Essay on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper

However, an argument contradicting this idea lies in the persona of Richard, Duke of York, who was the King’s closest adult male relative and the most famous and influential of the great magnates in 1450. Also before 1453 York was heir presumptive. He was descended from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York and fourth son of Edward III on his father’s side. On his mother’s side he was descended from Lionel of Clarence, Edward’s second son. York’s close blood relationship to the king could admit him to the throne. Not only did he claim the descent from King Edward III, but also claimed to the throne. The Battle of St. Albans is the straightforward proof of it. He evidently felt that he had a sense of duty and a right to play a fundamental role in government. Richard was an obvious threat to Henry’s kingship: unlike the last one he was a competent politician, a distinct warrior and a father of healthy sons. In other words, his power of personality harmonized his goal, which by 1450s, had come to embrace the crown of England.

William believed he would be welcomed with open arms as the new king, but he severely misinterpreted the situation. The throne of England was far from that of Normandy. It was beyond Edward’s ability to promise the throne to William auspiciously and conclusively. However, a similar situation occurred with Harold Earl of Wessex. As he lay dying Edward’s dying word left the care of his wife and kingdom in the hands of Harold. Howard mentions that this could have been misinterpreted as well. Harold’s dying words of, “I commend this woman and all the kingdom to your protection” does not explicitly label Harold as the King. Edward’s dying words did give Harold a higher leverage in that early English laws labeled The King as ruler and protector of the people and not the actual territory. Harold’s claim to the throne is made more legitimate because The Witan later chooses him.

In addition to banishment, Henry was also unfairly taken of his families' wealth, land, and title, from which he was the rightful heir. Henry contrasted Richard in many ways, in that he was honest, and very practical. Furthermore, Henry was very reluctant to assume the role of future King, eventually accepting after urging and support from the other nobles.

Richard’s political ambition is revealed through his strategic calculations based on the order of birth in his York family which puts him third away from the throne. Ahead of him is his elder brother, George Clarence, a barrier which will have to eradicate. His brother, King Edward, is another political barrier, by simply being alive, in power and equally by being the father of the two young princes . Richard’s creates a political mistrust between his two

King Henry IV must also contend with his son, Prince Hal, who’s not the honorable prince he had hoped him to be. He feels it is “an honorable spoil” not to have “a son who is the theme of honor’s tongue,” when he learns of Northumberland’s son Hotspur’s victories, which, should be “a conquest for a prince to boast of” (1.1.74,80, & 76). Pangs of jealousy strike Henry’s heart caused by the differences between his son and Northumberland’s. So much so, he wishes “it could be proved that” someone, or something, “had exchanged in cradle clothes, their sons at birth” (1.1.85-87).

For instance, it states in the novel that Edward “lived in a state of constant aspiration” (fifteen) and that “getting there, wherever it was, wasn’t the important thing: it was the battle, and the battle after that, and the war was never ending.” (fifteen) It also states that he worked and he worked (fifteen), meaning he was working instead of being with William and Sandra. Due to his low self-esteem, he used almost all his time trying to prove himself as who he wants to be, rather than playing the correct role as a good father to William and a reliable husband towards Sandra. Edward inconsiderately does not want to give up on his legacy to his son because he wants to remain the great man he is. For example, Edward “expected more” (120) back when William was born. He expected “a muted brilliance, a glow, maybe even a halo of some kind.” (120) Since William is such an ordinary child compared to Edward, he believes that his son is not worth of inheriting his identity; hence explaining why William’s knowledge of Edward is limited to a mythical and unrealistic level.

Edward has a way of exaggerating and making up stories for William, which makes it hard for William to trust Edward. The negative impact of his storytelling is explicitly shown when Edward is dying in “My Father’s Death: Take 1”. Edward is about to pass away when he tries to tell William another story, “‘I’ve heard about the two-headed lady,’ I say, shaking him gently by the shoulder. ‘I don’t want to hear about her anymore, Dad. Okay?’” (Wallace 23). This is one of their last moments together and Edward is unable to talk to his own son about anything but his melodramatic stories. William desires to truly know his father, but Edward can’t open up to him. He doesn’t know a lot about Edward other than his stories, so he craves to learn more about who Edward really is. William wants an authentic relationship with his father with a deeper connection. His father’s stories deflect and create distance so they can’t have a true connection. Edward is about to die and he begins to talk about more of his stories and how he was away a lot and William

Richard then gloats over his success in a soliloquy stating how he has won her heart even though he is regarded by her as the devil with dissembling looks and he stabbed Edward her love just 3 months earlier. This highlights how he thinks of himself as the best as he brags about his misdeeds as though he is immortal.

His attempt to seize the throne leads to the loss of his sanity. Before he is about

The play Arden of Faversham follows the Renaissance genre of tragedy, yet it focuses on the domestic sphere in the unconventional setting of Arden and Alice’s home, rather than the courtly setting of most tragedies written in the Elizabethan period, in the realm of nobility. While most tragedies following this genre concern themselves with the authority of those in the noble court, Arden of Faversham’s primary concern is with the authority within their own home.

"When your opponent uses sincerity, that's when it gets awfully confusing." John, Henry's favorite son, does not even know when he is merely acting. So, when Henry announces that Richard is going to be the new heir, he is playing with John's emotions.

After constantly being attacked he was forced to seek king henry of France who molded him and made him to the ruthless leader he was to become. After leaving Normandy for so long, William made his return back in 1047 and asserted his authority destroying all of the rebels after that making the claim as the undisputed Duke of Normandy. William of Normandy matured into a tall man with red hair. During this time The Duke of Normandy went to visit his cousin Edward the confessor, It was during this visit that he would be promised William the kingdom should he die. The true heir was Edgar Atheling who is Edwards great nephew, but he was still a child who knew very little about England, but Edward who was appointed the king in 1042 promised him in that right.

politically. Although she had, at times, a horrible temper and a disagreeable personality, and suffered through many physical and psychological problems as an adult, Elizabeth proved to be one of the most remarkable monarchs in English history. Firstly, I will discuss Elizabeth’s family (including her many stepmothers), and then I will talk about her relationship with her siblings under their power. Thirdly, I will examine religion and how it affected her opinions and politics during her reign. Lastly, I will look at foreign politics of the time and some of Elizabeth’s decisions

indicated the coronation of him after the demise of the King. After a series of

Richard is truly a man fit for the medieval period, this being proved in the tournament he has Bolingbroke and Mowbray participate in. The scene starts with trumpets sounding and the king flourishing in; Bolingbroke and Mowbray are suited in armor. Richard begins the ceremony (for that's what it truly is) with formalities. "Marshal ask yonder knight in arms / Both who he is and why he cometh hither" (I.iii.28-29). Certainly this is redundant and reminiscent of modern-day courtroom behavior. But again there is a sense that Richard is resplendent in these royal formalities. He is the director and lead actor in his mind. Richard is creative, as not only his poetry demonstrates but also in his ability to bring to life his ceremonious ideals. "He enjoys playing king, delights in his caprious adjucation of the encounter between two peers...He knows that he is king by divine right...in a world permanently ordered by traditional loyalties..." (Cubeta 7).