Chapter VII. Tom's first royal dinner. Practice Quiz — The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter VII. Tom's first royal dinner.
What time of day does Tom's first royal dinner take place?
Somewhat after one in the afternoon.
Who designed the gold furniture at Tom's dinner table?
Benvenuto Cellini (referred to as "Benvenuto" in the text).
What is the Earl of Berkeley's hereditary role at the royal dinner?
He serves as the Diaperer — the person who fastens the prince's napkin.
Why does Tom ask to have his napkin taken away?
He finds it too beautiful and fears he will soil it through carelessness.
What is the role of the Taster at the royal dinner?
To taste any suspicious dish and risk being poisoned, ensuring the prince's food is safe.
How many servants does Tom have in total?
Three hundred and eighty-four, though he is not yet aware of their existence.
What have all the servants been told about the prince's behavior?
They have been told the prince is "temporarily out of his head" and instructed to show no surprise at his odd behavior.
How does Tom eat his meal?
Mainly with his fingers, though no one smiles or comments on it.
Why is Tom unfamiliar with turnips and lettuce?
These vegetables had only recently begun to be grown in England; previously they were imported as luxuries from Holland.
What does Tom do with the nuts from dessert?
He fills his pockets with them, planning to eat them later in private.
What is the crisis that paralyzes the court during dinner?
Tom's nose itches, and no one can determine the proper royal protocol for scratching it.
Why can't the courtiers solve the nose-itching problem?
There is no precedent in English history, the Master of Ceremonies is absent, and there is no "Hereditary Scratcher."
What does Tom mistake the finger bowl (rosewater) for?
He thinks it is a beverage — he drinks it and says it has a "pretty flavour" but "wanteth strength."
What social blunder does Tom commit as the chaplain prepares to say the closing blessing?
He gets up and leaves the table just as the chaplain is about to begin.
What gift from Queen Catherine Parr does Tom find in the private cabinet?
A suit of shining steel armor covered with gold-inlaid designs.
What does Tom choose to do instead of finishing putting on the armor?
He takes it off and cracks the nuts he stole from dinner, preferring to eat in peace without servants watching.
What book does Tom find in the closet, and why is it significant?
A book about the etiquette of the English court. It is significant because Tom eagerly studies it, showing his determination to learn and adapt to his new role.
What literary device does Twain primarily use in the dinner scene?
Dramatic irony — the reader knows Tom is not mad but simply unfamiliar with court life, while the courtiers believe he is mentally ill.
How does the nose-scratching scene function as satire?
It reduces royal protocol to absurdity by showing that the court cannot handle a basic human impulse without historical precedent or official procedure.
What theme does the contrast between Tom's discomfort at dinner and his happiness alone illustrate?
The theme of freedom versus restriction — Tom is miserable surrounded by ceremonial servants but happy when left to his own devices.
What does Twain's narrator mean by "hunger had long been constitutional with him"?
That Tom had grown up so poor that constant hunger was a permanent part of his nature and experience.
What is the narrator's satirical comment about the Taster's role?
"Why they did not use a dog or a plumber seems strange; but all the ways of royalty are strange."
How do the courtiers react emotionally to Tom's blunders?
With compassion and sorrow, not mockery — they believe their beloved prince is genuinely ill.