Question

Which two sentences in the excerpt suggest that Policles loved quality music?

The Contest by Arthur Conan Doyle (adapted excerpt)
The blue-clad player struck several chords upon
his lyre, and then burst suddenly out into the "Ode of Niobe," and Policies sat straight up on his
bench and gazed at the stage in amazement. The tune demanded a rapid transition from a low note to a high, and had been purposely chosenor this reason. The low
note was a grunting, a rumble, the deep discordant growling of an ill-conditioned dog. Then suddenly the singer threw
up his face, straightened his figure, rose upon his tiptoes, and with
wagging head and scarlet cheeks emitted a howl. All the while the lyre
twanged and thrummed, sometimes in front of and sometimes behind the voice of the singer. But what amazed Policles most of all was the
effect of this performance upon the audience. Every Greek was a trained critic, and as unsparing in his hisses as he was lavish in his applause.
Many a singer far better than this absurd fop had been driven from the platform, but now, as the man stopped and wiped the abundant sweat
from his face, the whole assembly burst into a delirium of appreciation. The shepherd held his hands to his bursting head and felt that his
reason must be leaving him, for it was surely a dreadful musical nightmare, and he would wake soon and laugh at the remembrance. But no, the
figures were real, the faces were those of his neighbours, and
the theatre of Olympia. The whole chorus was in full blast,
the cheers which resounded in his ears were indeed from an audience which filled
the hummers humming, the shouters bellowing, the tappers hard at work upon the
benches, while every now and then came a musical cyclone of "Incomparable! Divine!" from the trained phalanx who intoned their applause,
their united voices sweeping over the tumult as the drone of the wind dominates the roar of the sea. It was madness-insufferable madness!
this were allowed to pass, there was an end of all musical justice in Greece. Policles' conscience would not permit him
If
his bench with waving hands and up-raised voice, he protested with
CO be still. Standing upon
all the strength of his lungs against the mad judgment of the audience.

Answer 1

Policles' astonishment and distress at the poor quality musical performance in 'The Contest' by Arthur Conan Doyle suggests he loves quality music.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Arthur Conan Doyle's adapted excerpt from The Contest, two sentences suggest that Policles loved quality music; firstly, the phrase where Policles is described as sitting 'straight up on his bench and gazed at the stage in amazement,' and secondly, the moment he 'held his hands to his bursting head and felt that his reason must be leaving him' due to the horrific performance he's witnessing. These sentences illustrate Policles' shock at the poor quality of music compared to the standard he clearly appreciates and expects.

Policles’ reaction to the performance indicates that he has refined musical tastes and finds the singer's lack of skill both astonishing and intolerable. This dismay shows his love for high-quality music, as poor execution causes him distress. The contrast between his expectations of musical proficiency and the jarring reality he experiences at the performance is a strong indicator of his appreciation for well-crafted musical artistry.