The Prince and the Pauper · Chapter
Tom's Meeting with the Prince explained
Tom Canty, a poor boy from Offal Court, wanders to Westminster Palace and is mistaken for a beggar by a soldier.
What happens
Tom Canty, a poor boy from Offal Court, wanders to Westminster Palace and is mistaken for a beggar by a soldier. Prince Edward Tudor intervenes, invites Tom inside, and they share a meal. The two boys discover they look identical and decide to swap clothes. Edward, dressed in Tom's rags, is thrown out of the palace by the soldier, who does not recognize him.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Inequality
The stark contrast between Tom's poverty and Edward's royal luxury is highlighted through their clothing, food, and living conditions.
Identity and Appearance
The boys' identical appearance allows them to swap identities, raising questions about how identity is tied to external circumstances.
Compassion and Empathy
Edward shows compassion by inviting Tom into the palace and defending him against the soldier, while Tom's stories help Edward imagine a different life.
Characters to notice
- Tom Canty
A poor boy from Offal Court who meets Prince Edward and swaps clothes with him.
- Edward VI
The Prince of Wales who befriends Tom, swaps clothes, and is thrown out of the palace.
- Henry VIII
Mentioned as the king, Edward's father.
- Father Andrew
The good priest who taught Tom from his books.
- Bet
Tom's twin sister, mentioned as kind like their mother.
Key passages
“Thou lookest tired and hungry: thou'st been treated ill. Come with me.”
You seem exhausted and hungry; you've been mistreated. Follow me.
Prince Edward invites Tom into the palace after seeing him mistreated by the soldier.
“If that I could but clothe me in raiment like to thine, and strip my feet, and revel in the mud once, just once, with none to rebuke me or forbid, meseemeth I could forego the crown!”
If I could wear your clothes and go barefoot to play in the mud without anyone scolding me, I think I could give up the crown.
Edward expresses a desire to experience Tom's freedom, even if only briefly.
“I am the Prince of Wales, my person is sacred; and thou shalt hang for laying thy hand upon me!”
I am the Prince of Wales, my body is inviolable, and you will be hanged for striking me.
Edward, now dressed as a pauper, asserts his true identity to the soldier who struck him.