The Prisoner of Zenda

by Anthony Hope Hawkins

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Compare and contrast two characters in The Prisoner of Zenda.

Quick answer:

Princess Flavia and Antoinette de Mauban both love men they cannot have due to social and political complications. Flavia prioritizes political duty over personal desire, choosing to marry her original betrothed and sending Rassendyl a rose annually. In contrast, Antoinette follows her heart, conspiring to thwart her lover Michael's plans out of personal desire rather than nobility.

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Princess Flavia and Antoinette de Mauban are compared and contrasted, though on a smaller scale than the example in the previous answer. Both characters are in love with a man who cannot be theirs due to social and political complications. However, the way they approach these obstacles diverges.

In Flavia's case, she truly loves Rassendyl but chooses to marry her original betrothed, for the sake of political duty over personal desire. She sends Rassendyl a rose every year after the events of the story, but that is as far as she is willing to allow their love to go. She is too noble to have an affair or leave her intended.

Antoinette is more inclined towards following her heart. Her lover Michael wants to marry Flavia so he can become king, but Antoinette wants him to be hers alone. She conspires to thwart his plans, mainly motivated by what she wants rather than out of any sense of nobility or patriotism.

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