# A Royal Banquet explained — A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

> Chapter companion for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.

## What happens

Hank Morgan observes the opulent yet morally corrupt court of King Arthur, noting the nobles' deep religiosity despite their tyrannical behavior. After prayers, a grand banquet unfolds with excessive eating, drinking, and bawdy storytelling. Later, Hank intervenes in a torture scene, learning that Hugo killed a deer to feed his family but refused to confess to protect his wife and child from destitution. Hank frees him and promises them a place in his colony.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Aristocracy

The banquet highlights the opulence and moral decay of the nobility, while Hugo's plight illustrates the suffering of the lower classes under unjust laws.

### Religion and Hypocrisy

The nobles are deeply religious yet engage in murder, torture, and debauchery, showing the hypocrisy of their faith.

### Power and Corruption

The queen's arbitrary execution of the composer and the torture of Hugo demonstrate the corrupt use of power by the ruling class.

## Character check-ins

### Hank Morgan

The Boss, King Arthur's representative, observes the banquet and later intervenes to save Hugo from torture, offering him a place in his colony.

### Queen Guenever

Hosts the banquet, orders a composer hanged, and later yields to Hank's authority when he intervenes in the torture of Hugo.

### King Arthur

Mentioned as the king whose word is gold; his authority is invoked by Hank to free Hugo.

### Hugo

A peasant who killed a deer to feed his family, endured torture rather than confess, and was freed by Hank.

### Marco

Hugo's wife, who begged him to confess for a quick death but ultimately rejoiced at his release.

### Sir Uwaine

Prince Uwaine, son of the king and queen, seated at the head table during the banquet.

## Key lines

> I will say this much for the nobility: that, tyrannical, murderous, rapacious, and morally rotten as they were, they were deeply and enthusiastically religious.

Despite their cruelty and corruption, the nobles were devoutly religious.

_Hank observes the paradox of the nobility's piety alongside their immoral actions._

> The rows of chops opened and shut in vast unison, and the sound of it was like to the muffled burr of subterranean machinery.

The guests ate in synchronized, mechanical fashion, producing a low, rumbling noise.

_Hank uses industrial imagery to describe the voracious eating at the banquet._

> I'll book you both for my colony; you'll like it there; it's a Factory where I'm going to turn groping and grubbing automata into men.

I'll enroll you in my colony, where I plan to transform ignorant laborers into enlightened individuals.

_Hank offers Hugo and his wife a place in his progressive colony, emphasizing his mission to modernize society._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xvii-a-royal-banquet
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters