Girish Karnad – “Hayavadana” – Exam Based MCQs
1. “Hayavadana” is a play written by: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Vijay Tendulkar
B) Girish Karnad
C) Badal Sircar
D) Mahesh Dattani
Ans: B) Girish Karnad
2. “Hayavadana” is based partly on a story from: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Panchatantra
B) Kathasaritsagara
C) Mahabharata
D) Rig Veda
Ans: B) Kathasaritsagara
3. The major theme of “Hayavadana” is: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) Colonial politics
B) Identity and completeness
C) Nature poetry
D) Romantic pastoral life
Ans: B) Identity and completeness
4. The central female character in “Hayavadana” is: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) Rani
B) Padmini
C) Dolly
D) Vasanti
Ans: B) Padmini
5. The two male friends in the play are: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) Devadatta and Kapila
B) Ajit and Benare
C) Munoo and Ratan
D) Dharma and Arjuna
Ans: A) Devadatta and Kapila
6. The play makes use of folk theatre elements like: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Noh theatre
B) Yakshagana
C) Greek chorus only
D) Absurdist mime
Ans: B) Yakshagana
7. “Hayavadana” was originally written in: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) English
B) Kannada
C) Hindi
D) Bengali
Ans: B) Kannada
8. The title character “Hayavadana” is: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) A king
B) A man with a horse’s head
C) A warrior
D) A priest
Ans: B) A man with a horse’s head
9. The “transposed heads” motif in the play raises the question: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) Who owns the land?
B) Which matters more—head or body?
C) How to rule a kingdom?
D) How to conquer nature?
Ans: B) Which matters more—head or body?
10. The play begins with an invocation to: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) Vishnu
B) Ganesha
C) Saraswati
D) Shiva
Ans: B) Ganesha
11. The theme of “completeness” in the play is connected with: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Industrialization
B) Human identity and desire
C) War politics
D) Scientific inventions
Ans: B) Human identity and desire
12. Devadatta is portrayed as primarily: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) A strong-bodied wrestler
B) An intellectual/scholar
C) A comic servant
D) A foreign trader
Ans: B) An intellectual/scholar
13. Kapila is portrayed as primarily: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) A poet
B) A man of the body/strength
C) A priest
D) A royal prince
Ans: B) A man of the body/strength
14. The play uses dolls/puppets and masks as part of: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Modern realism
B) Folk theatre techniques
C) Epic narration only
D) Purely lyrical style
Ans: B) Folk theatre techniques
15. “Hayavadana” explores the conflict between: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Mind and body
B) Sea and land
C) Past and future only
D) Myth and science only
Ans: A) Mind and body
16. Girish Karnad is best known as: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Indian dramatist and actor
B) Romantic poet
C) Victorian novelist
D) Metaphysical critic
Ans: A) Indian dramatist and actor
17. The play “Hayavadana” is often studied under: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) Indian English drama / Modern Indian drama
B) Old English poetry
C) Restoration comedy
D) Renaissance tragedy
Ans: A) Indian English drama / Modern Indian drama
18. The story of transposed heads in “Hayavadana” is also found in: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) Shakespeare’s plays
B) Thomas Mann’s “The Transposed Heads”
C) Milton’s “Paradise Lost”
D) Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock”
Ans: B) Thomas Mann’s “The Transposed Heads”
19. The play’s blend of myth and modern concerns is a hallmark of: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Karnad’s dramaturgy
B) Victorian realism
C) Romanticism
D) Neo-classicism
Ans: A) Karnad’s dramaturgy
20. The character Hayavadana’s crisis is about: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) His incomplete identity (man/horse)
B) Losing a kingdom
C) Writing poetry
D) Becoming a scientist
Ans: A) His incomplete identity (man/horse)
21. The “head vs body” debate in the play primarily questions: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) Identity and personality
B) Geography
C) Grammar rules
D) Astronomy
Ans: A) Identity and personality
22. Padmini’s attraction to Kapila suggests: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Conflict between desire and social norms
B) War strategy
C) Scientific curiosity
D) Colonial politics
Ans: A) Conflict between desire and social norms
23. The Bhagavata figure in the play functions like: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) A narrator/chorus
B) A silent observer only
C) A villain
D) A king
Ans: A) A narrator/chorus
24. The play’s theatrical mode is closest to: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Folk theatre blended with modern drama
B) Pure naturalistic realism
C) Pure Greek tragedy only
D) Pure Absurd drama only
Ans: A) Folk theatre blended with modern drama
25. The play “Hayavadana” was first published in: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) 1971
B) 1997
C) 1951
D) 2005
Ans: A) 1971
26. The play is often interpreted as exploring: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) The fragmentation of identity
B) Only patriotism
C) Only pastoral joy
D) Only romantic love
Ans: A) The fragmentation of identity
27. The final transformation of Hayavadana results in: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) A complete horse
B) A complete man
C) A king
D) A priest
Ans: A) A complete horse
28. The child in the play is associated with: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) Laughter and the restoration of normalcy
B) War destruction
C) Scientific invention
D) Colonial rule
Ans: A) Laughter and the restoration of normalcy
29. “Hayavadana” is a classic example of: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Myth reinterpreted for modern times
B) Pure realism
C) Victorian romance
D) Old English epic
Ans: A) Myth reinterpreted for modern times
30. The play raises questions about the nature of: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) Human selfhood and desire
B) Only grammar
C) Only geography
D) Only astronomy
Ans: A) Human selfhood and desire
31. The play’s use of masks and songs reflects: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Folk performance tradition
B) Victorian realism
C) Metaphysical poetry
D) Neo-classical satire
Ans: A) Folk performance tradition
32. The main philosophical issue in “Hayavadana” is: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) What constitutes a person’s identity?
B) How to conquer kingdoms?
C) How to invent machines?
D) How to write a sonnet?
Ans: A) What constitutes a person’s identity?
33. Padmini’s character is often seen as challenging: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Traditional gender roles and expectations
B) Grammar rules
C) Scientific methods
D) Romantic poetry
Ans: A) Traditional gender roles and expectations
34. “Hayavadana” blends elements of: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Myth, folk theatre, and modern concerns
B) Only realism
C) Only romance
D) Only satire
Ans: A) Myth, folk theatre, and modern concerns
35. The character Bhagavata in the play is comparable to: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) A sutradhara/narrator
B) A villain
C) A king
D) A silent priest
Ans: A) A sutradhara/narrator
36. The play’s ending suggests that: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) Absolute completeness is elusive
B) Kings always win
C) War solves problems
D) Science replaces myth
Ans: A) Absolute completeness is elusive
37. The primary setting of “Hayavadana” is a: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Mythic/legendary Indian kingdom
B) Modern London
C) Medieval France
D) Ancient Rome
Ans: A) Mythic/legendary Indian kingdom
38. “Hayavadana” is often linked to the concept of: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) The search for identity
B) The rise of nationalism only
C) Scientific revolution only
D) Romantic love only
Ans: A) The search for identity
39. The conflict between Devadatta and Kapila is intensified by: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Padmini’s desire and the head/body split
B) Colonial war
C) Sea voyage
D) Scientific invention
Ans: A) Padmini’s desire and the head/body split
40. The play is considered a hallmark of: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) Modern Indian drama
B) Victorian comedy
C) Old English poetry
D) Elizabethan tragedy only
Ans: A) Modern Indian drama
41. Girish Karnad’s plays often use: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) Myth and history to address contemporary issues
B) Only naturalistic realism
C) Only romantic lyricism
D) Only scientific themes
Ans: A) Myth and history to address contemporary issues
42. The motif of “transposed heads” creates a problem of: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Identity and rightful husband
B) Land ownership
C) Sea travel
D) Colonial rule
Ans: A) Identity and rightful husband
43. The play’s tone can be described as: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) Comic-tragic with philosophical depth
B) Purely comic
C) Purely tragic
D) Purely romantic
Ans: A) Comic-tragic with philosophical depth
44. The play can be called postcolonial because it: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Reclaims indigenous performance forms
B) Is set in England
C) Is written in Latin
D) Avoids Indian myths
Ans: A) Reclaims indigenous performance forms
45. The goddess Kali appears in the play mainly to: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Grant and complicate wishes
B) Declare war
C) Teach grammar
D) Lead a revolution
Ans: A) Grant and complicate wishes
46. The play suggests that “completeness” is: (SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) A complex, often unattainable ideal
B) Easy to achieve
C) Only physical strength
D) Only intellectual power
Ans: A) A complex, often unattainable ideal
47. “Hayavadana” is frequently used to discuss: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) Identity crisis
B) Victorian etiquette
C) Old English morphology
D) Renaissance sonnets
Ans: A) Identity crisis
48. The play’s folk style is enhanced by: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) Songs, dance, and chorus-like narration
B) Strict realism only
C) Only prose narration
D) Only silent scenes
Ans: A) Songs, dance, and chorus-like narration
49. “Hayavadana” is considered a modern classic because it: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) Blends myth, folk form, and modern questions
B) Copies Victorian realism
C) Avoids Indian themes
D) Uses only Greek myths
Ans: A) Blends myth, folk form, and modern questions
50. Overall, “Hayavadana” explores: (UGC NET 2020; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) The complexity of human identity and desire for wholeness
B) Only romantic love
C) Only colonial history
D) Only war politics
Ans: A) The complexity of human identity and desire for wholeness
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