects the idea. He has dark humor saying he had
never seen anyone killed. He wants to watch his own death as
h e w i l l n o t h a v e a n y o t h e r o p p o r t u n i t y . D r . Stronetz a p p e a r s t o
be a mature, knowledgeable ,loyal medical professional. He
vows to be beside the prince till the end and get killed as
well.

With the change in guard at a distance, Dimitri is alert to the

conspirators coming for him. The quick-witted doctor pretends to
examine the Prince t to buy more time. He tells the conspirators
that the prince is going to die within 6 days so they need not rush
to kill him before that. D r . Stronetz convinces them with
his diagnosis and they leave Dimitri to his fate. The
prince is relieved with the doctor’s superb plan to
a v e r t t h e d a n g e r . B u t D r . Stronetz gives the grave news that
his diagnosis was indeed accurate and the prince would not live
for more than six days.
The irony is that the prince who was trapped by the conspirators
could avoid a bloodied death by them. The tables are turned
against them. The doctor initially pretends to examine the prince’s
health, but in reality observes the deathly look in his eyes. He
diagnoses that the prince would die of a natural death due to his
diseases. The prince conquers his vulnerability through his
intelligence yet cannot avoid death Dmitri is a sensible,
courageous man who ultimately bows down to destiny.
20 RULES ABOUT SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

A verb is singular or plural depends on any one of a complicated set of factors.

Here is a roster of rules for subject-verb agreement
(or “Here are some rules . . .”):
1. Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that is part of a
modifying phrase or clause between verb and subject:
“The pot of eggs is boiling on the stove.”
2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, not with the
complement of the subject:
“My favorite type of movie is comedies,” but “Comedies are my favorite type of
movie.”
3. Use singular verbs with singular indefinite pronouns — each, the “-
bodies,” “-ones,” and “-things” (anybody, everyone, nothing), and the like:
“Neither is correct.” (And, just as in rule number 1, the presence of a modifier
is irrelevant: “Neither of them is correct.”)
4. Use plural verbs with plural indefinite pronouns:
“Many outcomes are possible.”
5. Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns that follow an indefinite
pronoun:
“All the paint is dried up.”
6. Use plural verbs with countable nouns that follow an indefinite
pronoun:
“All the nails are spilled on the floor.”
7. Use plural verbs with compound subjects that include and:
“The dog and the cat are outside.”
8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs, depending on the form of the noun
nearest the verb, with compound subjects that include nor or or:
“Either the dog or the cats are responsible for the mess.” (“Either the cats or
the dog is responsible for the mess” is also technically correct but is awkward.)
9. Use singular verbs with inverted subjects that include singular nouns:
“Why is my hat outside in the rain?”
10. Use plural verbs with inverted subjects (those beginning with the
expletive there rather than the actual subject) that include plural nouns:
“There are several hats outside in the rain.”
11. Use singular or plural verbs with collective nouns depending on
meaning:
“His staff is assembled,” but “Staff are asked to go to the conference room
immediately.” (In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the body of employees;
in the second sentence, the focus is on compliance by each individual in the
body of employees.)
12. Use singular verbs for designations of entities, such as nations or
organizations, or compositions, such as books or films:
“The United Nations is headquartered in New York.”
13. Use singular verbs for subjects plural in form but singular in meaning:
“Physics is my favorite subject.”
14. Use singular or plural verbs for subjects plural in form but plural or
singular in meaning depending on the context:
“The economics of the situation are complicated,” but “Economics is a
complicated topic.”
15. Use plural verbs for subjects plural in form and meaning:
“The tweezers are in the cupboard.”
16. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form “one of those (blank) who
. . .”:
“I am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet.”
17. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form “the only one of those
(blank) who . . .”:
“I am the only one of my friends who does not tweet.”
18. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form “the number of (blank)
. . .”:
“The number of people here boggles the mind.”
19. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form “a number of
(blank) . . .”:
“A number of people here disagree.”
20. Use singular verbs in construction of the forms “every (blank) . . .” and
“many a (blank) . . .”:
“Every good boy does fine”; “Many a true word is spoken in jest.”

Noun-Pronoun agreement

A pronoun is a word that refers to a noun and can stand in its place. By
using a pronoun, you can refer to the same person, place, thing, or idea
repeatedly without using the same noun every time. For example, the
following sentence becomes far less awkward when pronouns are used:
WITHOUT PRONOUNS: Molly thinks that Molly should sell
Molly’s car to Molly’s brother. WITH PRONOUNS: Molly
thinks that she should sell her car to her brother.

Pronoun Types
Pronouns may be divided into several categories, based on how they are used:
 Demonstrative (this, that, these, those)
 Indefinite (anybody, something, etc.)
 Intensive or reflexive (yourself, herself, myself)
 Interrogative (who? which? what?)
 Personal (I, you, he, she, we, they)
 Possessive (my, your, her, his, their)
 Relative (who, whom, whose, which, that)

Selecting the Right Pronoun

Every pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun to which the
pronoun refers or which it replaces).
EXAMPLE: Molly thinks that she should
sell her car. Molly =
antecedent she/her =
pronouns

A pronoun agrees with its antecedent when they match in both number and
gender.

Agreement in Number
A pronoun must match its antecedent in number. In other words, if the
antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be plural, and if the antecedent is
singular, the pronoun must be singular.
EXAMPLE: Freddy wears his Superman outfit at least twice a week.
(Since the word Freddy

is singular, the pronoun that refers to it is also singular.)

EXAMPLE: Freddy’s parents believe that their son is slightly peculiar.
(Because the word

parents is plural, the pronoun referring to it must also be

plural.)
Agreement in Gender
A pronoun must match its antecedent in gender. If the antecedent is
feminine, use the pronouns she, her, and hers, and if it is masculine, use
the pronouns he, him, and his. Plural pronouns (they, them, their, and
theirs) refer to plural nouns of either gender.
EXAMPLE: Freddy’s father is embarrassed by his son.

However, Freddy’s mother thinks her

son is cute. Freddy’s aunts always take
pictures of their nephew.

Freddy’s uncles enjoy playing with their sister’s superhero

son.

Common Mistakes
Antecedents with Conjunctions
When singular antecedents are joined by and, use a plural pronoun to refer to
them.

INCORRECT: Jim and Sally are proud of his and her new son.

CORRECT: Jim and Sally are proud of their new son.

When antecedents are joined by or or nor, the pronoun referring to them
should match the part of the antecedent that is closest to the pronoun.

EXAMPLES:Neither her sisters nor Jeannie will bring her basketball. Neither
Jeannie nor her sisters will bring their basketball.

Pronouns as Antecedents

One of the most common mistakes in pronoun-antecedent agreement occurs

when the antecedent of a pronoun is, itself, a pronoun. In such cases, as with
pronoun-noun agreement, the two pronouns must agree with each other in
both number and gender.

INCORRECT: Those boxes have unbroken lids, but these need to have its
lids replaced.

CORRECT: Those boxes have unbroken lids, but these need to have their lids
replaced.

Pronoun-antecedent agreement may be especially confusing when the

antecedent is an indefinite pronoun. Indefinite pronouns refer to or replace
nonspecific people, places, things, or ideas. The following indefinite pronouns
are always singular. Consequently, pronouns that refer to them will always be
singular as well:

anybody either neither somebody

anyone everybody nobody someone

each everyone one, no one

INCORRECT: Everybody needs to bring their assignment to class.

CORRECT: Everybody needs to bring his or her assignment to class.

Gender

Sometimes, a singular antecedent's gender is unknown, or the antecedent

refers to a group composed of both males and females. To avoid gender bias,
use both the masculine and feminine pronouns.
INCORRECT: Everyone returned his books to the library.

CORRECT: Everyone returned his or her books to the library.

If using he or she or his or her sounds awkward, rework your sentences

whenever possible so that the antecedents of unknown or mixed gender are
plural:

Awkward: Everyone turned in his or her homework and got out his or her
textbook. Better: All of the class members turned in their homework and got
out their textbooks

- Courtesy Utah Valley University writing lab

Word formation

CRACY = RULE / GOVERNMENT

A government by the people - Democracy

A government by a king or queen - Monarchy

A government by the officials - Bureaucracy

A government by the rich - Plutocracy

A government by few - Oligarchy

OMNI = ALL

One who is all powerful - Omnipotent

One who is present everywhere - Omnipresent

One who knows everything - Omniscient

CIDE= KILLING

 Killing of a human being - Homicide

 Killing/ Murder of a king - Regicide

 Killing of an Infant/ newborn baby - Infanticide

 Killing of a race or community - Genocide

 Killing of One's sister - Sororicide

  Killing of self or self-murder - Suicide

 Killing of either or both parents - Parricide

 Killing of one's brother - Fratricide

 Killing of one's father - Patricide

 Killing of one's mother - Matricide

 Killing of one's husband - Mariticide

One with unlimited power Autocrat

One who walks on ropes Funambulist

An expert in writing by hand Chirographer

The doctor who attends to child delivery Obstetrician

The doctor who attends to corns in the feet and hands Chiropodist

The doctor who deals with the female reproductive system Gynecologist

The doctor who specializes in root canal and nerve

Endodontist
treatment

The doctor who straightens teeth Orthodontist

The doctor who treats bone problems Orthopedician

Ophthalmologis
The doctor who treats eye diseases
t

The doctor who treats gums Peridontist

The doctor who treats heart problems Cardiologist

The doctor who treats skin diseases Dermatologist

One who is all powerful Omnipotent

One who is all knowing Omniscient

One who is present all over Omnipresent

One who can throw his voice Ventriloquist

One who talks while sleeping Somniloquist

One who takes part in dialogue or conversation Interlocutor

One who walks in sleep Somnambulist

One who walks at night Noctambulist

One who is violently against established beliefs and

Iconoclast
traditions

One who turns his thoughts inwards Introvert

One who turns his thoughts outwards Extrovert

One who is both inwards and outwards at times Ambivert

One who demands strict conformity to rules Martinet

One who believes in ruthless self-aggrandizement Egoist

One who doesn't consume alcohol Teetotaler

One who exhibits courage or fearlessness Intrepid

One who easily believes others Credulous

One who is capable of using both hands Ambidextrous

One who knows a lot about good food and wine Connoisseur

One who is beyond reform Incorrigible

Well known for bad qualities Notorious

Perfectly, highly skilled reached the zenith of art Consummate

A shrewish loud-mouthed female Virago

One who is extravagantly romantic, chivalrous and

Quixotic
impractical

Printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely

Lithography
smooth surface

Mapping of earth and its formation Geography

Art related to ornate, good handwriting Calligraphy

Scientific study of bodily diseases Pathology

Study of birds Ornithology

Study of celestial bodies Astronomy

Study of  collection of coins, tokens, paper money etc. Numismatics

Study of earth and rocks Geology

Study of election trends Psephology

Study of flying aero planes Aviation

Study of handwriting Graphology

Study of hereditary, genes and variation in living organisms Genetics

Study of human development Anthropology

Study of languages Philology

Study of living things Biology

Study of religion Theology

Study of science of insects Entomology

Study of sound and sound waves Acoustics

Study of the influence of planets and stars on human events Astrology

Study of the law of the flow of water and other liquids Hydraulics

Study of the relation between the organism and their

Ecology
environment

Study of various aspects of aging Gerontology

The science of time order Chronology

Study of religion Theology

The science of human development Anthropology

Time Management
Seneca’s Moral Lessons to Lucilius are a series of short essays in the form of letters
were written in Latin between 63-65 CE. Seneca uses the everyday life of Early Roman
empire to comment on various subjects focusing on choices about how to live and die.

Seneca’s Moral Lessons consist of 124 letters to his friend, Lucilius. It is unknown
whether Lucilius was a historical person, a pseudonym or a contrived addressee, or
whether Seneca wrote to an actual friend or intended them for a wider audience. Each
of the 124 letters aims at instructing on how to live a good life. His last line in each
letter is generally a quotation from some of the authors and rivals he admired.
Seneca’s letters are informal yet full of meditative speculation on the meaning of life.
His letters encourage the audience to live a life with heightened awareness

The key lessons on time management:

Time is only short if you waste it. People waste time which is a precious resource we
can never get back. Time has to be cherished and saved. Sometimes your time is taken
away by others forcefully, sometimes it is stolen away without you realizing it and
sometimes we waste it knowingly or unknowingly. Seneca reiterates this with his use
of his signature “ tricolon” ;moments are torn from us, some are gently removed and
others glide beyond our reach.

If one were to analyze how time is spent, it is in most cases doing harm to others and
most often doing nothing productive. Most people do not recognize that they are
getting closer to death with each passing day. In fact by the time we realize this, the
years we have already spent are in death’s hands. Having identified the problem,
Seneca gives therapeutic advice. He suggests to complete each day’s task the same
day and not postpone it to another day. Procrastination is the byproduct of constant
tension between our need for short term gratification and plans for long term goals. To
overcome procrastination, using Steve Jobs’s advice in his commencement speech, live
each day as if it were your last. While wasting our time due to various distractions, life
speeds by . As Seneca rightly points out, Nothing is our except time. Yet people do not
regard this precious commodity as such. One repay any other loan but never
time.Seneca’s words of wisdom are a powerful reminder to treat time as our most
valuable , non -renewable resource.