The Prince and the Pauper · Chapter
Tom as a Patrician explained
Tom Canty, alone in the prince's cabinet, admires his new finery but grows anxious as the prince does not return.
What happens
Tom Canty, alone in the prince's cabinet, admires his new finery but grows anxious as the prince does not return. He fears being caught and executed. When Lady Jane Grey enters, he reveals his true identity, causing her to flee in horror. Rumors spread that the prince has gone mad. Tom is brought before King Henry VIII, who tries to comfort him, but Tom insists he is a pauper and begs to be released. The king, distressed, tests Tom's Latin and finds his responses lacking.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Appearance
Tom struggles with his new identity as a prince, while his true self as a pauper is dismissed as madness by the court.
Illusion vs. Reality
Tom's dream of being a prince becomes a terrifying reality, as he is trapped in a gilded cage and unable to convince others of his true identity.
Power and Corruption
The absolute power of the king and court is shown through Tom's fear of execution and the swift suppression of rumors about the prince's madness.
Compassion and Empathy
King Henry VIII shows tenderness toward Tom, mistaking his fear for illness, but his compassion is limited by his inability to see the truth.
Characters to notice
- Tom Canty
Alone in the prince's cabinet, Tom admires his finery but grows fearful and lonely. He reveals his true identity to Lady Jane Grey, then is brought before King Henry VIII, where he pleads to be released.
- Edward VI
Mentioned as the prince who has left Tom alone; his absence causes Tom's distress.
- Henry VIII
The ailing king confronts Tom, believing him to be his son Edward. He tries to comfort Tom and tests his Latin, showing growing distress at Tom's apparent madness.
- Bet
Appears as the Lady Jane Grey, who enters the cabinet and is horrified when Tom kneels and reveals his pauper identity.
- Lord Hertford
Mentioned as the uncle who accompanies Tom after the audience with the king.
- Duke of Norfolk
Tom recalls the severed head of the Duke of Norfolk, which haunts his thoughts as a symbol of the danger he faces.
Key passages
“He turned himself this way and that before the great mirror, admiring his finery; then walked away, imitating the prince's high-bred carriage, and still observing results in the glass.”
Tom admired his reflection in the mirror, practicing the prince's noble walk.
Tom's initial delight in his new appearance and role-playing.
“Suppose some one should come, and catch him in the prince's clothes, and the prince not there to explain. Might they not hang him at once, and inquire into his case afterward?”
Tom feared being caught in the prince's clothes without the prince to explain, and thought he might be executed immediately.
Tom's growing fear of the consequences of his situation.
“The whisper—for it was whispered always—flew from menial to menial, from lord to lady, down all the long corridors, from story to story, from saloon to saloon, 'The prince hath gone mad, the prince hath gone mad!'”
A rumor spread through the palace that the prince had gone mad.
The rapid spread of the rumor about Tom's behavior.
“Tom dropped upon his knees with a glad cry— 'God requite thy mercy, O my king, and save thee long to bless thy land!'”
Tom knelt joyfully, thanking the king for sparing his life.
Tom's relief when the king says he will not die.
