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Chapter 13
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Prince and the Pauper, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Appearances vs. Reality
Wealth, Poverty, and Morality
Justice
Nature vs. Nurture
Summary
Analysis
That same morning, Tom Canty wakes up convinced that everything that’s happened was a dream. He calls to Nan and Bet to tell them about it, but instead a servant comes. Tom asks the servant who he (Tom) is and the servant replies that he is the king. Tom is saddened to hear this and he tells the man to leave. Tom falls back asleep and has a dream about a dwarf who tells him to dig by a stump every seventh day because he’ll find pennies there. In the dream Tom is overjoyed and rushes home to give his mother the pennies. One of the servants interrupts this dream and wakes Tom up. Tom realizes that he’s unfortunately still “a captive and a king.” He gets out of bed and stands there while a train of people pass his new clothes around, dress him, and help him wash himself.
When Tom was living in a slum, he dreamed of enjoying fabulous wealth and luxury—but now that he’s surrounded by these things, he simply dreams of being able to give his mother some pennies every once in a while. This shows how humble and selfless Tom’s real desires are—he just wants to help his mother to make up for how much she’s had to suffer on his account. In the palace, Tom feels like “a captive and a king,” which means that even though he has a king’s power, he is trapped in that role. Ironically, the one thing he doesn’t really have control over is his own life.
Themes
Literary Devices
Tom’s officers lead him into the throne room where Hertford waits to help him through the day’s business. The business is just a form since a Protector hasn’t been assigned to Tom yet. Tom is startled to learn that Henry won’t be buried until the middle of the next month, but Hertford calms him down. The ministers describe the crowns debts and Tom makes the mistake of suggesting they cut down the servants and move into a small house, but he stops talking after Hertford presses his arm. The ministers also mention that Henry wanted to give Hertford a ducal title and go over some other business Henry didn’t have time to complete on paper. Tom wonders if he can give his mother a title but he realizes he’s not a real king and nobody believes his mother exists. Tom gets bored listening to the ministers and falls asleep.
Tom’s initial reaction to hearing how much money the crown owes is that they must immediately take steps the pay the debt off and reduce expenses. While this might seem reasonable to any common person, Hertford’s reaction and touch reveals that it’s unreasonable for a monarch. Tom must keep up his royal appearance even if it drives the throne so far into debt that there’s no way out. This is also one of the downsides to rank: simply having a title doesn’t mean anything if a person isn’t spending extravagant amounts of money to look like they have a title as well.
Themes
That afternoon, Tom enjoys some free time until the guards admit a boy to the room. Tom asks who the boy is and what he wants. The boy is surprised he and explains that he’s the whipping boy, Humphrey Marlow. Tom explains that his mind is clouded by grief. Out loud, Humphrey sympathizes with Tom but he thinks to himself that the king really is insane. Humphrey tells Tom that it’s been two days since Tom made several mistakes during his Greek lesson, and the master swore to whip Humphrey as usual. Humphrey asks if Tom will tell the master not to whip him in light of Henry’s death. Tom readily agrees. Humphrey expresses his fear that he’ll be fired now that Tom is king. Tom assures Humphrey that he can keep his position; in fact, Tom says the position will be permanent and even extend to Humphrey’s heirs.
Humphrey is a striking example of how the upper classes view the lower classes as subhuman: it’s okay to whip an innocent boy who is getting paid for it, but no to whip the person at fault if that person is royal. In this way, Edward has been able to escape the consequences that would befall other kids who make mistakes during their lessons, which encourages him to feel superior to other people.
Themes
Humphrey is very grateful, and Tom realizes he can use Humphrey to learn more about the palace. He and Humphrey talk for a while; Tom is happy to learn more about the palace and Humphrey is proud to think he’s helping the king regain his memory. Finally, Tom dismisses Humphrey but he says Humphrey is welcome back in Tom’s private rooms whenever he’s not busy with matters of state. After Humphrey leaves, Hertford enters and explains that the council wants Tom to dine publicly after a couple of days of mourning. Hertford and the council believe this will dispel any rumors about the king’s sanity. Hertford describes the practices Tom will have to observe and is delighted to see that Tom doesn’t need much help. Hertford expresses his joy and mentions that Tom might know where the Great Seal is now. Tom asks what it looks like and Hertford changes the subject.
Hertford knows that only the real Edward will know where the Great Seal is because Henry gave it to Edward to hide before he supposedly went mad. The fact that Tom is starting to remember frivolous things like how to dine in public but not a very important thing like where he hid the seal doesn’t seem to concern Hertford, though. This suggests that Hertford, despite his suspicions, still prefers to think that the King of England is really mad rather than believe that Tom’s story about being a beggar was true. Again, this demonstrates the willingness of people to cling to what they see rather than to believe what they intuit to be true.
Themes
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