The Court, as the setting of the royal wedding and the home of the Rocket, is a representation of the hollowness of high society and the aristocracy of late Victorian England, with which Oscar Wilde was well-acquainted. The Court and high society are preoccupied with status, consumed with conceit, and do not add any sort of value to the world. Although the members of the Court take the words of the King quite seriously, the story implies that there is no substance to his proclamations, such as when the King declares a doubled salary for the Page, who actually receives no salary at all. Even though the King’s declaration has no substance and accomplishes nothing, the Courtiers are thrilled. In the same way, when the King does a horrible job of playing the flute, the Courtiers cry out, “Charming, charming!” since they dare not defy the King and they all seek his favor. The Court is not only depicted as being hollow, but also relatively functionless. There is never any reference to the Court or the King accomplishing a single thing or administrating as a government. All of their energy and activity is put into pomp and circumstance—like the lavish royal wedding between the Prince and the Princess, which serves as the story’s backdrop—but it adds no real value to the world of the story.
The Court Quotes in The Remarkable Rocket
“She was like a white rose before,” said a young Page to his neighbour, “but she is like a red rose now;” and the whole Court was delighted.
For the next three days everybody went about saying, “White rose, Red rose, Red rose, White rose;” and the King gave orders that the Page's salary was to be doubled. As he received no salary at all this was not of much use to him, but it was considered a great honour, and was duly published in the Court Gazette.
“Bad Rocket? Bad Rocket?” he said as he whirled through the air; “impossible! Grand Rocket, that is what the man said. Bad and Grand sound very much the same, indeed they often are the same.”
“[…] I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments [...] Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions.”
“I had thoughts of entering public life once myself,” answered the Duck; “there are so many things that need reforming. Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some time ago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that we did not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect. Now I go in for domesticity and look after my family.”
The Court Symbol Timeline in The Remarkable Rocket
