Chapter XIV. 'Le Roi est mort--vive le Roi.' Practice Quiz — The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XIV. 'Le Roi est mort--vive le Roi.'
What does the French title of Chapter 14, "Le Roi est mort—vive le Roi," mean?
"The King is dead—long live the King." It is the traditional proclamation marking the seamless transfer of royal power upon a monarch's death.
What major event has occurred between Chapters 13 and 14?
King Henry VIII has died during the night, making the supposed Prince Edward (actually Tom Canty) the new King of England.
When Tom Canty first wakes in Chapter 14, what does he believe?
He believes his entire experience as a prince was just a dream. He calls out for his sisters Nan and Bet to tell them about it.
What does Tom dream about after learning he is king?
He dreams a dwarf leads him to twelve bright new pennies buried by a stump and promises the same treasure every seventh day. Tom plans to share the pennies with his family.
How does Tom's dream end?
His mother's voice in the dream saying "They are for thee!" transforms into the First Lord of the Bedchamber saying "It waxeth late—may it please your Majesty to rise?"—and Tom wakes to reality.
Describe the elaborate dressing ceremony in Chapter 14.
Each garment passes through the hands of more than a dozen titled officials—from the Chief Equerry to the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Lord High Admiral—before finally reaching Tom. Tom compares it to "passing buckets at a fire."
What happens when a problem is discovered with the royal hose?
A missing tag on a truss-point causes a chain of horrified whispers ("See, my lord!") back through all the officials. The Head Keeper of the King's Hose is sent to the Tower, and fresh hose are brought.
Who is the "Hereditary Grand Diaperer"?
One of the titled officials in the dressing ceremony chain. The absurdly specific title is part of Twain's satire of the over-elaborate royal bureaucracy.
Who guides Tom through his state business in the throne room?
Lord Hertford, Tom's supposed "uncle" (Edward's actual uncle, the Earl of Hertford), stands by the throne and uses subtle arm touches to steer Tom away from embarrassing mistakes.
What naive suggestion does Tom make about the crown's financial problems?
After hearing about 20,000 pounds in unpaid debts and 1,200 servants owed wages, Tom suggests moving to "a small house that standeth over against the fish-market, by Billingsgate" and dismissing the servants.
How does Lord Hertford prevent Tom from exposing himself?
He applies "a sharp pressure upon Tom's arm" to stop his foolish tongue—a physical cue used repeatedly to prevent Tom from saying something that would reveal he is not really the prince.
What date is set for the late king's burial, and what is Tom's reaction?
The burial is set for the sixteenth of the coming month. Tom asks "Will he keep?"—revealing his Offal Court background, where the poor dead were "hustled out of the way" quickly.
Who is Humphrey Marlow?
He is the royal whipping-boy—a boy assigned to receive corporal punishment in place of the prince, since no one may strike the sacred person of the Prince of Wales.
Why does the whipping-boy exist?
Because "none may visit the sacred person of the Prince of Wales with blows." When the prince fails at lessons, the whipping-boy is beaten instead, since it is forbidden to physically punish royalty.
Why is Humphrey Marlow worried about his future?
Now that "Edward" is king rather than a studying prince, Humphrey fears the king will stop his lessons and no longer need a whipping-boy, leaving Humphrey and his orphan sisters without income. "My back is my bread," he says.
What title does Tom bestow upon Humphrey Marlow?
"Hereditary Grand Whipping-Boy to the Royal House of England"—a permanent, hereditary position for Humphrey and his descendants.
How does Tom promise to ensure Humphrey stays employed?
Tom pledges to return to his books and "study so ill that they must in justice treble thy wage, so mightily shall the business of thine office be augmented."
How does Tom cleverly use Humphrey as an information source?
Tom pretends his memory is slowly returning and asks Humphrey to "remind" him about court life. Humphrey unknowingly teaches Tom about people and customs at court, believing he is helping cure the king's damaged mind.
Which royal women does Tom meet during this chapter?
He has an enjoyable visit with the Lady Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey, and a chilling, solemn interview with his "elder sister" Mary—later known as "Bloody Mary."
What is the Great Seal, and why does Hertford ask Tom about it?
The Great Seal is the official seal used to authorize royal documents. Hertford hopes Tom's improving memory can solve the mystery of its location, but Tom innocently asks "What was it like, my lord?"—having no idea what it is.
What does Hertford conclude after Tom's question about the Great Seal?
He mutters to himself, "Alack, his wits are flown again!" and quickly changes the subject, believing it was unwise to strain the king's mind further.
What does the Great Seal symbolize in the novel?
It symbolizes legitimate royal authority. Its hidden location becomes a key plot device—only the true prince knows where it is, making it the ultimate proof of Edward's identity.
What literary device does Twain primarily use in the dressing scene?
Satire and farce. The absurdly long chain of officials handling a single shirt lampoons the pointless bureaucracy and rigid hierarchy of the English court.
How does dramatic irony function throughout Chapter 14?
The reader knows Tom is an impostor from Offal Court, which makes every act of loyalty, ceremony, and deference directed at him simultaneously humorous and poignant—the courtiers serve a pauper without realizing it.
What contrast does Twain draw between Tom's dream world and his waking reality?
In dreams, Tom finds happiness in twelve pennies and his mother's embrace. In reality, he commands an empire but feels trapped, sighing, "In what have I offended, that the good God should take me away from the fields and the free air and the sunshine?"