# Chapter III explained — Gulliver’s Travels

> Chapter companion for Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

## What happens

Gulliver entertains the Lilliputian court with various diversions, including a mock battlefield on his handkerchief. He describes the court's rope-dancing and leaping contests used to select officials. After negotiations, he is granted liberty under specific articles, which he swears to uphold, and is freed from his chains.

## Themes in this chapter

### Satire of Politics and Government

The rope-dancing and leaping contests mock the frivolous and hazardous methods of selecting government officials.

### Human Pride and Vanity

Ministers risk injury to display their skill, driven by pride and desire for favor.

### Abuse of Power

The emperor and his ministers use arbitrary contests and conditional articles to control Gulliver and maintain authority.

## Character check-ins

### Lemuel Gulliver

Narrator and protagonist; entertains the court and negotiates his liberty.

### Flimnap

Treasurer of Lilliput; noted for his skill in rope-dancing, leaping higher than other lords.

### Reldresal

Principal secretary for private affairs; considered second after Flimnap in rope-dancing skill.

### Skyresh Bolgolam

High-admiral; responsible for the less honorable articles in Gulliver's liberty agreement.

## Key lines

> This diversion is only practised by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favour at court.

Only those seeking high office or royal favor perform this rope-dancing.

_Highlights the satirical connection between physical agility and political advancement._

> Whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office.

The candidate who jumps highest without falling gets the job.

_Emphasizes the absurdity of using a physical contest to determine political appointments._

> I swore and subscribed to these articles with great cheerfulness and content, although some of them were not so honourable as I could have wished; which proceeded wholly from the malice of Skyresh Bolgolam, the high-admiral.

I happily agreed to the terms, though some were dishonorable due to the high-admiral Skyresh Bolgolam's spite.

_Reveals Gulliver's pragmatic acceptance and the personal enmity behind the conditions._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gulliver_s_travels_se/chapters/iii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gulliver_s_travels_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gulliver_s_travels_se/chapters