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While Reading
Language Activities
1. Research changes in the English language, especially in spelling
and pronunciation, from the 16th century to present day.
2. Create a translation of Hugh Latimer's letter at the Preface of
the Signet Classic edition of The Prince and the Pauper, using
standard English.
3. Compare the differences in spelling, and develop spelling rules
for 16th-century England. Write a note to their friends using these rules.
4. Discuss the importance of Latin in the workings of British government
and in the everyday life of British royalty.
Research Activities
1. Research the House of Tudor. This novel involves four characters
who served as rulers of England: Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey, Mary, and
Edward VI. What were their reputations as rulers?
2. What role did the Duke of Norfolk have in the reign of Henry VIII?
Why is he an important figure?
3. What kind of life did common people of 16th-century England lead?
What recreational activities did they have? What kind of professions existed
during this time? What were living conditions like?
4. Research punishments of 16th-century England. Why would this be
an important part of common life?
Thematic Activities
1. What role does punishment play in the lives of people today? How
does it vary from one country to another? Iraq? USA? China?
2. How much and what kinds of differences are there between the lives
of the "rich and famous" and ordinary people? Are they treated equally
in our courts?
3. Given the opportunity, who would you like to trade places with
for one day? What would you do? Why would you want to make this switch?
How would that person fit into your world?
4. What current stereotypes of different socioeconomic classes exist?
Role-play each stereotype and give examples of how the media perpetuate
them.
CHAPTER 1
Summary
Tom Canty, London pauper, is born on the same day as Edward (VI) Tudor.
Edward is born with much celebration, yet Tom's birth is only a burden
to his poor family.
Questions
1. What are some ways that Twain highlights the differences between
the two boys?
2. What purpose does Twain have in comparing the two babies?
3. Why is this chapter so short? What effect does its shortness have
on the reader?
Vocabulary
• pauper (15)
CHAPTER 2
Summary
Tom Canty lives on Offal Court with his mother, abusive and drunken
father and grandmother, and his 15-year-old twin sisters Bet and Nan.
Tom's mother is a beggar, and his father, a thief. Tom begs enough to
get by, but his only escape from his extreme poverty is through reading,
taught to him along with writing and Latin, by Father Andrew, the local
priest.
Imagination and reading books give him another life besides starvation.
Reading makes Tom act like a prince, in making wise suggestions and in
his courtly speaking skills. He is admired as a hero to all except those
in his own family. Tom sustains daily beatings but develops his own imaginary
court to cope with his surroundings. The brutal reality of his life, contrasted
with his vivid imagination, leads to bitterness and heartbreak.
Historical Notes
• Both Pudding Lane and Offal Court have to do with entrails.
Pudding Lane is a factual place in London, the starting point of the Great
Fire of London in 1666. • During the 1530s and 40s, Henry VIII dissolved
the monasteries and sold their lands to supply the royal coffers. •
Begging licenses were only given to the elderly and the sick during Henry
VIII's reign. Anyone without a license was subject to terms in the stocks,
whipping, having their ears cut off, and, for repeat offenders, death
by hanging. • Cheapside, during the time of Henry VIII, served as
a commercial center in London. Fairs and public punishment were common
sights here. • In this chapter Tom Canty observes Anne Askew, who
refused to recant her heretical rejection of the doctrine of transubstantiation,
burned at the stake. Henry VIII had made acceptance of the doctrine of
transubstantiation law during his reign.
Questions
1. What does offal mean? How does Twain's use of this word in naming
where Tom Canty lives fit Canty's situation?
2. How can reading affect someone's personality? How can reading take
a person beyond their station in life? How does reading affect Tom's personality?
3. What kinds of "escapes" do people resort to today? How do they
affect their outlook on their world? What is Tom's escape? How does it
affect his outlook?
Vocabulary
• stealthily (17)
• mendicancy (17)
• stringent (17)
• lament (18)
• forlorn (19)
• cuffing (19)
• obeisances (19)
• sordidness (20)
Activities
1. Keep a diary showing Tom's changes in language, personality, and
outlook from Father Andrew's perspective.
2. Research the types of "entertainment" Tom experiences while at
Cheapside on page 18 in the Signet Classic edition.
CHAPTER 3
Summary
Tom wanders away from home and finds himself at the palace. He catches
a glimpse of the prince and begins staring. A soldier grabs Tom and throws
him aside. The prince sees the soldier's rudeness and invites Tom in to
eat. They compare lives and Edward gets so excited about Tom's "adventurous"
life that he offers to exchange places with him.
They change clothes and realize the similarity in appearance. Edward
notices a bruise on Tom's hand where the guard had grabbed him, and runs
off to reprimand the guard. The guard opens the gate and boxes Edward
on the ears, thinking he is the beggar Tom. Edward cries, "I am the Prince
of Wales" and is mocked for it all the way down the road.
Questions
1. What are some of the similarities between Tom's and Edward's lives?
What is Twain's purpose in highlighting these?
2. Why is Edward so excited about Tom's life? What makes it appealing
to him?
3. What is the divine right of kings? Why is it ironic, then, that
the guard mistakes Edward for the pauper Tom?
Historical Note
• The Punch and Judy shows that Tom observes are an anachronism.
With its origins in Italy, the shows only reached England after 1688.
In the shows, Punch is a "hook-nosed puppet who beats his wife Judy to
death, strangles his child, kills his dog, and brutalizes several other
characters, all in a grotesquely comical fashion."
Vocabulary
• sauntered (21) • halberds (22): combination spear and
battle-ax • mayhap (23) • prithee (24) • raiment (24)
• lackeys (24) • enow (24) • cofferer (24) • maltreated
(26)
Activities
1. Draw a picture of the palace as described by Twain (21). 2. Compare
Lady Jane Grey's and Mary's characters to their reputations as rulers
of England (24). Who would be the better monarch? Why? 3. Language mini
lesson: Translate Edward's courtly words into modern English and develop
modern definitions for the courtly expressions.
• "Thy pardon, I had not meant to laugh. But thy good Nan and
thy Bet shall have raiment and lackeys enow, and that soon too; my cofferer
shall look to it. No, thank me not; 'tis nothing. Thou speakest well;
thou has an easy grace in it. Art learned?"(24) • "Marry, that would
not I mislike. Tell me more" (25). • "Oh, prithee say no more; 'tis
glorious? If that I could but clothe me in raiment like to thine, and
strip my feet, and revel in the mud once, just once, with none to rebuke
me or forbid, meseemeth I could forgo the crown!" (25) • "Oho, wouldst
like it? Then so shall it be. Doff thy rags and don these splendors, lad!
It is a brief happiness, but will be not less keen for that. We will have
it while we may, and change again before any come to molest." (25).
Quotation
"The soldiers presented arms with their halberds, opened the gates,
and presented again as the little Prince of Poverty passed in, in his
fluttering rags, to join hands with the Prince of Limitless Plenty." (22).
CHAPTERS 4 and 5
Summaries
Chapter 4: Edward is alone in the city he knows nothing about. When
he comes upon some apprentices from Christ's Hospital who mock him, he
goes for his sword and is mocked further because he doesn't have one.
Edward challenges one of the boys and is torn to shreds. After the fight
he remembers Tom's talk of Offal Court and hopes to get there before he
drops of exhaustion. John Canty comes across Edward and cuffs him for
Tom's being away so long. Edward is relieved that someone has come to
take him back to the castle; Canty thinks "Tom" is being uppity.
Chapter 5: Tom thinks the servants mock him when they leap to his
service. When Lady Jane Grey enters, he begs her to help him. She thinks
he's crazy. King Henry agrees that "Edward" is unwell, especially when
Tom insists on telling the truth. When the king asks him questions in
Latin, Tom answers poorly, but in Latin, and doctors say it's indicative
of his state of mind. When the king asks questions in French, which Tom
doesn't know, his inability to reply shocks the king. The king remains
convinced, however, that "Edward" will reign after the king dies. Tom/"Edward"
is sent to his uncle, the Earl of Hertford.
Historical Notes
• A gibbet is a gallows that has a post with a "projecting arm"
on which the bodies of executed criminals were hung for display. •
"Tom O'Bedlam" is a nickname for a resident of the Hospital of St. Mary
of Bethlehem, an insane asylum in London. "Bedlam" is a shortening of
Bethlehem; therefore "Tom O'Bedlam" is another way of calling someone
a lunatic.
Questions
1. How does Edward's perspective of his father bring irony to the
situation at Grey Friar's Church in Chapter 4?
2. How does Edward's reaction to John Canty lend humor to his situation?
3. How do appearances affect the way both Edward and Tom are treated?
How do they react to the way they are treated? How do "clothes make the
man" in today's society? How do people react to outward appearances?
4. How does Twain inject humor into the situation of both boys? How
does honesty play into that humor?
5. Why do both boys feel trapped? Find examples of this in both chapters.
6. How is nobility shown as pompous in these chapters? What does this
seem to say about democracy?
Vocabulary
• sally (28) • homage (28) • besmirched (29) •
squalid (29) • ruffian (29) • profaned (29) • stupefied
(30) • vermin (30) • trifling (32) • supplicating (32)
• sheweth (34) • baleful (35) • attainted (35)
Quotation
"Thou the king? Then I am undone indeed!" (33)
Activities
1. Language mini lesson: Twain has an excellent ear. Read a few Twain
short stories or excerpts from Twain's autobiography to sample the skill
Twain exhibits with language. What similarities are there in styles and
themes between Twain's other works and The Prince and the Pauper?
2. Research the classical education of nobility. What is the nobility
required to know? 3. Compare Twain's description of Henry VIII (33) with
portraits done of him. What was Henry VIII's cause of death? 4. Research
the Duke of Norfolk's death. What happened to enemies of the crown in
Henry VIII's day? 5. Research Henry VIII's relationship with the Catholic
church.
CHAPTER 6
Summary
Tom is present at a council meeting of all the nobility and has no
idea how to proceed. The Lord St. John asks that everyone else be dismissed
except for Hertford, St. John, and the "prince." When the others leave,
St. John discusses the king's plan to help keep Tom out of the public
eye, on account of his "illness." Hertford passes word of this on to Edward's
sisters, and St. John covers for him on many issues of propriety. Lady
Jane speaks to Tom in Greek, but he cannot understand, and Elizabeth covers
for him by replying.
At the king's banquet, Hertford and St. John cover for Tom most of
the evening and prompt him to leave when things get too rough. The guardians
then discuss "Edward's" madness, and the effect madness has had on the
crown in history. St. John has misgivings about Tom actually being the
prince. Hertford doubts Tom as well, but because he feels that most impostors
would be demanding that they were the prince, he attributes Tom's behavior
to madness.
Questions
1. What comment is Twain making about royal life in this chapter?
Who makes the decisions?
2. Why is English royalty so dependent upon ceremony? Find examples
of rituals/protocol in this chapter and explain the importance of each.
To what extent are they necessary? Why do they exist?
3. Why does Tom insist he is not the prince? What does this show about
his character? Why do others not believe him?
Vocabulary
• vigilant (40) • giddy (41) • exaltation (44)
Quotation
"They felt much as if they were piloting a great ship through a dangerous
channel; they were on alert constantly, and found their office no child's
play." (41)
CHAPTER 7
Summary
Tom goes through the ordeal of getting prepared for dinner. He makes
mistakes natural to someone who has not learned courtly manners, which
confirms the rumors of "Edward's" illness. Tom's nose itch is treated
like a minor crisis; he knows he is not to scratch it himself. Tom drinks
the finger bowl and leaves before the blessing.
In his chambers he tries on a suit of armor and cracks nuts that he
stole from the dinner table. He finds a collection of books, one on the
etiquette of the English court, and begins to read.
Questions
1. Why does Twain spend such a long time detailing the process of
getting prepared for dinner? Why are so many servants present?
2. What are the "Grand Hereditaries"? What purpose do they serve?
For what purpose does Twain include them?
3. Why hasn't Twain written about Edward in these last few chapters?
How do these chapters illuminate Edward's background and character, even
though he's not there?
Vocabulary
• vagaries (46) • sumptuous (48) • zeal (48)
Activities
1. Research a typical meal for English royalty versus a typical meal
for English commoners. Note that Twain mentions that lettuce and turnips
are new delicacies (46). What else would be "new" to the English table
during the 1500s? 2. Rewrite the chapter as if Edward had been present.
What would he have done "correctly," according to royal table manners?
3. Etiquette mini lesson: Research proper table manners and conduct a
"tea" with students applying their newfound knowledge. 4. Semicolon mini
lesson: Twain uses the semicolon frequently in dialogue throughout this
chapter. Have students "collect" sentences using the semicolon and have
them determine the rule for the correct usage of a semicolon.
CHAPTER 8
Summary
Henry VIII realizes he is dying but wants to make sure the Duke of
Norfolk goes first. He resolves to go before Parliament to seal the warrant
but suffers a spell and is unable to go. In order for the Lord Chancellor
to carry out the king's request to see Norfolk's severed head before he
dies, the Lord Chancellor must have the Seal, which Henry gave to the
prince. Hertford goes to Tom to get the Seal, but Tom has no idea where
or what it is. The king falls asleep, and Hertford awaits the king's orders.
When the king wakes, he berates Hertford for not having carried out his
request and demands that the small, portable Seal be used to carry out
his command.
Questions
1. What is the Great Seal? What is its purpose?
2. Why is the Great Seal important to the king?
Vocabulary
• ashen (49) • pallor (49) • restoratives (49) •
wrath (50) • miter (51)
Activity
Design your own Seal to carry out your own wishes. Make it reflective
of who you are, and give it a slogan that reflects your philosophy.
CHAPTER 9
Summary
Twain describes with rich detail the wealth of the English realm,
with Tom Canty at the center of it all, clothed in the prince's garb.
Questions
1. What does the amount of description at the beginning of this chapter
accomplish? Why include Tom at the end?
2. How has Tom changed from the Tom of Offal Court?
Vocabulary
• myriads (52) • pretensions (52) • purfled with
minever (53): bordered with fur • pourpoints (53): quilted doublets
• hauts-de-chasses (53): breeches • habited (54) • doublet
(54) • hovel (54)
Activity
Write a description of the outfit that makes you feel your best in
the manner describing Tom used in this chapter.
CHAPTER 10
Summary
John Canty drags Edward into Offal Court, where he asks Edward again
to identify himself in front of his family. When Edward tells the truth,
the family is shocked and worried that "Tom's" reading has eaten away
at his mind. Edward offers to get Tom back for them if they go to the
palace.
John scoffs at "Tom" and makes fun of his airs but demands "Tom" turn
over the money he had made begging so they can pay the rent. When "Tom"
has no money, Canty and Tom's grandmother beat him, while Tom's mother
tries to protect him. Tom's mother and sisters are beaten even more fiercely
for it.
When the family goes to sleep, the sisters and Tom's mother comfort
Edward by covering him and saving food for him. Edward thanks them and
says they will be rewarded for their kindness by the king. The women are
overcome with sorrow for "Tom's" madness.
Tom's mother goes to bed with doubts as to whether this boy is really
Tom and plans a test to determine his real identity. Tom fails the test,
but she still convinces herself that the boy is Tom.
Edward wakes up and calls to his manservant, thinking his adventure
has all been a dream, and discovers it has been all too real. While he
mourns his bad fortune, a man comes to the door and tells John Canty that
the meddler Canty attacked was Father Andrew, who died as a result. Canty
and the family run off into the night to avoid arrest. The town is alive
with revelers, and Edward sees this as his chance to escape. When John
Canty is persuaded to drink from the loving cup as a salute to the Prince
of Wales, Edward escapes.
Edward immediately suspects that Tom has taken advantage of his situation
and has usurped Edward's throne. He plans to have Tom hanged for treason
as soon as Tom has had enough time to prepare himself spiritually.
Questions
1. Why does Edward correct John Canty for speaking to him directly?
2. How are Edward's and Tom's situations similar? How are they both
abused and comforted?
3. What does Father Andrew's death mean for Tom?
4. What do Edward's plans for Tom's death say about his character?
5. Why does Twain spend only one chapter on Edward's experience as
a pauper, while he spends many chapters on Tom's experience as a noble?
How does he consider his audience as he writes?
Vocabulary
• cudgel (55) • loathsome (55) • frowzy (55) •
malignant (55) • mummeries (55) • ruffianly (56) • freighted
(56) • joviality (57) • sordid (57) • interposing (57)
• infuriated (57) • eftsoons (60): soon afterwards •
spurious (61) • usurper (62)
Activities
1. Draw pictures of the Canty family based on Twain's description.
2. Where is ceremony important in our culture? Design a ceremony/celebration
you'd like to see put into our culture. Why is this needed?
Quotations
"O my poor boy! Thy foolish reading hath wrought its woeful work at
last and ta'en thy wit away. Ah! Why dids't thou cleave to it when I so
warned thee 'gainst it?" (56)
"Thou shalt not suffer for me, madam. Let these swine do their will
upon me alone." (57)
CHAPTER 11
Summary
While Tom presides at a sumptuous banquet, Edward pounds on the gates
of Guildhall, denouncing Tom as a fraud and proclaiming that he, Edward,
is the rightful prince. Miles Hendon defends Edward from the crowd, but,
as it seems he will lose, a messenger from the palace declares King Henry
VIII is dead, and Tom is proclaimed king. His first act as king is to
free the Duke of Norfolk.
Questions
1. How are Tom's and the nobles' view of London different from the
one Edward experiences as a pauper?
2. How does Tom's partaking of the loving cup in the court differ
from the one in the previous chapter?
3. How does Tom's first act as king reflect his character?
Vocabulary
• bawdkin (64): embroidered fabric made of woven silk and gold
thread • bawdricks (64): ornamental belts worn diagonally across
the chest • voyded (64): cut to show the garment underneath •
cannell-bone (64): collarbone • mommarye (64): mummery, or mimed
acting • taunt (65) • goad (65) • mortification (65)
• mobtide (66) • revel (66) • liege (66) • prodigious
(67)
Activity
Journal: Today is your first day as President of the United States.
What do you do?
CHAPTER 12
Summary
Miles Hendon and Edward make use of the announcement to escape from
the mob. Edward realizes he's the king. As Hendon and Edward reach Hendon's
lodgings, Canty shows up to reclaim the boy. Hendon defends the boy against
Canty and takes him into his home and vows to take care of him.
After hearing Miles' story, Edward vows to clear Miles' name and proceeds
to tell his own tale of misfortune. Miles still thinks Edward is crazy
and vows to help him regain his health. Edward offers Miles his choice
of rewards for saving him from the crowd.
Historical Note
• The practice of displaying the decapitated heads of treasoners
on London Bridge began in the late 14th century and was not discontinued
until the late 17th century.
Questions
1. Why does Miles Hendon take such good care of Edward even though
he doesn't think Edward is the king?
2. Why does Edward expect to be waited on? How does Miles react to
Edward's expectations?
3. Why does Miles ask to sit in the presence of the king? Why is that
a huge privilege?
4. Miles Hendon may well be Mark Twain's homage to Cervantes' Don
Quixote de la Mancha. Discuss how each of these authors uses the courtly
tradition for ironic and humanistic ends.
Vocabulary
• waif (68) • soliloquizing (71) • ablutions (72)
• alacrity (72) • covetous (73) • raiment (74)
Activities
1. Research the legends of London Bridge and the uses of London Bridge
as a deterrent to treason and other crimes. 2. Discuss how notions of
deterrence have or have not changed since the time of Tudor England.
Quotations
"By the mass, the little beggar takes to one's quarters and usurps
one's bed with as natural and easy a grace as if he owned them--with never
a by-your-leave or so-please-it-you, or anything of the sort." (71).
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!"
(77)
CHAPTER 13
Summary
Edward demands that Miles help him undress and takes his bed for the
third night in a row. Miles takes pity on Edward's insanity and goes out
to buy the boy some new clothes, even though Miles doesn't have much money.
He buys clothes with holes in them, planning to stitch them up.
Miles returns to find Edward gone and discovers through a bumbling
servant that a young man accompanied by a "ruffian" came to get the boy,
claiming that Miles had sent them to get Edward. Miles realizes it is
Canty, who claims Edward is his son Tom.
Historical Note
• The Tabard in Southwark, where Miles plans to take Edward,
is most famous for being the meeting place of the pilgrims in Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales.
Questions
1. Why does Miles think bigger stitches are better? Where in our culture
do we think "bigger is better"?
2. Why is Canty so determined to get "Tom" back?
Vocabulary
• perplexity (78) • dissipated (78) • athwart (78)
• betwixt (79) • plebeian (80) • trussed (80) •
cozened (80)
Activity
Compare the scene in which Miles sews the garment up with the scene
in Huck Finn in which Huck tries to pass for a girl with Ms. Judith Loftis.
Why does Twain see humor in this sort of situation?
CHAPTER 14
Summary
Tom wakes, thinking his experiences have all been a bad dream, only
to realize that they are real. He dreams of finding twelve pennies--a
fortune--and giving them to his father without having to beg or steal
them.
He is dressed by his servants in a two-page ordeal and deals with
the affairs of state; for example, the burial of his father and the paying
of the bills. Tom is horrified that the late king will not be buried for
quite a while and that the royal household owes more than it has in its
coffers. Later in the afternoon, Edward's whipping boy Humphrey asks Tom
what will become of his family, since his services are no longer needed.
After Tom grasps the concept of "whipping boy," he vows to take his studies
back up again so that his servant will not starve.
Humphrey gives Tom enough information about Edward and his past to
help him function. The Earl of Hertford feels confident enough with "Edward"
to ask him about the whereabouts of the Great Seal. When Tom cannot answer,
Hertford realizes he is straining "Edward" too much and changes the topic.
Historical Note
• The position of Lord Protector is the most powerful man in
the kingdom.
Questions
1. How is Tom's dream ironic, given his current situation?
2. Why does Twain belabor the dressing process? How must Tom feel
about this whole experience?
3. Why is Tom's suggestion about moving the royal household to a smaller
place to deal with the financial problems scoffed at?
4. How does Tom feel about the actual ruling of a country? What statement
is Twain trying to make about government?
5. How is the whipping boy's predicament ironic?
6. What are the lords trying to show the subjects by having "Edward"
dine in public?
Vocabulary
• asunder (84) • illustrious (86) • morrow (86)
• aggrandizements (87) • brevity (88) • perplexedly
(89) • annulled (90) • peradventure (90)
Activities
1. Twain's fascination with twins extends to many "twin" experiences
with both Edward and Tom as well as the people surrounding them. Find
examples of these parallels and explain how they help highlight the irony
of their circumstances. For extended research, check also in Twain's Pudd'nhead
Wilson. 2. Compare and contrast Twain's use of "twins" with Dickens' use
in A Tale of Two Cities. 3. Research the reasons that the royal coffers
of Henry VIII would have been depleted.
CHAPTER 15
Summary
Royalty from abroad arrive to honor "Edward's" crowning on the third
day of Tom's kingship. He worries about the fourth day, since he has to
dine in public and appoint Hertford as the Lord Protector. A riot breaks
out the fourth day because of the impending execution of a man, a woman,
and a young girl. Tom commands that they be brought forward and learns
that the man is accused of poisoning another man, and the woman and girl
are accused of witchcraft.
Tom recognizes the man as the one who rescued Giles Witt from the
Thames on New Year's Day at eleven o'clock. Since the poisoning was proven
by being foretold by witchcraft, he sentences the man to death; but the
man proves his innocence by providing the alibi of the Thames rescue,
which took place at the same time as the poisoning. Tom sets him free.
The accused witches are said to have caused a storm by pulling off
their stockings. Because the woman's home was destroyed by the storm as
well, because the young girl could not enter a contract with the devil
by English law, and because the woman could not create a storm on command,
Tom frees the two. The crowd cheers his judgments, and "Edward's" popularity
soars among the kingdom.
Questions
1. Tom feels more and more a captive as king than he did as a pauper.
What does this signify?
2. What do Tom's wise judgments say about democracy?
Vocabulary
• fettered (93) • dreariness (94) • durst (95) •
forebore (95) • indecorum (98) • wending (99) • cataclysm
(101)
Activities
1. Research witchcraft trials of 1500s England. How could an accused
witch be freed? 2. Compare and contrast the witchcraft trials in Pauper
to those found in Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
CHAPTER 16
Summary
Day Four: The dinner hour nears. Twain describes in great detail the
preparation for the public meal. Tom eats successfully and thinks he'd
gladly endure public scrutiny, since it freed him from the heavy duty
of ruling for a while.
Questions
1. Why does Twain frequently take the reader "behind the scenes"?
What does he accomplish by doing this?
2. What is the purpose of the royal taster?
3. What do paupers have in common with royalty?
Vocabulary
• peals (104) • blithe (104) • formidable (105)
Activity
How do public figures dispel rumors? Find examples of famous people
who tried to repair bad reputations. To what extent were they successful?
Quotation
"He seated himself at table without removing his cap, and did it without
the least embarrassment, for to eat with one's cap on was the one solitary
royal custom upon which the kings and the Cantys met upon common ground,
neither party having any advantage over the other in the matter of old
familiarity with it."(104).
CHAPTER 17
Summary
Miles follows the trail, now cold. A ruffian with his left arm in
a sling, a green patch over one eye, and a limp and a staff to help him
walk, follows behind a youth and Edward. The youth, named Hugo, says that
Hendon has been hurt and needs Edward's help. Edward rushes toward the
forest and finds a burnt farmhouse with a dilapidated barn. When he asks
where Miles is, both men laugh at him. Mr. Canty reveals himself to Edward
and confesses that he's murdered the priest and is on the lam, disguised
as Hobbs. Homesick, Edward falls asleep. When he awakes, he sees a fire
in the barn, which is surrounded by a large group of more ruffians and
criminal types, drunk and singing rowdy songs.
Canty has rejoined the gang after many years, and the gang approves
of his accidental murder of the priest. An escaped slave branded with
an S on his cheek comes forward, seeking refuge in the gang. If the authorities
find him, he will be hanged. Edward becomes indignant about the slave
law and comes forth as king, saying that will never happen now that he
is king. Edward is laughed at, and Canty/"Hobbs" explains that "Tom" (now
"Jack") has lost his mind. Edward tells John he'll hang for his crime,
and John attacks him. The Ruffler, the chief of the gang, saves the king
and wins Edward's approval by acknowledging his loyalty to the king. Edward
thanks them, but the Ruffler tells him to take another name. Someone suggests
"Foo-foo the First, king of the Mooncalves," and it sticks. The rest of
the evening is spent making fun of Edward through mock worship.
Historical Notes
• Henry VIII passed a law that consolidated the professions
of the barber and the surgeon in order to better regulate both professions
and to prevent surgeons from accidentally infecting their barbering customers
after contact with seriously ill people. • "Dick Dot-and-Go-One,"
according to Francis Grose's Dictionary, is a nickname for people who
have one leg shorter than the other, who tend to "waddle." • Twain's
use of yokel in this chapter is an anachronism.
Questions
1. Why does Twain go back to Edward's story at this point?
2. What is honorable among this group of thieves?
3. How are disguises used in this novel? How are multiple identities/aliases
useful to Twain's characters? In other Twain works?
Vocabulary
• famished (106) • sirrah (107): sir; an address to those
of a lower status • traversed (107) • prating (107) •
budges (110): clothes-stealers • bulks and files (110): pickpockets
and their mates • clapperdogeons (110): born beggars • maunders
(110): beggars • dells, doxies, morts (110): women • proffered
(114)
Activities
1. Language mini lesson: Learn Cockney rhyming talk used by gangs
to avoid being detected by police. Try to create your own slang code.
2. Taking the perspective of one of the characters, create a rap using
as many of the older English expressions as you can. How is modern rap
similar to Cockney rhyming talk?
3. Translate the quotation from the Ruffler into modern, standard
English. "Five and twenty sturdy budges, bulks, files, clapperdogeons
and maunders, counting the dells and doxies and other morts." (110).
CHAPTER 18
Summary
The Ruffler puts "Jack" in Hugo's charge while the gang invades a
farmhouse, making the family serve them. Hugo takes "Jack" begging. The
king refuses, so Hugo tells him to play decoy while he begs. Hugo writhes
on the ground, but when a kindly stranger comes near and offers money
and assistance to Edward's "brother," the king denies that they are related.
He tells the stranger to "heal" Hugo by hitting him with a staff. Hugo
runs off, and Edward is turned away at all of the farmhouses he stops
by. He finally hides in a barn, taking a horse blanket to sleep on. He
wakes up several times during the night thinking a corpse has been laid
next to him, only to find a calf snuggled close.
Questions
1. What does Edward discover about the life of a peasant?
2. Why does Edward feel so peaceful with the calf?
Vocabulary
• petulant (115) • ribald (115) • epithets (115)
• levy (119)
Activities
1. Make "Wanted" posters for Canty/"Hobbs," the Ruffler, Hugo, or
any of the other gang members. Make sure to include a picture as well
as a list of their crimes. 2. Compare 16th-century attitudes toward begging
to today's attitudes.
CHAPTER 19
Summary
Edward is discovered by two children. When he tells them he is the
king, they believe him, but their mother considers him mad and takes pity
on him. Still, she tries to find ways to make him tell the truth. Finally
convinced he must have helped in the palace kitchen, she orders him to
cook for them. He agrees, since King Alfred once did the same. He gets
a tongue-lashing when he lets the dish burn. Because of their mutual embarrassment
at their behavior, both drop their expectations--his for royal treatment,
hers to treat him like a beggar. He agrees to wash the dishes and numerous
other chores, again citing Alfred the Great's example, until he sees Hugo
and Canty come to the door. Edward escapes.
Questions
1. Why do the children believe Edward, though the adults do not?
2. What is ironic in the way Edward and the farmwife treat each other?
3. Why does Edward decide to perform the menial tasks?
Vocabulary
• demented (123) • holpen (124): help • sagacity
(125) • cordial (125) • staggerer (125)
Activity
Compare the reigns of Edward VI with Alfred the Great, the West-Saxon
ruler. What are the similarities?
Quotations
"When I am come to mine own again, I will always honor little children,
remembering how that these trusted me and believed in me in my time of
trouble, whilst they that were older thought themselves wiser mocked at
me and held me for a liar." (123).
"It does us all good to unbend sometimes." (125).
CHAPTER 20
Summary
Edward meets a hermit who thinks himself an archangel. He believes
Edward is king, but has forsaken the crown for a life of prayer. After
learning Henry VIII is dead, the mad hermit ties up the sleeping Edward,
intending to kill him because Henry VIII did not make the hermit pope.
Questions
1. Look at the changes Henry VIII made in the relationship between
the throne and the church during his reign. Why would the hermit be angry
at the king?
2. What is Edward's attitude towards the hermit's tale?
Vocabulary
• mortification (128) • archangel (129) • apprehensions
(129) • venomous (130) • hovel (132)
Activity
Investigate the effects of the separation of church and state during
Henry VIII's reign.
CHAPTER 21
Summary
The hermit whets his knife, preparing to kill Edward. Miles Hendon
enters the hovel, and the hermit tells Miles that he has sent Edward on
an errand. Miles realizes the hermit has lied when the hermit tells Miles
he's an archangel. Miles waits until he decides that Edward has become
lost. The hermit offers to help find him, but both are beaten by Canty
and Hugo, who "rescue" Edward.
Question
How does Miles know that the hermit has lied about Edward being sent
on an errand? Why is he so easily deceived?
Vocabulary
• whetted (133) • placidly (133) • inarticulate
(134) • palter (134) • vagrant (134) • complaisance
(135)
CHAPTER 22
Summary
Now that Edward is back with the gang, Hugo "tortures" the king by
stepping on his toes. King Edward beats him in a quarterstaff fight and
gains the respect of the rest of the gang, earning the nickname "king
of Gamecocks." Hugo feels vengeful toward Edward and puts a "clime" on
Edward's leg to torture him while making him beg. The slave from Chapter
17 strips Edward's bandage off because of Edward's kindness toward him.
The Ruffler appoints him to steal instead of beg, a worse punishment for
Edward.
Hugo is happy; now that Edward has to steal, he plans to get Edward
arrested. Hugo steals a bundle from a woman, passes it off to Edward,
and runs off. Edward drops it, but the woman sees him and catches him.
The crowd wants to thrash him, but he is saved by Miles, who tells the
crowd to leave it to the law.
Questions
1. Why is Hugo so intent on destroying Edward?
2. Why is Edward so bent against begging or stealing? What does that
say about his character?
Vocabulary
• annulled (138) • unslaked (139) • cudgel (139)
• mendicant (140) • stealthily (140) • pilfering (141)
• tirade (141) • paltry (141)
Activities
1. Develop a "Crook's Cookbook" of tricks and scams, including a recipe
for a clime. 2. Write a diary from Hugo's point of view explaining why
he hates Edward so much.
CHAPTER 23
Summary
Miles tells Edward to be quiet so he can get out of the situation.
When the constable comes forward to take Edward, Miles goes with them.
In court, Edward is accused and found guilty. The contents of the bundle
is a fattened, dressed pig worth three shillings and eightpence. The law
states that the penalty for any stolen goods valued over 13 pence is hanging.
The woman changes the total value to eightpence to save Edward. The constable
follows the woman out of court and forces her to sell him the pig for
eightpence or else suffer blackmail because she changed the value. Edward
is astonished to be sentenced to a short imprisonment and a public flogging.
Hendon advises him to stay calm and to let God's will happen.
Historical Note
• Henry VIII debased British currency by reducing the amount
of silver in coins in order to reduce debts incurred in war and personal
extravagance.
Question
1. What is Twain's intent in showing the blackmailing scene between
the constable and the woman?
Vocabulary
• abate (144) • consternation (144) • decorum (144)
Activity
Find examples of current events in which lawmakers or law enforcers
do not abide by the rules.
CHAPTER 24 Summary
Hendon blackmails the constable about the pig purchase to let Edward
escape. When the constable says it was a joke, Hendon says he'll ask the
judge if it seems like a joke. Hendon names the constable's crime, "Non
compos mentis lex talionis sic transit gloria mundi," which, literally
translated, means "Not of sound mind law of retaliation thus passes away
the glory of the world"in other words, gobbledygook. The constable believes
it. Miles adds, "Ad hominem expurgatis in statu quo" (To the man you cleanse
in the existing state) for good measure.
Question
1. What does the crime Hendon cites literally mean? How does this
add to the humor of the situation? What does this say about Hendon's education?
About the constable's education?
Vocabulary
• indifference (146) • Ods body! (147)
Activity
Journal: Tell about a time you smooth-talked your way out of a sticky
situation or that you were able to use your intelligence to your advantage.
CHAPTER 25
Summary
Out of town, Hendon waits on the king. Hendon tells Edward the hermit's
sorrow at the king's escape, and the king tells him his side of the story.
Hendon brags about Hendon Hall and its servants, thinking the king will
be impressed. When Miles finally sees his brother Hugh, Hugh doesn't recognize
Miles and says he received a letter saying Miles is dead.
Miles learns that his father and brother Arthur have died; his love,
Edith, doesn't recognize him; and neither do the servants (with 22 honest
ones gone, only five "villains" remain), so no one is there to verify
his identity. In Miles' absence, Hugh has married Edith. Miles is furious,
thinking Hugh wrote the letter himself and usurped Miles' wife and land.
Hugh warns Miles it's useless to escape the area. Miles scoffs at him,
saying the land belongs to him, and he will not leave. Edward realizes
Miles' predicament and believes his claim.
Questions
1. Why does Miles believe the hermit so easily, yet the king so reluctantly?
2. How is this ironic in his Miles' own situation?
3. What purpose does Twain have in pairing Miles and Edward? Is there
anyone similar who mentors Tom?
Vocabulary
• blithely (149) • prodigal (152) • dissent (152)
• fervency (153)
Quotations
"Mind not thy mischance, good man, there be others in the world whose
identity is denied and whose claims are derided. Thou hast company." (153)
"For Miles Hendon is master of Hendon Hall and all its belongings.
He will remain; doubt it not." (155)
Activities
1. Review Chapter 12 to recall Miles' background. 2. Construct the
letter Hugh "received" telling him of Miles' death. 3. Write a script
telling about the Hendon family's reaction to the news of Miles' death.
CHAPTER 26
Summary
The king finds it odd that he's not missed. He writes a letter in
English, Greek, and Latin to give to his uncle Hertford to reinstate himself.
Hendon wants to work on his own dilemma, but the king says that his way,
Hendon will get vindicated faster. Hendon holds onto the letter instead
of delivering it, thinking that Edward is still deranged. Hendon thinks
Edward does sound like a king, but still thinks his writing in Latin and
Greek must be gibberish.
Hendon thinks about Edith's reception, uncertain whether she recognized
him or not. Edith warns Miles that he is in danger and that he would be
in danger even if he were the real Miles. Hugh's power, she says, is so
great that he could deny and denounce Miles and no one would be bold enough
to recognize him. Edith's marriage makes her a prisoner. She tells him
to go and gives him money but still denies his identity. He tries to leave,
but it is too late. Hendon and the king are taken to prison.
Questions
1. Does Edith recognize Miles? Why or why not?
2. How could Edward's letter help clear up his identity?
Vocabulary
• compulsion (157) • peradventure (157) • tinge
(158) • fettered (158) • perchance (158) • give you
countenance (158): to recognize
Activity
Write an entry for Edith's diary showing what you believe her true
feelings are about Miles' identity.
CHAPTER 27
Summary
Edward and Miles experience jail life. A man almost murders a woman
their first night there. The prisoners call Hendon "the impostor," recalling
Edward's "Foo-foo the First" from his gang experience. The jailer brings
old family servant Blake Andrews to acknowledge Miles, but Andrews denies
Miles. The jailer says Miles will hang, and he and Andrews joke and laugh.
When the jailer leaves, Andrews acknowledges Miles and helps him by smuggling
in food. Miles reserves the best morsels for the king, who cannot eat
jail food.
Andrews tells the family story to Miles: When Arthur died six years
ago, Miles' father wanted Hugh and Edith to marry, but Edith held out
for Miles. When the letter arrived with news of Miles' death, she held
out for another three months, then married Hugh by Richard's deathbed.
Andrews tells Miles the rumor that Edith found drafts of the death letter
among Hugh's things. Hugh has been evil to everyone in the meantime.
The king is befriended by two women imprisoned for minor offenses.
He is happy to find them absent from the cell in the morning, believing
they have been freed. He and the other prisoners are led outside to witness
the women being burned at the stake.
Questions
1. How does Miles' prison identity relate to Edward's experiences?
2. Who are the villains of this novel? Why are they villains?
3. Who are the heroes of this novel? What makes them heroic?
Vocabulary
• trifling (160) • taciturn (160) • carousing (161)
• repudiate (161)
Activity
Draw a picture of Blake Andrews based on the Twain's description of
his appearance and character.
CHAPTER 28
Summary
Still in prison, Miles is punished for his bad attitude, and the king
almost gets put in the stocks. Hendon is put into stocks, and eggs are
thrown at him. The king tries to defend Hendon, but Hendon protects the
king by saying he's mad and takes Edward's lashes without a word. The
king is thankful and dubs Hendon Earl. Hendon looks at the situation with
irony, but sees love behind the gesture. The other prisoners, as a tribute
to his bravery, no longer joke about Hendon being "the impostor," and
they thrash a prisoner who teases him unknowingly.
Historical Note
• The allusion to the king being scourged in this chapter refers
to Henry II, who was scourged at the tomb of Thomas à Becket in 1174
as penance for inspiring Becket's murder. Becket had stopped Henry from
extending his power to control the Catholic Church in England.
Questions
1. What are the stocks?
2. Twain often shows criminals and other lowly people with a remarkable
sensitivity for what is good and right. Find examples of this from events
in the novel. What point is Twain making?
3. Why is Edward's gesture touching to Miles Hendon, if he doesn't
believe Edward is king?
Vocabulary
• pillory (169) • vagabond (169) • rabble (169)
• sardonic (170) • magnanimous (170) • scourge (171)
• gibes (171)
Quotation
"Now am I finely tinseled indeed! The specter knight of the Kingdom
of Dreams and Shadows is become a specter earl!" (171)
Activity
Make a model of a stockade and show why this served as punishment for
such a long time.
CHAPTER 29
Summary
Hendon is released from the stocks, and he and Edward are set free.
Miles considers going to London to ask help from the king. He remembers
Sir Humphrey Marlow, a friend of his father's, and hopes to get help from
him. Hendon asks Edward where they're going, out of respectful concern
that the boy may not want to go back to London. The king answers, "To
London!" and Hendon is surprised. As the two cross London Bridge again,
a decaying head falls at their feet. They are surrounded by Londoners
who fight, drink, and celebrate for Coronation Day.
Question
1. Why is it ironic that Miles is going to get help from the king
in London?
Activity
Research the children's song, "London Bridge is Falling Down." What
is the history behind this song?
CHAPTER 30
Summary
Tom has finally learned to enjoy his royalty. His whipping boy Humphrey
is making a profit and giving orders is becoming more familiar. Tom orders
special clothes and triples the servant staff. He still fights against
unjust laws and develops skill at giving fearful looks to dissenters.
When his "sister" Mary reminds him sternly of how full Henry VIII's prisons
used to be, he commands her to pray to remove the stone that was her heart.
Tom recalls the true king and his own family at times, but largely forgets
where he comes from. Twain juxtaposes Tom's luxurious situation with Edward's
harder one.
Questions
1. If Humphrey the whipping boy is making a profit, what does that
mean?
2. If Tom's rule is supposed to represent democracy, how does this
chapter fit into Twain's view of politics (and democracy)?
3. In previous chapters, Twain kept the boys separate. Why does he
choose to juxtapose their situations now?
Vocabulary
• derided (175) • lofty (175) • adulation (176)
• salaaming (176) • zeal (176) • penury (176)
Activity
Create a collage that shows the differences in the two boys' experiences
during their "experiment," including the changes in their personalities
and ways of thinking.
CHAPTER 31
Summary
In the pomp and circumstance of his coronation parade, Tom enjoys
the good will of the people and thanks them. He sees folks from Offal
Court and wants them to recognize him (but not a true recognition; he
wants them to see him as king). He sees his mother, who does recognize
who he truly is, but Tom denies her. Tom comes full circle; once again,
he feels held captive, and his face shows his sorrow. Lord Protector (Hertford)
tells him to cheer up because he's affecting the crowds. Tom fakes it
but admits privately the pauper woman is his mother. The Lord Protector
thinks "Edward's" mad again.
Questions
1. What is recognition? How does Twain use recognition in this chapter?
2. Why does Tom deny his mother?
3. Why does he feel like a captive again after he denies his mother?
4. Why is it so important for the king to portray a happy image?
Vocabulary
• thither (178) • venerable (178) • largess (180)
Activities
1. Journal: Describe a time you wanted to be recognized as something
you weren't. How did it feel when you got that recognition? If you weren't
recognized, how did that feel?
2. Draw a picture of the variety of responses Tom has toward the experience
of royalty as the story unfolds.
Quotations
"His grandeurs were stricken valueless; they seemed to fall away from
him like rotten rags." (181)
"Royalty had lost its grace and sweetness; its pomps were become a
reproach."(181)
"Would God I were free of my captivity." (181)
CHAPTER 32
Summary
Twain shows the scene before the coronation: preparation, richness,
dreaminess. As Tom approaches the throne, he grows paler with woe, despondency,
guilt, and remorse. As the Archbishop of Canterbury holds the crown over
his head, all the visiting royals lift their coronets and poise them over
their heads.
The true king appears, forbidding the crowning. Tom agrees hastily,
but the Lord Protector orders guards to take the real Edward away. Tom
prevents them, swearing loyalty to Edward. The duke questions the king,
and Edward answers perfectly. The Lord Protector says Tom can do the same,
so his answers do not prove anything; but then he remembers the Great
Seal.
Edward tells about the secret compartment in his room. Lord St. John
goes to get it, but the Seal is not there. The Lord Protector calls for
the king to be scourged, but Tom holds him off. Lord St. John is perplexed
and thinks aloud that it is amazing how such a bulky thing can go missing.
Tom immediately remembers it and knows where it is, but says he didn't
put it there. Edward can't remember, so Tom helps him by leading him through
their first meeting. Edward remembers: "in an armpiece of Milanese armor
that hangs on the wall thou'lt find the seal!" (192)
When the Seal is found, the Lord Protector wants to throw Tom into
the tower. Edward refuses, recognizing Tom as the protector of the throne.
Edward also reminds Hertford that Tom made him a duke and that, unless
he can prove he's worth it through Tom, he'll remain an earl. Edward is
crowned, and the cannons sound, recognizing the new king.
Historical Note
• The Stone of Scone mentioned in this chapter is the Stone
of Destiny, a sandstone block on which the kings of Scotland were crowned
until 1296, when Edward I brought it to England. It is incorporated with
the seat of the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey.
Questions
1. Twain makes an obvious shift with his readers in this chapter:
"Let us change the tense for convenience" (186). Identify other ways he
makes the reader aware of his presence as author in previous chapters.
2. What changes have occurred in both boys as a result of their experiences?
3. Why does Lord St. John bow to both "kings" noncommittally?
Vocabulary
• plebeian (187) • fealty (188) • obeisance (189)
• varlet (192)
Activity
Several mentions have been made of promotions in noble rank. Research
the ranks (duke, earl, etc.) and the privileges that go with each.
CHAPTER 33
Summary
Miles Hendon has been pickpocketed on London Bridge and lost Edward.
Miles tries to think like him, believing Edward will be hurt by a crowd.
He imagines rescuing Edward but cannot find him. Miles hears the cannon,
thinks the new king has been crowned, and falls asleep.
Hendon wakes up hungry and plans to meet Humphrey Marlow to borrow
money. He goes to the palace, and Humphrey recognizes Miles from the king's
description. Miles asks a message be brought to the king. Officers find
the letter from the king written in three languages, and Miles is brought
to the king.
Questions
1. Why does Miles fear mob activity?
2. What does Twain say about human nature through his demonstrations
of mob behavior throughout the novel?
3. What kinds of mob behavior are evident in our culture today?
Activity
Write the letter Edward wrote to document and verify who he was. How
would Edward argue that he is the rightful king?
CONCLUSION
Summary
We are told Hugh Hendon confessed to threatening to kill Edith if
she did not deny knowing Miles. When she refused, he threatened to kill
Miles, so she assented. Hugh was not prosecuted, but left for Europe,
where he died. Miles (now the Earl of Kent) marries Edith.
John Canty disappears. The king finds all the people who were wronged
or who helped him while he was "Tom Canty" and rewards them, and is honored
by the people of the kingdom for it.
Tom and Miles are Edward's favorites throughout his reign, and Miles
exercises his right to sit in the presence of the monarch only twice,
at the accession of Queen Mary and at the accession of Queen Elizabeth.
Later, it is known as the "privilege of the Kents."
Even though Edward's reign is only seven years long, he rules mercifully.
Tom lives to be an old man but continues to dress the part of a former
king for recognition.
Questions
1. Why did Twain choose the reign of Edward VI about which to write
his novel?
2. What qualities did the real king possess that struck him? Do such
leaders exist today?
Vocabulary
• relict (201): widow
Quotation
"What dost thou know of suffering and oppression? I and my people
know, but not thou." (203)
Activity
Write an essay comparing the real reign of Edward VI with the one
represented in the book. How factual was Twain in his representation of
the king?
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