Old school essay: The prince and the puaper

The prince and the pauper

Nicole Roberts 4-29-11

In Shakespeare's play King John, It talked about a boy and the rightful heir to the thrown of England, and also the nephew of King John. This boys name is Arther, Arther's mother, Constance was more persistent then Arther in having him rule, as many said that she was annoying, and emotional, and that she would always get in in the way. Her saying that if Arther was ugly and ignorant she would understand, but he was smart and he had the beauty of royalty which gave him the right to rule.
   Arther was a very knowledgeable and a royal like child. Although he didn’t have a very large voice in regards to his future. He tried hard to get that voice. The way he acted as an innocent child and yet proper, orderly, and clean.
Prince John having sent Hubert one of his men to kill Arther, who fell in love with the boy, and could not fulfil his task to such innocence. The boy, much like the story we all know so well snow white didn’t know he was about to be slaughtered. Hubert then told the boy what was about to be done and urged him to flee for if he had not died Hubert might lose his own head.
    
   This story caused me think of the prince Edward of whales, In Mark Twain’s story The prince and the pauper, This young prince, being bred as a prince, and the rightful heir to the thrown, had much intellect, and had the beauty of royalty as well. Of course the story comes in with Edward bringing poor Tom Canty of Offal court, beggar's son and a pauper, into the the palace didn’t only change Tom’s life, but also the prince’s.
They talked and ate and then the prince feeling sorry and yet so excited, switched garments and noticed they looked almost as if they were identical and the prince being so fantasized, and hysterical, without switching back ran back to where the guard had treated Tom so badly to go teach him a lesson, but instead was thrown into the scummy streets of London,
and was much humbled by his long experience going through worse then most commoners had seen. The prince at first not used to people telling him what to do, yelling back telling them he was prince and the rightful heir to the thrown, was cast out of society and went down to the grimiest of grime. His father the king died and he was soon supposed to be crowned, but then realized that the pauper he had so kindly brought into the palace was replacing him.
Unlike Arther’s tragic story, he lived and soon reigned for the next short years of his life.
    Just like in Prince John and The prince and the pauper,  Prince Edward and Arther, were the rightful heirs of the thrown, both scorned, and looked at as worthless and false.
Another thought that came to mind was what the Bastard, in King John said reading “Mad world! mad kings! mad composition!
 John, to stop Arthur's title in the whole, 
hath willingly departed with a part,
 and France, whose armour conscience buckled on,
 whom zeal and charity brought to the field
 as God's own soldier, rounded in the ear
 with that same purpose-changer, that sly devil,
 that broker, that still breaks the pate of faith,
 that daily break-vow, he that wins of all, 
of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids,
 who, having no external thing to lose
 but the word 'maid,' cheats the poor maid of that,
 that smooth-faced gentleman, tickling commodity,
 commodity, the bias of the world,
 the world, who of itself is peised well,
 Made to run even upon even ground,
 till this advantage, this vile-drawing bias,
 this sway of motion, this commodity, 
makes it take head from all indifferency,
 from all direction, purpose, course, intent:
 And this same bias, this commodity,
 this bawd, this broker, this all-changing word,
 clapp'd on the outward eye of fickle France,
 hath drawn him from his own determined aid,
 from a resolved and honourable war,
 to a most base and vile-concluded peace.
 And why rail I on this commodity? But for because he hath not woo'd me yet:
 Not that I have the power to clutch my hand,
 when his fair angels would salute my palm; 
But for my hand, as unattempted yet,
 like a poor beggar, raileth on the rich.
 Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail 
and say there is no sin but to be rich; 
and being rich, my virtue then shall be
 to say there is no vice but beggary.
 Since kings break faith upon commodity,
 gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee.
”
This reminded me of how when in The prince and the pauper, when The poor pauper, Tom Canty, looked at wealth as if it had no good to it, but if he were rich it would be good.
And also how The prince looked at the poor, and in fact didn’t know they truly existed and it was just a myth, this is why he being so surprised, Tom had been treated so badly and until he realized that it was normal and that this filth and tragedy struck throughout the land which caused compassion. For the Prince could truly say he had felt almost all there is to feel as a commoner and pauper.