Cruelty and Comeuppance
In “Hop-Frog,” court jester Hop-Frog and fellow servant Trippetta severely punish their cruel king. The king has essentially enslaved the two of them, and he uses them for his cruel amusement. For instance, he forces Hop-Frog to drink copious amounts of wine, even though drinking alcohol makes Hop-Frog feel distressed and almost crazed. When Trippetta tries to stand up for Hop-Frog in this situation, the king pushes her and tosses his own drink on…
read analysis of Cruelty and Comeuppance
Subversion, Jest, and Trickery
In the story, the court jester Hop-Frog manages to get revenge on a sadistic king through elaborate, subversive trickery. Given his role as a jester, Hop-Frog is expected to use humor and hijinks to entertain the court—but as the story progresses, he uses tricks to undermine rather than appease the king. Given the king’s power and influence over his court, trickery is perhaps the only viable way for Hop-Frog and fellow servant Trippetta to retaliate—the…
read analysis of Subversion, Jest, and Trickery
Physique and Character
Throughout the narrative of Hop-Frog’s revenge, there is particular attention given to physical features and how they inform characters’ behavior. At the beginning of the story, the narrator clearly suggests that there is a strong association between appearance and behavior, evoking the stereotype that fat people naturally like to joke. The narrator later reiterates his belief in the determining effect of body type when he explains that Trippetta (another court servant) is more popular…
read analysis of Physique and Character
