Chapter XXIII. The Prince a prisoner. Practice Quiz — The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XXIII. The Prince a prisoner.
What crime is Edward accused of in Chapter 23?
Stealing a dressed pig from a woman.
Who advises Edward to submit peacefully to the constable?
Miles Hendon, who tells the prince to trust him and go willingly.
What argument does Hendon use to convince Edward to obey the law?
He argues that a king should not resist his own laws — if the source of the law defies it, the king cannot expect his subjects to respect it.
What is the woman's initial valuation of the stolen pig?
Three shillings and eightpence.
What is the legal threshold above which theft is punishable by hanging?
Thirteenpence ha'penny (13.5 pence).
Why does the judge clear the courtroom?
To privately warn the woman that her valuation of the pig places the theft above the hanging threshold, giving her a chance to lower the amount.
What revised value does the woman assign to the pig?
Eightpence, which is safely below the thirteenpence ha'penny threshold for hanging.
What sentence does the judge impose on Edward?
A short imprisonment in the common jail followed by a public flogging.
What does Miles Hendon overhear in the hallway after the trial?
The constable blackmailing the woman into selling the pig to him for eightpence, threatening to expose her perjury if she refuses.
How does the constable exploit the woman's legal vulnerability?
He points out that she swore under oath the pig was worth eightpence, so if she refuses to sell it at that price, he can charge her with perjury and the boy will hang.
What is Edward's reaction when told he must enter the common jail?
He is furious and exclaims, "Idiot, dost imagine I will enter a common jail alive?"
How does Hendon respond to Edward's refusal to enter jail?
He sharply tells Edward to trust him, have patience, and warns that dangerous speech will worsen their chances.
What does Hendon privately reflect about being called "Sir Miles"?
He is amused, having forgotten his knighthood, and muses that being a "spectre-knight" in Edward's "Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows" is more honorable than being a real earl in some actual kingdoms.
What form of dramatic irony is central to the trial scene?
The reader knows the ragged boy on trial is actually the King of England, making it deeply ironic that he is being tried and convicted under his own laws.
What does Edward's willingness to submit to the law reveal about his character?
It shows his growing maturity and the beginnings of empathy — he accepts that a king should be willing to suffer what his laws require of his subjects.
What social criticism does Twain make through the courtroom scene?
He criticizes England's harsh Tudor-era laws that punish petty theft with death, showing how judges and witnesses must subvert the law to prevent monstrous injustice.
What does the constable's behavior after the trial symbolize?
It symbolizes systemic corruption — the very officer charged with upholding the law exploits his authority for personal profit.
How does the woman react when she learns her valuation could lead to a hanging?
She is horrified and cries out, "Oh, good lack, what have I done! God-a-mercy, I would not hang the poor thing for the whole world!"
What role does the theme of appearance vs. reality play in this chapter?
The true King of England stands convicted as a common thief because he is judged entirely by his ragged clothing rather than his true identity.
What key piece of intelligence does Hendon gain by eavesdropping?
He learns that the constable is corrupt and has blackmailed the woman, which gives Hendon leverage to potentially secure Edward's freedom later.