Even though he is typically known for realism in his depictions of American life, here Twain turns his skill for dialect and imitation to the 16th century. For example, when Tom meets the King, he introduces himself by saying:
“I pray thee of thy grace believe me, I did but speak the truth, most dread lord; for I am the meanest among thy subjects, being a pauper born, and tis’ by a sore mischance and accident I am here, albeit I was therein nothing blameful.”
In contrast to the narration, which mostly comes in the form of structurally modern sentences, the dialogue follows an older word order which sometimes reverses clauses (“tis’ by a sore mischance…I am here”). The vocabulary is also accurate to the Tudor period. Tom describes himself as a “pauper” (a poor boy), who is “therein nothing blameful” in (i.e. not responsible for) his current situation.
Tom, who was born and raised in Offal Court, slips here into a dialect distinct to the Palace. Having spent so much time imitating a prince, Tom has learned how to play one to near perfection, even appearing largely convincing to those who know Edward (St. John notes that Prince Edward’s “port and speech are princely still” despite his “madness”). It is testament to Twain’s commitment to realism that he includes Tom’s “palace” speech here, as well as his “common” speech throughout (on top of the variety of dialects incorporated across the novel’s cast of characters).
The structure and vocabulary of the dialogue add realism to Twain’s story, and also help to transport the reader to another time and place. The attention to detail and accuracy in Twain’s dialect actually heightens the sense of looking into a strange and very different world to the modern one; this realist detail grounds an otherwise fanciful tale.
