Abou Hassan and his wife  

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

 

• Q 1. Who was Abou Hassan?

• ANS. The caliph’s favourite.

• Q 2. Give the name of Abou’s wife

• ANS. Nouzhatoul.

• Q 3. How did Abou squandered his money?

• ANS. On his friends.

• Q 4. Who went to the Princess to beg some money?

• ANS. Nouzhatoul.

• Q 5. Who had died in fact Abou or his wife?

• ANS. Neither of the two.

• Q 6. What had driven Abou and his wife to play the game?

• ANS. Their poverty.

 

ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS

 

CHARACTER SKETCH OF ABOU HASSAN Abou Hassan was a poor man. But he was happy-go-lucky fellow. He was favourite of a Caliph. The Caliph often helped him with money and gold. Abou spent all his money in entertaining his friends. So he was often at the point of starvation. His friends left him as soon as his purse was empty. His wife became angry with him for squandering his money. But Abou said that money was meant to be enjoyed and shared. Abou was very witty.

He had an inventive mind. Once he ran short of money. He thought of a novel plan to get money from the Caliph. He sent his wife to the princess. He himself went to the Caliph. Both of them got money for each other’s funeral. When the Caliph came to know of Abou’s game, he was not angry with him. He was rather pleased to see Abou and his wife alive. He gave some gold as a reward for his wit and intelligence.

How Did Abou Hassan and his wife planned to get money from Caliph? Abou had short of money. He had squandered all the money on his friends. Now he thought of a plan to get money from the Caliph. He and his wife decided to play at being dead. Abou went to the Caliph and told that his wife had died. He wanted money for his wife’s funeral. Similarly Abou’s went to the princess and told that Abou had died. She also got money from the princess for Abou’s funeral. In this way Abou and his wife planned to get money from the Caliph.

INTRODUCTION

 

Abu Hassan is a comic opera in one act play by Carl Maria von weber based on a story in one Thousands and one Nights. It was composed between 11 August 1810 and 12 January 1811 and has set numbers with recitative and spoken dialogue.

 

MAIN CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY

ABOU HASSAN

NOUZHATOULHI

ZUBEIDA CALIPH

THE MESSENGER

 

SUMMARY

 

Abou Hassan, the cup bearer of Caliph, was in great debt. His wife Nouzhatoul was serving him breakfast. He did not like the breakfast and remarked her that even a dog would not like to have such breakfast, to which Nouzhatoul replied that it was the best that she could serve him as they didn't have even a penny in their house. Abou Hassan told his wife that he was one of the favourite of Caliph and was dying of hunger. He must go and ask something from the Caliph.

Then Nouzhatoul commented that Caliph had given them gold last time which was more than sufficient for ten years, but he had squandered all the money on his friends. Abou replied that he just lived happily and shared his money with his friends. Nouzhatoul remarked him that now he must ask his friends to help them or he will have to stop the habit of sharing money. Abou pacified his wife that people are like that and if we entertain them, in fact we entertain ourselves and it is foolishness to expect anything in return.

Abou Hassan now made up his mind to go to the Caliph to seek help. They planned to play at being dead. Abou would seek the money for the funeral expenses of Nouzhatoul whom he would declare to be dead, while Nouzhatoul would seek funeral money from Caliph’s wife Zobeide for her husband. Caliph believed every word of Abou’s story and gave him 100 pieces of gold for funeral and a brocade piece to cover his wife. Zubeida was very sorry to hear that Abou was no more and she gave her 100 pieces of gold.

Now Abou was so happy and he asked his wife that she must feel proud of getting such a great husband. Two hundred gold pieces and a beautiful brocade piece was enough to end their poverty. Nouzhatoul was worried and asked Abou what would happen if they were caught up. Then suddenly they heard the footsteps outside the house and it was the messenger from the Caliph. Abou Hassan ordered his wife to lie down on the couch and he threw the piece of brocade over her.

The messenger then told Abou that actually he came to know who has died ... HE or HIS WIFE. There has been a dispute at the palace and the Caliph wanted to make sure that it was Abou’s wife, not he who had died. Abou inquired why he was so suspicious. His wife was lying over there and this was an odd time to suspect anybody, to which the messenger replied that the Caliph was certain that it was your wife who had died but in the same way, the Princess is certain that it was you who had died.

The Caliph has bet of thousand pieces of gold and the Princess has bet of a thousand and five hundred pieces of gold but he is sorry for princess who has lost the bet. Now Nouzhatoul warned her husband that there was a great trouble for them in store. Abou asked her to have faith in his wits and at that time they heard a knock at the door and it was princess maid at the door.

Now Abou pretended to be dead .The maid entered the room and told Nouzhatoul that Ali (The messenger) was really a rougue as he had told the Caliph that it was you who had died, not your husband.

 

Nouzhatoul now feared that they were going to enter into a great trouble and the Caliph might hang them for this mistake. While they were discussing, they heard a noise outside and they looked out of window. They saw that the Caliph himself along with Zubeida were coming. Abou and Nouzhatoul now both of them pretended to be dead. Caliph then announced that there were two bodies in the room, at which Zubeida felt pity for Nouzhhatoul and said that her heart must have broken at seeing her husband dead. The caliph then asked her how she could say that it was Abou who died first.

The Caliph then announced that he would give a thousand pieces of gold who could prove which one of them had died first. Then Zubeida proclaimed that she would reward one thousand and five hundred pieces of gold who would prove him wrong. On hearing these words, Abou jumped from the bed and said that it was he who died first. The Caliph asked if HE was a ghost, to which Abou Hassan answered that both of them are neither ghosts nor dead.

It was their poverty and misery that drove them to play this game. He would not mind if the Caliph threw him into the prison but asked to pardon his wife as she was innocent. Nouzhatoul then begged to pardon her husband since he never meant any harm. The Caliph then assured them that he would not punish either of them, rather he is so happy that they were alive. Zubeida then asked the caliph to give the gold to Abou that he had promised. The caliph then asked Abou Hassan to visit to his palace and get the gold.