If I Were You
By Douglas James
Page 144 – Thinking about the Text
Q1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this?
→ The Intruder.
(ii) Why does he say it?
→ He says this because Gerrard listens calmly to his story instead of panicking, unlike others he had met before.
Q2. Why does the Intruder choose Gerrard as the person whose identity he wants to take on?
Because Gerrard is a playwright who lives alone in a remote house. The Intruder thinks Gerrard has few visitors, making it easy to kill him and live under his identity without being discovered.
Q3. “I said it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this?
→ Gerrard.
(ii) What does it mean?
→ It means Gerrard once defended himself by shooting at someone who tried to attack him.
(iii) What is the speaker’s profession? What does the speaker mean by this?
→ Gerrard is a playwright. He means that although he writes plays, he has also faced real-life danger, which required direct action like using bullets.
Q4. “You are lucky to have just managed to escape them.”
(i) Who says this?
→ Gerrard.
(ii) Who is he talking to, and about whom?
→ He is talking to the Intruder, about the police who are searching for him.
Q5. Why does the Intruder say, “They can’t hang me twice”?
Because he has already committed a murder. Even if he kills Gerrard too, the punishment will still be death, which he already faces.
Q6. “A mystery I propose to explain.”
What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
→ The mystery is Gerrard’s strange, reclusive lifestyle, which he claims is because he is secretly involved in criminal activities.
Q7. “This is your big surprise.”
(i) Who says this?
→ Gerrard.
(ii) What is the surprise?
→ Gerrard turns the tables on the Intruder by trapping him, disarming him, and locking him in a cupboard instead of being killed.
Extra Questions – If I Were You
Short Answer
-
Why is the play titled If I Were You?
Because the Intruder wants to impersonate Gerrard and live his life, while Gerrard cleverly imagines himself in the Intruder’s position to outwit him. -
How does Gerrard’s wit save his life?
Instead of panicking, Gerrard keeps calm, pretends to be a criminal himself, and finally traps the Intruder. -
What kind of person is Gerrard?
He is witty, courageous, quick-thinking, and humorous, even in dangerous situations.
Long Answer
Q. How does the play highlight the importance of presence of mind?
The play shows that presence of mind can save lives in critical situations. When the Intruder breaks into Gerrard’s house with the intention of killing him, Gerrard remains calm. He listens carefully, then quickly turns the situation in his favour. Instead of fighting directly, he uses his intelligence, convincing the Intruder that he too is a criminal on the run. His witty dialogue and cleverness confuse the Intruder. Finally, Gerrard seizes the opportunity, disarms him, and locks him in a cupboard. The play shows that panic and fear are useless in emergencies, but wit and presence of mind can defeat even the most dangerous threats. Gerrard’s composure, humour, and intelligence make him victorious.
Summary of If I Were You
Douglas James’s one-act play If I Were You is a witty and suspenseful drama about how intelligence can overcome brute force.
The play begins in Gerrard’s isolated cottage. Gerrard is a playwright who lives alone. Into this quiet setting enters an Intruder, a criminal on the run after murdering a policeman. Armed with a revolver, the Intruder plans to kill Gerrard and assume his identity. His logic is that Gerrard’s solitary life will allow him to hide from the law without suspicion.
The Intruder reveals his plan. He has studied Gerrard’s life and thinks it will be easy to impersonate him. He mocks Gerrard, calling him a “writer” who will make an easy victim. Confident of his plan, the Intruder feels Gerrard has no escape.
But Gerrard remains calm. Instead of panicking, he engages the Intruder in conversation. He pretends to be mysterious, claiming that he too is a criminal involved in murder. He hints that his reclusive lifestyle is to avoid the police. This confuses the Intruder, making him doubt whether Gerrard is really a simple playwright.
With quick wit, Gerrard keeps the Intruder talking until he finds the right moment. Finally, Gerrard tricks him into lowering his guard, seizes his revolver, and locks him in a cupboard. He then calls the police, successfully turning the tables.
The play ends with Gerrard’s witty remark that the Intruder’s story will make a good addition to his next play.
The play conveys several themes. It shows the importance of presence of mind and courage in the face of danger. It also highlights that wit and intelligence are stronger than violence. Gerrard’s humour, calmness, and cleverness make him victorious. The title If I Were You reflects both the Intruder’s plan to impersonate Gerrard and Gerrard’s clever reversal of the situation.
Biography – Douglas James
Douglas James (1902–1981) was a British playwright and author, best remembered for his witty one-act play If I Were You, which is studied in schools around the world.
Not much is recorded about his personal life, but his works reveal his sharp sense of humour, dramatic timing, and ability to weave suspense into everyday situations. His plays are often marked by their lighthearted approach to serious themes.
If I Were You is his most famous work. It combines comedy with crime, showing how wit and intelligence can overcome danger. The play is admired for its fast-paced dialogue, humour, and clever ending. James presents Gerrard, the playwright, as a character who uses words and intelligence to defeat the Intruder’s violence.
Douglas James wrote during the early and mid-20th century, when one-act plays were popular for both education and theatre. His style reflects this trend, focusing on sharp dialogue, limited settings, and moral lessons.
James passed away in 1981, but his legacy continues through this play, which is part of the NCERT syllabus. Students worldwide read it as an example of wit, courage, and the triumph of intelligence over brute force.