A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Group

Question:

bigmac04
bigmac04
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In what ways is Hank the same as the nobles? What ways is he different?

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Posted by bigmac04 on Wednesday August 20, 2008 at 3:01 PM and tagged with a connecticut yankee in king arthur's court, characters, hank, nobles.

Answers:

  1. mwestwood
    mwestwood Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    The title itself, "A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," suggests the incongruity of such a man as Hank Morgan living in "Merry ol' England."

    Unlike the nobles who themselves are part of the Middle Ages, Hank Morgan is an anachronism who lacks understanding of the supersitious and naive peasants. Morgan assumes that his reforms will benefit the people without considering problems that he might create through his reforms.  For instance, he creates factories without considering how such factory work will affect the peasants.

    Hank Morgan is like the nobles in that he profits from the work of the peasants. For example, he profits from the miller-gun for dispensing currency since he himself is a gunsmith.  Arrogant, Morgan is like the nobles in his false pride. He foolishly seeks to foil Merlin by outdoing the magician's tricks; he gets the king to travel incognito and thereby makes it easier for the king to be captured.  And, like King Arthur, Hank Morgan has the tragic flaw of self-deception.  While Arthur fails to perceive the love triangle in which he is involved, Morgan flatters himself into believing that his modern ways are superior to those of the Middle Ages.  

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/connecticut-yankee/characters

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    Posted by mwestwood on Thursday September 25, 2008 at 8:39 PM