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
King Henry VIII wakes up from a nap and he realizes that his death is imminent—but he wants to live long enough to see Norfolk executed. Just then, the Lord Chancellor comes in and tells Henry that the peers have confirmed Norfolk’s doom and they are awaiting the king’s word. Henry excitedly gets up, intending to go to Parliament to sign the death warrant, but he gets dizzy and falls back to his couch. Henry tells the Chancellor to just bring him the Great Seal to stamp the order, but Hertford reminds Henry that he gave the Great Seal to Edward for safe keeping and then he runs to ask where it is. Hertford comes back emptyhanded, saying Edward can’t remember. Henry mourns that he can’t suffer madness in place of Edward and he uses a smaller seal. The Duke of Norfolk is set to be executed the next day.
Henry wants to see and know that Norfolk is dead because Norfolk is popular with the people and therefore a threat to Edward’s ascension to the throne. Henry’s greatest preoccupation is making sure his biological son makes him ruthless—he is eager to see that Norfolk is dead, not just imprisoned. Henry also realizes that if Edward is insane, then it is even more important to remove any potential threats that could prevent the Tudor family from ruling England.
Themes
