Study notes: The Prince and the Pauper
In Tudor London, Prince Edward and a poor boy named Tom Canty discover they look identical and swap clothes for fun. Then they cannot swap back: Tom must act as prince while Edward learns how harsh life is for ordinary people.
Themes
Justice and mercy. Identity. Seeing others' lives.
People to follow
Tom Canty, Prince Edward, Miles Hendon, and John Canty.
Talk about
- What does Edward learn?
- How does Tom handle being prince?
- Why is Miles Hendon loyal?
Public-domain text. First published in 1881; Mark Twain died in 1910, so this text is in the public domain in the US, Canada, the EU and India. Summary and notes written by ViralScopeHub.