If you are looking for the Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary, you’ve come to the right place. This page gives you a simple, clear, and exam-ready explanation of T.S. Eliot’s famous poem Macavity: The Mystery Cat. You will learn about the character of Macavity, his clever tricks to escape the law, the poem’s main theme, and why this cat is known as the “Napoleon of Crime.” Whether you are preparing for your English exam or just want to understand the poem in detail, this Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary will give you everything in one place—author details, key points, and answers to common questions.
About the Author – T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888–1965) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, but later settled in England. A classicist in literature, an Anglo-Catholic in religion, and a royalist in politics, he became one of the greatest literary figures of the twentieth century. Eliot was not only a poet but also a distinguished critic and dramatist.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. His best-known poems include The Waste Land, Ash Wednesday, and Four Quartets. As a poet and spokesperson for his age, he captured the intellectual, social, and philosophical moods of his time.
The poem “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” is from his collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, which was later adapted into a hugely successful stage musical by composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Written in a light, mock-heroic vein, the poem’s charm lies in its witty rhymes, lively rhythm, and the comic portrayal of a master criminal who is, in fact, a cat.
Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary
T. S. Eliot’s Macavity: The Mystery Cat is a humorous, mock-heroic poem describing a cunning, elusive, and criminal-minded cat named Macavity.
The poet presents Macavity as a “monster of depravity”, mysterious and possessed by an evil spirit. Everyone knows that Macavity commits various crimes, but no one can ever prove it. He is never found at the scene of the crime, and the moment wrongdoing is discovered, he has already disappeared—always armed with a perfect alibi.
The poet humorously calls him “outwardly respectable,” as there is no concrete evidence against him. Even Scotland Yard’s records have no trace of his footprints. Though there are other wicked cats like Mungojerrie and Griddlebone, none match Macavity’s skill — he has never been caught.
Macavity’s crimes include stealing food, jewels, and milk, killing chickens, breaking glassware, destroying plants, stealing plans and treaties, and generally breaking every possible human law. His ability to vanish “into thin air” after his misdeeds makes him the “Napoleon of Crime”.
The poem’s humor lies in the exaggerated comparison between a harmless pet and a dangerous criminal mastermind. Through this parody, Eliot playfully mocks the style of detective fiction and the notoriety of famous criminals.
Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary In Hindi
लेखक परिचय—Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary
थॉमस स्टर्न्स एलियट (1888–1965) अमेरिका में जन्मे लेकिन इंग्लैंड में बसे एक महान कवि, निबंधकार और नाटककार थे। वे साहित्य में क्लासिकिस्ट, धर्म में एंग्लो-कैथोलिक और राजनीति में रॉयलिस्ट थे। उन्हें 1948 में साहित्य का नोबेल पुरस्कार मिला। उनकी प्रसिद्ध रचनाएँ हैं The Waste Land, Ash Wednesday और Four Quartets। उनकी कविता Macavity: The Mystery Cat उनकी पुस्तक Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats से ली गई है, जिस पर बाद में एंड्रयू लॉयड वेबर ने लोकप्रिय संगीत नाटक बनाया।
सारांश- Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary
Macavity: The Mystery Cat एक हास्यपूर्ण कविता है, जिसमें मैकैविटी नाम के एक चालाक, रहस्यमय और अपराधी बिल्ली का चित्रण है। वह हर अपराध के बाद गायब हो जाती है और हमेशा अपने लिए एक मजबूत अलीबाई तैयार रखती है। स्कॉटलैंड यार्ड तक के पास उसके खिलाफ कोई सबूत नहीं है। कवि उसे “Napoleon of Crime” कहता है। वह खाने, दूध, गहनों की चोरी से लेकर दस्तावेज़ चुराने और तोड़फोड़ तक सब कर सकती है, लेकिन कभी पकड़ी नहीं जाती। कविता में हास्य इस बात से आता है कि एक बिल्ली को एक खतरनाक अपराधी की तरह पेश किया गया है।
Answer Question: Macavity the Mystery Cat Summary
Q.1. Why is Macavity termed a ‘criminal’?
Ans. Macavity is termed a ‘criminal’ because he commits all sorts of acts related to crime. He steals milk, destroys plants, and kills chickens.
Q.2. Why does the poet call Macavity a mystery cat?
Ans. The poet calls Macavity a mystery cat because he is a master criminal who always dodges the police. Scotland Yard has never been able to catch him red-handed at the crime scene.
Q.3. ‘Macavity is never there.’ Elaborate.
Ans. The super-criminal Macavity is never to be found at the scene of a crime. After committing the crime, he vanishes. Though the police search for him, he eludes them. He is so clever that he always has an alibi.
Q.4. What is suggested by the phrase ‘powers of levitation’?
Ans. The phrase ‘power of levitation’ suggests that Macavity vanishes in thin air from the scene of the crime as if he has the magical power to rise in the air and disappear.