The prince and the beggar boy
The Prince and the Pauper (Engl. The Prince and the Pauper ) is a historical novel by Mark Twain , the latter wrote 1,881th The German first edition appeared in 1956. The story takes place in the middle of the 16th century and is about two boys who look like identical twins but grow up under completely different conditions: the beggar boy Tom Canty and the son of Henry VIII , Prince Edward . The book is Twain's first historical novel, which was later followed, among other things, by A Yankee at the court of King Arthur . In this novel, Twain uses a style that is unusual for him, reminiscent of Charles Dickens .
action
Tom Canty and Edward Tudor ( Edward VI ) were born on the same autumn day in 1537. The whole kingdom is happy about the birth of the prince, but Tom is just an additional burden for his family.
In his childhood Tom suffers from his brutal criminal father and, inspired by the books of the exiled clergyman Andrew, who also teaches him to read, write and some Latin, dreams of being a prince. One day he happened to come across the gates of the Palace of Westminster and saw the heir to the throne behind the bars. When he is being treated roughly by a guard, Edward becomes aware and lets the boy come into the palace.
When the two have swapped clothes for fun, the prince is mistaken for poor Tom and chased out of the castle. The beggar boy is believed to be the heir to the throne, although he repeatedly claims to be a beggar. Yet these claims only circulate the opinion that the prince is not in his right mind. When Edward's father, the King, dies after a long illness, Tom is prepared for his coronation.
The prince, who is mistaken for a beggar boy, gets to know for the first time on his way through his kingdom the harsh reality of the life of the common people, who have to survive under the most difficult conditions. In particular, he recognizes the legal system with inadequate investigations and cruel punishments as in need of improvement.
He also met the former soldier Miles Hendon, who was always helpful to him. Because even Edward, who repeatedly says that he is the heir to the throne - or the king after Henry VIII's death - is considered crazy and accordingly treated roughly by his criminal environment. Hendon doesn't believe him, but plays along and tries to treat him accordingly. He would like to take him to his home in Hendon Hall and hopes that he will be cured of his madness there. Hendon lived there with his father, brothers Arthur and Hugh, and his beloved Edith, but has not received any news from there in the past ten years, during which he was first exiled and then imprisoned. When the two arrive at Hendon Hall, Miles Hendon learns that both his father and brother Arthur have been dead for years and that Edith is married to Hugh. Only five of the former servants, whom he regards as arch crooks, are still employed in Hendon Hall. All claim that they do not recognize Miles Hendon in the demolished former soldier, whose death is said to have been reported in a letter to Hendon Hall years ago. In an unobserved moment, Edith, who is apparently terrified, implores Miles Hendon to flee. But he picks up his brother in a rage, who then arrests him as a fraud. He and Edward are put in jail. Here the prince sees again what suffering is being done to the people here and that his father is responsible for this. After some time and Miles' punishment, they are released again, whereupon they move back to London.
Coronation day has come in London. In the middle of the ceremony, Edward bursts in, reveals himself and claims the crown, which Tom immediately confirms. With the help of Tom, Edward can eventually prove that he is the real king and is crowned. Tom Canty receives a privileged title for the rest of his life that allows him and his mother and sisters to live comfortably. Tom's father has disappeared. Hugh Hendon leaves the country; after the news of his death, Miles Hendon, now Earl of Kent, and his sweetheart are free to marry. Edward's lenient reign is shaped by his experience with the problems of the people, but is short-lived as he dies at a young age.
interpretation
The novel plays with the classic motive for confusion: the mistake of the prince for the beggar boy is followed by ascent or descent into another social class, combined with the confusion that goes with it, but also the amazement at the way of life of the other. Both characters come to a better understanding of the other person and their environment.
The motive for confusion can also be found in:
- Clothes make the man by Gottfried Keller ( Schneider - Graf )
- The auditor of Nikolai Gogol ( official - Auditor )
- The false Nero by Lion Feuchtwanger ( potter - emperor )
Movies
The material was filmed several times, for example with The Prince and the Beggar Boy with Errol Flynn (Miles), the Mauch twins (Edward and Tom) and Claude Rains (Earl of Hereford) in 1937. The film came on the occasion of the coronation of George VI. in British cinemas. The Austrian silent film Prince and Beggar Boy by Alexander Korda was made in 1920 . In 1972 the two-part Czech black and white film “The Prince and the Beggar Boy” was shown in the GDR. Another film adaptation takes place as "The Prince and the Beggar" in 1977 under the direction of Richard Fleischer with Oliver Reed and Raquel Welch . A film adaptation from 2000 starring Jonathan and Robert Timmins as well as Aidan Quinn and Jonathan Hyde was produced for the TV.
In 1990 a short film was made with Mickey Mouse as a doppelganger in both roles with u. a. Goofy and Karlo the cat . Even Dylan and Cole Sprouse played in 2007 in a new version in the movie "Monte Carlo - A modern Mark Twain story" with. In the original, however, the film is correctly called "The Prince and the Pauper". In the animated series “Graf Duckula” there is the episode “Graf und Bettelmann”, which is freely based on this story. In 2004, " Barbie as the princess and the village girl" was released, which is very much based on the original. In 2013 the “Barbie” film “The Princess and the Pop Star” was released, which tells a modern version of this story.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Prince and the Pauper in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- ↑ Peter Flieher: GDR Television - Online Lexikon der DDR-television movies, TV games and TV productions. Retrieved October 24, 2018 .
- ↑ Crossed Swords in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- ↑ The Prince and the Pauper in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- ↑ The Prince and the Pauper in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- ↑ The Prince and the Pauper in the Internet Movie Database (English)