Chapter III. Tom's meeting with the Prince. Practice Quiz — The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter III. Tom's meeting with the Prince.
Where does Tom Canty end up at the beginning of Chapter 3?
He wanders through London and arrives at Westminster Palace, where he hopes to see a real prince.
What happens when Tom presses his face against the palace gate bars?
A soldier snatches him away and flings him into the crowd, calling him a "young beggar."
How does Prince Edward react when the soldier mistreats Tom?
He rushes to the gate, demands it be opened, and orders that Tom be let inside, rebuking the soldier for mistreating one of the King's subjects.
What does Edward do to spare Tom embarrassment during the meal?
He sends the servants away so Tom will not feel self-conscious eating in front of them.
What do the boys discover when they stand before the mirror after swapping clothes?
They discover they are physically identical — same hair, eyes, voice, face, and stature — and that no one could tell them apart if they were naked.
What prompts Edward to rush out of the palace at the end of Chapter 3?
He notices a bruise on Tom's hand left by the soldier and, outraged, runs out to confront and punish the guard.
What happens to Edward when he reaches the gate in Tom's rags?
The soldier strikes him on the ear and tells him to be off. The crowd mocks him, shouting "Way for the Prince of Wales!" and drives him down the road.
What "article of national importance" does Edward hide before leaving the palace?
The Great Seal of England, the official stamp used to authorize state documents.
How is Prince Edward physically described when Tom first sees him?
A comely boy, tanned and brown from outdoor sports, dressed in silks and satins with jewels, a jeweled sword and dagger, red-heeled buskins, and a crimson cap with plumes.
What does Tom reveal about his grandmother, Gammer Canty?
She has a wicked heart, beats Tom when she is sober, and only spares him when she is asleep or drunk.
What does Edward say about his own father, King Henry VIII?
He says his father does not have a gentle temper, strikes with a heavy hand, and does not always spare Edward from harsh words.
Who are Nan and Bet?
Tom's fifteen-year-old twin sisters. Tom says they are kind like his mother, with no servants and only one garment each.
Who taught Tom to read and gave him some knowledge of Latin?
Father Andrew, a good priest who taught Tom from his own books.
What central theme does the mirror scene illustrate?
The arbitrary nature of social class — stripped of clothing, the prince and the pauper are indistinguishable, showing that rank is a social construct rather than an innate quality.
How does the chapter demonstrate the theme of clothing as identity?
When Edward wears royal garments he commands respect; the moment he dons Tom's rags, the same soldier strikes him and the crowd mocks him, proving that people judge status entirely by outward appearance.
What does Edward's fascination with mud fights and Punch-and-Judy shows reveal thematically?
It reveals that each boy romanticizes what the other has, highlighting how limited perspective creates longing and suggesting that privilege and poverty each carry their own forms of confinement.
What is the dramatic irony at the end of Chapter 3?
The reader knows the ragged boy claiming to be the Prince of Wales is telling the truth, but the crowd and soldiers believe he is a deluded beggar.
How does Twain use juxtaposition in the boys' conversation?
He places Tom's descriptions of farthing entertainments, mud play, and shared garments directly alongside Edward's world of jeweled swords and lackeys, highlighting the absurd inequality between their lives.
What does the Great Seal of England foreshadow?
It foreshadows the eventual proof of Edward's true identity. Because only the real prince knows where he hid it, the Seal will later serve as the key to restoring him to the throne.
How does Twain break the fourth wall in this chapter?
He addresses the reader directly: "You should have seen that fickle crowd snatch off their hats then," drawing the audience into complicity with the scene's irony.
What does "buskins" mean in the context of Edward's clothing?
Boots or half-boots, often made of fine material. Edward wears "dainty buskins" with red heels.
What does "halberd" refer to in this chapter?
A combined spear-and-battle-axe weapon carried by soldiers. The guards present arms with their halberds when the prince orders the gate opened.
Who says, "How dar'st thou use the King my father's meanest subject so?"
Prince Edward, when he sees the soldier throw Tom away from the gate. It reveals both his sense of justice and his assumption of royal authority.
What does Edward exclaim about Tom's description of playing in the mud?
"Oh, prithee, say no more, 'tis glorious! 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!"
What does Tom say when Edward suggests sending Gammer Canty to the Tower?
"In sooth, you forget, sir, her low degree. The Tower is for the great alone." This shows Tom's awareness of social hierarchy even as the prince overlooks it.