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Give a Character Sketch of Tiger King, Durai, Duraisani and Chief Astrologer from Class 12 English Chapter 2 The Tiger King

 

Character Sketch of Tiger King

 
The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, had many titles and sub-names. However, he was popular as the Tiger King. When he was born, the astrologers had predicted his death which would be caused by a tiger. But the baby had some miraculous quality in him. He was only ten days old, when he challenged the prediction of the astrologers and asked them the manner of his death. The Chief astrologers foretold that he was born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies. Therefore his death would come from the Tiger. 
 
The Crown Prince was brought up in an English environment. He grew up a tall, sturdy, brave and strong man. He become the king of his state at the age of twenty. He was determined to fulfill his pledge. So he issued a proclamation not to kill the tigers except by himself. Being a man of firm determination and self-respect, he denied permission to the British officer to hunt a tiger. In return, he had to pay a high price to retain his throne. In a duration of ten years, he killed seventy tigers and his forests became extinct. Then he married a princess whose father had a large forest cover full of tigers. There he killed more and reached ninety-nine tigers but the hundredth one merely fainted due to the shock of the bullet. His hunters came there and killed it. Thus the tiger king thought that he had fulfilled his vow. Thus it can be said that he was a brave, courageous king but lacked worldly wisdom.
 
The Tiger King Overview – There is no way to avoid death, which is a truth. Destiny has unlimited power and is unavoidable.
 
Nobody can alter fate. Men in positions of authority are cruel to animals. They murder defenceless animals under various justifications. The maharaja kills the tigers since the astrologer predicted that a tiger will be the cause of his demise. He kills them in order to avoid dying.

 
Related:  The Tiger King Summary, Explanation
 

Some Questions on Character Sketch of Tiger King

 
Q1. What physical characteristics describe the Tiger King?
Q2. What motivates the Tiger King’s obsession with hunting tigers?
Q3. How does the Tiger King treat his wife, the Maharani?
Q4. What is the Tiger King’s attitude towards his duties as a ruler?
Q5. What role does superstition play in the Tiger King’s character?

 

Character Sketch of Durai

 
Durai was a high ranking British officer. He was fond of hunting tigers but his wish was declined by the king. He then requested for getting a photograph with a tiger killed by maharaja and this request of his was also rejected. 

 

Some Questions on Character Sketch of Durai

 
Q1. Who is Durai in the chapter “The Tiger King”?
Q2. What is Durai’s opinion on the Maharaja’s obsession with hunting tigers?
Q3. What role does Durai play in the Maharaja’s downfall?
Q4. Does Durai have any redeeming qualities in the story?

 

Character Sketch of Duraisani

 
The ‘Duraisani’ was the wife of a high-ranking British officer who visited Pratibandapuram. She had a lot of influence on her husband. The Tiger King used her to avoid his kingdom being confiscated by the British officer in response to being refused to do tiger hunting in his kingdom. The Tiger King sent fifty diamond rings as bribe to Duraisani expecting her to keep one or two out of them and send the rest back. However, the ‘Duraisani’ turned out to be very greedy; she kept all the fifty rings and sent a ‘thank you’ note to the king.

 

Some Questions on Character Sketch of Duraisani

 
Q1. Who is Duraisani, and what is her role in the story?
Q2. How is Duraisani’s relationship with the Tiger King portrayed in the story?
Q3. What is the significance of Duraisani’s character in the story?

 

Related: The Tiger King Question Answers

 

Character Sketch of Chief Astrologer

 
The Chief Astrologer is an important character in the story as he is the one who predicts the Tiger King’s fate. He is also superstitious and believes in the power of astrology and prophecy. He vows to burn his books and cut off his tuft in case his prediction turned wrong. 

 

Some Questions on Character Sketch of Chief Astrologer

 
Q1. What is the Chief Astrologer’s role in the story?
Q2. How does the Chief Astrologer contribute to the plot of the story?