Rasselas (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Samuel Johnson
- First Published: 1759
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Philosophical
- Time of Work: Eighteenth century
- Setting: Abyssinia and Cairo
- Principal Characters: Rasselas, Nekayah, Pekuah, Imlac
- Genres: Long fiction, Philosophical realism
- Subjects: Africa or Africans, Philosophy or philosophers, Escapes, Marriage, Eighteenth century, Inheritance or succession, Egypt or Egyptians, Princes or princesses
- Locales: Cairo, Egypt, Abyssinia
The Story:
It was the custom in Abyssinia for the sons and daughters of the emperor to be confined in a remote place until the order of succession to the throne was established. The spot in which Rasselas and his brothers and sisters were confined was a beautiful and fertile valley situated between high mountains. Everything needed for a luxurious life was present in the valley. Entertainers were brought in from the outside world to help the royal children pass the time pleasantly. These entertainers were never allowed to leave, for the outside world was not to know how the...
[The entire page is 2637 words long]
