Discussion Topic
Major events and key plot complications in Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper"
Summary:
Major events in "The Prince and the Pauper" include the switch between Prince Edward and the pauper Tom Canty, leading to a series of misunderstandings and challenges as they live each other's lives. Key complications arise from their struggle to prove their true identities, confrontations with various figures of authority, and the eventual restoration of Edward to the throne.
What are the major events in "The Prince and the Pauper"?
The Prince and the Pauper is the story of two boys, one a prince and one a pauper, who trade clothes one day and, because they look identically alike, inadvertently assume each other’s identities. King Henry, seeing a boy in pauper’s clothes in the palace, throws his own son out on the streets, believing him to be a beggar. Tom, a pauper, is accepted into the palace as the prince, but because he acts very unlike a prince, the people come to believe that he must be suffering from madness. A while back, when King Henry was ill, he had given Prince Edward the Great Seal of the Kingdom to guard and protect until the king returned to health. When the king returns and asks for the seal, however, Tom, who has assumed the identity of Edward, knows nothing about it —which, in the eyes of the palace, is further...
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proof of the prince’s madness.
Meanwhile, the real Prince Edward, who is living as a pauper on the streets, experiences injustice like he never knew existed, and he grows to understand the plight of the poor. Determined to right wrongs and correct the social injustices inflicted on his people, he returns to the palace and presents the Great Seal of the Kingdom, proving his true identity. Prince Edward ascends to the throne, and he appoints Tom as his ward. Edward is now able to rule the kingdom with heart and fairness, having experienced unfairness himself when he lived as a pauper.
The major important events will differ slightly from reader to reader, but I will list out (in no particular order) some of the events that I believe are crucial to the story as a whole.
- Tom and Edward are both born. They are born to different families, but have a striking resemblance. Tom is poor, and Edward is rich.
- Tom goes to the palace, is attacked by a guard, and is invited into the palace by Edward.
- Tom and Edward decide to swap places for a bit, but Edward winds up being kicked out of the palace by mistake.
- John Canty kills Father Andrew.
- King Henry VIII dies.
- Tom begins ending Henry's reign of terror by pardoning people.
- Edward is captured by John Canty and his gang . . . several times.
- Miles Hendon saves Edward . . . several times.
- Tom and Edward are reunited and convince everybody that they did indeed switch places. Edward is made king, and he gives Miles and Tom royal titles and makes them rich.
What are the key plot complications in Twain's The Prince and the Pauper?
This format doesn't permit for a discussion of all the plot complications, but I can give some overview and some detail. First, of course, Tom Canty gets into the palace where he and Crown Price Edward exchange clothes and discover they look identically alike. While still in each other's clothing, Edward is accosted and evicted by the gate guard when he attempts to have the gate unbarred ("Open! Unbar the gates!"). This sets up a conflict between reality and the appearance of reality. In each case the reality appeared to be a fabricated delusion. A second conflict for each lay in human versus environment as each struggled to adapt to an environment thrust upon him.
"Then so shall it be. Doff thy rags, and don these splendours, 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."
After this, there are the complications of how each is treated and how each
reacts. Tom fared better than Edward as Tom was accepted and humored by those
who loved him [Edward] and sought to remedy his temporary (it was hoped)
madness. On the other hand, Edward, rightly--but unfortunately--demanding his
due respect, had to be rescued to remain safe.
The end result for Edward is that after being in many dangerous situations, he
arrives with his rescuer Miles at the coronation of King Edward [Tom] just as
he is about to be crowned. Edward successfully halts the ceremony when Tom
recognizes him and is challenged by the Lord Protector to reveal the location
of the missing Great Seal of State. He does and all is then resolved. The final
complications that lead to the resolution further involve the conflict of human
against environment. This time, however, each has learned to adapt to the
environment and can acquiesce or fight accordingly, as need arises.
Tom acquiesces as he doesn't know how to contact Edward and is never out of someone's protective sight--plus he fears the horrible punishment if found out. Edward fights with will and strength to right wrongs he is not responsible for. [Edward originally left Tom alone to go out and, the text infers, speak to the ill King about the mistreatment Tom received from the guard, as evidenced by the bruise on Tom's hand.]
[At the coronation,] He raised his hand with a solemnity which ill comported with his soiled and sorry aspect, and delivered this note of warning—
"I forbid you to set the crown of England upon that forfeited head. I am the King!"
The general message of the plot complications and conflicts points to the difficulty of authentic (truthful) representation of self in an environment where one is disbelieved, discredited, and/or disrespected. [Tom would have been disbelieved and was in ways discredited; Edward suffered the extremes of each.]