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THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER

© 2002, Camp Broadway LLCAll rights reserved

This publication is based on the work of The Prince and the Pauper, A New Musical withmusic by Neil Berg, book by Bernie Garzia & Ray Roderick and lyrics by Neil Berg and BernieGarzia. The content of the The Prince and the Pauper, A New Musical edition ofStageNOTES™ A Field Guide for Teachers is fully protected under the copyright laws of theUnited States of America and all other countries with which the United States has reciprocalcopyright relations. All rights regarding publishing, reprint permissions, public readings, andmechanical or electronic reproduction, including but not limited to, CD-ROM, informationstorage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreignlanguages are strictly reserved.

Printed in the United States of AmericaFirst printing, September 2002

ISBN: 1-930504-08-X

Look for the original cast recording of The Prince and the Pauper on Jay Records

For more information on StageNOTES and other theater arts related programs for students,contact:

Camp Broadway LLC145 West 45th Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10036Telephone: (212) 575-2929Facsimile: (212) 575-3125Email: admin@campbroadway.comwww.campbroadway.com

StageNOTES™

A FIELD GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

A Camp Broadway LLC Publication

Editor: Jodi Simon StewartAssociate Editor: Lesley Mazzotta, Roseanne SaracenoArt Director: Joseph M. Pisarchick

Contributors:Sascha Paladino is a writer, filmmaker and teacher. He writes for a number of children’s televisionshows, including “Blue’s Clues,” an educational program for preschoolers on Nickelodeon. He alsowrites about theater, film and popular culture for The Brooklyn Academy of Music. He has taughtperformance and performance theory in public schools and prisons.

Nancy Valentino is an editor specializing in theater, film and fashion.

Special Thanks:Dana Kenn, Set DesignerSam Fleming, Costume Designer

Neil Berg, Bernie Garzia, John Glaudini, Ray Roderick, Gerard Canonico, Dennis Michael Hall,Allison Fisher and Jimmy Dieffenbach – for giving their time to be interviewed for this publication

The Prince and the Pauper Logo Design: Eliran Murphy Group/Jon Bierman, Christine ShiloskyProduction Photos: Carol Rosegg

Printed by: Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY

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Letter from theProducersDear Educator,

elcome to the exciting world of The Prince and thePauper, a new musical based on the legendary storyby Mark Twain. The story traces two boys as they

change places and thus change the destiny of a nation.

The world of our musical is heroes and villains, lords andladies, kings and princes combined with great music andenough sword fighting to interest all students. Our stars aretwo 13-year-old boys who have extraordinary talent andcharisma.

We knew we had to produce this musical when we heard thesong "Thrill of Adventure." In this song, we learn of eachboy’s desire to change places and see how the other lives. Thepauper sings, from the streets of the London slums, of hisdreams that don’t come true, while the prince, high behindhis castle walls, sings of his dreams to break out of his perfectworld.

How many of us have thought the grass is always greener onthe other side? Well, in The Prince and the Pauper, the boyshave that chance and through the switching of their clothes,they learn what it truly means to walk in the other’s shoes.The result is a newfound compassion for our prince whodecides that his reign will be one of compassion. Our pauperlearns that a life of luxury and power carries responsibilityand does not guarantee happiness.

In addition to Producers, Marion and I are also parents. Ihave four daughters and Marion has a son. We believe thismessage of compassion, fairness, and respect are lessons westill need to teach in our high-tech world. The journey ofThe Prince and the Pauper through song, sword fighting,laughter and tears illustrates these timeless virtues. This pieceis as relevant for children of the 21st century as it was in the19th century when Mark Twain wrote his beloved tale.

Our musical is a natural magnet for students and teachers.This past summer, as we played to full capacities, we werethrilled to find children of all ages loved this musical. Wemet and talked with children as young as five and as old as17 who fell in love with our world. Parents often commented,“In the past, we have had to drag our boys to the theatre butthis was a new experience for them. They loved it!” and“What a treat to see a classic piece of literature brought to lifeso that now my children want to read the book.” Our musical will make theatre lovers out of ALL your students.

We have dedicated performances for schools at special student prices. We hope you take advantage of these performances. We know you will have an unforgettable experience.

“I’ve got this feeling inside me, it’s filled with magic

and mystery, oh, someone please tell me what it can be.

It is the Thrill of Adventure.”

Enjoy the adventure,

Carolyn Rossi Copeland Marian Lerman Jacobs

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wo boys are born in

England on the

same day in 1537.

One is Edward, Prince of

Wales, son of King Henry

VIII. The other is Tom

Canty, son of John Canty, a

beggar and a thief who

treats his family with cruelty

and contempt. The lives of the boys couldn’t be

more different. Prince Edward is pampered and

every need is taken care of, but his life is full of

annoying responsibilities and he has no friends his

age. Tom begs for money on the street and imagines

he is the prince, fighting pretend duels with his

friends.

On both boys’ tenth birthday, Tom sees Prince

Edward pass through town. After begging outside

the palace gate, Tom is brought inside by Prince

Edward. The boys admit how fascinated they are

with each other’s lives. When they exchange clothes,

they discover they look almost identical. Wearing

Tom’s ragged clothing, Prince Edward runs outside

the palace to get a taste of freedom. Tom, wearing

Edward’s royal outfit, is treated like the prince.

When Edward tries to get back into the palace, no

one believes who he really is. The prince and the

pauper have traded identities.

When Tom tells everyone in the palace his true

identity, they think the prince has gone crazy. King

Henry, who is ailing, tells him how he ought to

behave as a member of the royal family. Tom must

also deal with Hugh Hendon, a royal attendant who

is scheming to seize power.

Out on the street, Prince

Edward tells everyone his

true identity – and in return

is beaten and humiliated.

Luckily he meets Miles

Hendon, brother of Hugh, who

has returned from 10 years as a

prisoner of war to claim his

fiancée, Lady Edith. It turns out

that Hugh has double–crossed Miles and stolen his

wife. Miles becomes Prince Edward’s protector, saving

him from the harsh realities of life in the outside

world. Together they make their way back to the

palace. Along the way, Prince Edward witnesses the

poverty and cruelty that are a result of his father’s rule.

In the palace, Tom continues to make decisions that

surprise everyone – like showing compassion to

those who have broken the law. When King Henry

dies, preparations are made to crown Tom as the

new king. Prince Edward and Miles arrive at the

palace just in time. They prove that Edward is the

true prince, and overcome Hugh, who is about to

take control from the prince. Edward is restored to

his rightful place and crowned as the new King of

England. Tom and Edward agree that they will be

friends forever, and King Edward (who has learned

quite a bit in his short life as a pauper) promises to

be a compassionate king. ❂

The Prince and the Pauper

The Story

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StageNOTES spoke with the

creators of The Prince and the Pauper

about what went into making the

musical. Neil Berg (Music and Lyrics),

Bernie Garzia (Book and Lyrics),

Ray Roderick (Book and Direction),

and John Glaudini (Music Supervisor)

talked about bringing Mark Twain’s

work to the stage.

StageNOTES: What was the inspirationfor creating a musical of The Prince andthe Pauper?

Neil Berg: The 1937 film version of ThePrince and the Pauper, starring ErrolFlynn, was one of my favorite movieswhen I was a kid. I watched it with myfather when I was about 10 years old.When I got out of school and was writ-ing musicals, trying to get them done inNew York, I worried about being tooartsy and creating a new kind of theater.Finally I just decided to go back to astory that I was passionate about, that Iloved as a kid, which was The Prince andthe Pauper. We did a big reading of theshow, then went back to work on it. Overthe next two and a half years we did a tonof readings – and rewrote the show.

Bernie Garzia: Between the respect andtrust that we had in the piece – and ineach other’s strengths – the four of uswere able to truly collaborate on everyrewrite that we did. All the reworkingabsolutely strengthened the piece, everystep of the way.

John Glaudini: One major, positivechange was figuring out how to make theshow, originally written for a cast of 25,

work for a cast of 12. It made the piece alot more fun in an intimate setting, withthe audience seeing these incredible actorscreate all these great characters.

SN: What kind of research went intowriting the show?

NB: When I first started writing the show,I read the book about five or six timesstraight through. We kept faithful to a lotof aspects of the book, then took it outand made it our own. Bernie had actuallylived in London, so he was one of ourresources.

BG: I am the oldest of the group, but Ididn’t live there in 1547! It’s interesting,when people say research, there’s twolevels of research that I’ve found. There’sactual historical research, and then there’sresearch about the Twain story itself.

NB: Yeah, in some regards we were moreinterested in how Twain wrote this piecethan what was going on during HenryVIII’s time – which was actually anallegory for what was going on inAmerica during Twain’s time.

SN: How did you choose the musicalstyle for this show?

NB: As a composer, I go in and think andact and improvise as all the characters. AsI’m writing I’m trying to think of howthey’d say a line, or musicalize a line. Butmy style is contemporary musical theater.I knew I wanted it to be lively. Initially Iwas going to make the score a pastichescore – meaning that the lower classpeople would all have lower class music,like rock n roll, blues, gospel, things ofthat nature; while the upper class wouldhave a classical sound – you know, amore upper crusty sound. But we knewthe score had to have one voice. It really

just had to be honest. That’s how Idescribe the music – from the heart, andhonest. Then in the second act, whathappens is the prince’s songs become alittle more complex and adult-like – as hebecomes a little more complex andadult-like.

SN: How is the story of The Prince andthe Pauper relevant to today’s society?

NB: There’s a lot buried in the story. Oneof the biggest things for me is aboutpoliticians. They’re the richest people, butwhy can’t they just go connect with realpeople? Obviously that’s still true. Forexample, you have President Bush, whocomes from an elite family, trying toconnect with the poor people in thecountry, but does he really do it?

Ray Roderick: For me it’s a story abouttwo people who, in changing themselves,change the world. Both the prince andthe pauper go through major changesduring the course of the show. But it’s notonly about the internal change that takesplace in each character. Because of thesepersonal changes, the world becomes abetter place.

NB: It’s also about breaking out of classsystems. In our society you’re taught youcan never break out of your class. And yetin the show, Father Andrew gives Tomsome hope – that if he keeps to his booksand treats people well, who knows whatcan happen.

BG: For me it’s all about compassion.It’s about learning about who you are,and who you can be, and who youshould be. And also about expectations– things are not always what you thinkthey might be. ❂

It’s All About Compassion

From Page to Stage: A Conversation With The Creative Team

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StageNOTES spoke with the young

actors who bring The Prince and the

Pauper to life. Gerard Canonico (Tom

Canty), Dennis Michael Hall (Prince

Edward), and Allison Fisher (Lady

Jane/Jamie/Nan) are all 13 years old.

Jimmy Dieffenbach (understudy for both

Tom Canty and Prince Edward) is 10

years old.

StageNOTES: What’s your favorite partof doing the show?

Dennis Michael Hall: Performing infront of different audiences. You getpumped up and excited when the audi-ence is into it.

Gerard Canonico: The audience reactsto what you say. If a line you say makesthem laugh, it makes you feel reallygood. It makes you happy or nervous,depending on the audience. If you dosomething wrong with the wrong crowd,they’re like “Ew.”

SN: What’s your favorite moment in theshow?

GC: The song “Thrill of Adventure” isfun to do because it says more about mycharacter instead of just me standingthere saying “Hi, I’m Tom Canty.” Thesong really explains who the character is,what he wants, and what he’s set out todo. It’s really fun to do because it’s uptempo, it’s just the two of us, the princeand pauper, standing alone onstage in thespotlight singing about what each other’sworlds must be like.

SN: How does being in an off-Broadwaymusical affect your schoolwork?

Allison Fisher: Some days we don’t haveshows, so we go to school. On show days,we have a tutor who comes in and workswith us.

SN: When do you do your homework?

DMH: It’s hard. We do shows at night sowe get pretty tired.

GC: Homework is not my most favoritething to do.

AF: We usually do it in the car on theway to the theater.

SN: What are some funny things thathave happened during performances?

GC: At the beginning of the show, we’rewearing tights with breeches. Backstage,there’s a guy who tells us “Places,” thenhe says “Standby.” “Standby” means we’regoing to go on stage in like five or tenseconds. So one time I came down andthe guy said “Standby,” I looked downand saw that I had no breeches on.

DMH: Pure terror on his face. He was justwearing his tights.

GC: So I yelled, “Stop the show! I gottaget my pants on!” It was the mostembarrassing thing I’ve done in my life.

SN: How did you learn your Britishaccents?

GC: We had a dialect coach who cameand helped us with our accents. He readthrough the whole script with us, andwhen he didn’t like how we pronouncedsomething, he said “Okay, say it this way,with this accent.”

Jimmy Dieffenbach: It was hard, becauseI had to have the most upper class accentthat you can find.

GC: At first, my character starts outmiddle class. Because I’m living in a reallybad neighborhood, with a really badfather, but I’m getting educated by apriest, so I have some upper classinfluence. But as the show goes on, Iget to hook into other people’s upper classaccents. It’s difficult when you’re doing theshow because there are so many thingsyou have to remember at one time: saythis line, sing this note, talk in this accent.

SN: What is the show about to you?

DMH: It’s about maturity. The prince istotally changing his whole personality. Atthe beginning he’s this snotty kid thatdoesn’t take orders from anybody. Thenduring the show, he sees how horribly hisfather treated the people and he changesthat.

GC: It’s also a lesson about not treating aperson badly if you don’t know who theyare. That’s what we learn from HughHendon. Because he knows that I’m notthe prince so he can throw me around.But a lot of other people who find outwho I am still care enough to treat mewell. It’s really about compassion.

SN: Do you have any advice for other kidswho might want to act professionally?

GC: If you want to do it, go for it.

AF: But don’t do it unless it’s fun.

JD: And never take it too seriously. Youget maybe one out of fifty auditions.

AF: There’s a lot of rejection.

GC: If you can’t take that, don’t do it.

DMH: You have to expect anything. ❂

Thrill of Adventure

A Chat With The YoungStars of The Prince and the Pauper

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amuel LanghorneClemens, who wouldlater take the name

“Mark Twain,” was born inFlorida, Missouri in 1835.One of the most prominentwriters and philosophers ofhis time, Twain has beencalled America’s “best lovedcitizen.” He is known forhis sense of humor, his veryAmerican way of looking at the world,and his novels, most famously, TheAdventures of Huckleberry Finn. Hisrealistic style of writing, dialects, anddialogue made his characters come tolife. He often used humor and irony toget at political and cultural issues thatwere important to him.

Clemens’ father was a lawyer and amerchant. He moved the family toHannibal, Missouri a few years after Samwas born. The small town atmosphere ofHannibal would later show up in TheAdventures of Tom Sawyer. WhenClemens was 12 years old his fatherdied, and he and his siblings had to dropout of school to work and support thefamily. As he would later remark in oneof his many famous sayings: “I havenever let my schooling interfere with myeducation.” Clemens became theapprentice to a printer, starting a long

career workingwith words. When he was15 years old,Clemens’ olderbrother, Orion,bought a news-paper, TheHannibalJournal, andSam worked

there as a typesetter. When Orion wasaway, Clemens would write and publishhumorous stories about local peopleand events. Whenever Orion returned,the young writer would usually be introuble.

Clemens felt trapped in his small town,and set out into the world. In NewOrleans, he became a steamboat pilot.He learned every curve of the 1200miles of the Mississippi River betweenSt. Louis and New Orleans. During thetwo and a half years he worked as apilot, he picked up the term “MarkTwain,” a boater’s call meaning that theriver was only two fathoms deep, theminimum depth for safe navigation.

During the Civil War, Clemens spent afew unhappy months as a volunteer inthe Confederate Army. Then, afterworking as a professional miner inCalifornia, he became the editor of anewspaper, The Virginia City Enterprise.He walked 130 miles to take the job,which paid $25 per week. He wroteshort sketches for the paper, often-humorous hoaxes, and oversaw the news.He began signing his articles with thename “Mark Twain,” and soon becameknown in the area for his biting andintelligent writing. One of his mottoswas “When in doubt, tell the truth.”

After becoming involved in a duel (whichgrew out of one of his editorials), Twain

moved on to San Francisco. He wantedhis writing to reach a wider audience, andhad a few pieces published in literarymagazines. A short story of his, TheCelebrated Jumping Frog of CalaverasCounty, was published in The SaturdayPress in 1865. The comic story made himfamous, and was printed and reprinted invarious papers and languages. In 1866, hetraveled to Hawaii as a correspondent forthe Sacramento Union. In 1867 hesailed around the world on a steamer.His travel writing was published innewspapers in New York andCalifornia. It was considered fresh and

About the Author:

Meet Mark TwainS

The Gilded Age (1873)The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)A Tramp Abroad (1880)The Prince and the Pauper (1882)Life on the Mississippi (1883)The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894)

by Mark TwainOther Works

Throughout his life, Twain wasconcerned with social and culturalissues. When he was in his 70’s,he became involved with TheChildren’s Theater for Immigrants,organized by the EducationalAlliance on the Lower East Side ofManhattan. In 1907, they per-formed a stage adaptation of ThePrince and the Pauper. The com-munity worked together to buildthe sets and costumes. The theaterrotated casts so that as many chil-dren as possible would get achance to perform. Twain said ofthe Children’s Theater:

"This theater is an influence.Everything in the world is accom-plished by influences which trainand educate. When you get to beseventy-one and a half, as I am,you may think that your educationis over, but it isn’t…If we had fortytheaters of this kind in this city ofmillions, how they would educateand elevate!"

Mark Twainand the Theater

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original – both honest and hilarious.When he returned home, Twain wasfamous. These articles were collected in abook, The Innocents Abroad (1869). Itwas extremely successful, outselling everyother travel book. As Twain said, "Allyou need in this life is ignorance andconfidence – and then success is sure."

Twain was known as an entertainingtalker, always quick with a funny line. Afriend suggested that he deliver a lecture.It was a huge success, and Twain wassoon in demand to speak at variousevents on both coasts. He was famousfor his spontaneous wit but, as he said,“It usually takes more than three weeksto prepare a good impromptu speech.”

Twain married Olivia Langdon, thedaughter of a wealthy New York coalmerchant. She was intelligent and editedall of her husband’s writing until shedied. They settled in Hartford,Connecticut. Their house was busy –Twain soon had three daughters, and theClemens home also became a sort ofheadquarters for writers, who wouldstop by to see Mark Twain. To get somequiet space to write, Twain would go tohis country home in Elmira, New York.It was here that Twain wrote some of hisgreatest works, The Adventures of TomSawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Lifeon the Mississippi, The Adventures ofHuckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut

Yankee in King Arthur’sCourt. These novelsexplored themes ofadventure, growing up, andthe hypocrisies of life. Heliked exposing realities andpoking holes in shams,often through humor. Hereis an example from one ofhis books: “Reader, supposeyou were an idiot. Andsuppose you were amember of Congress. But Irepeat myself.”Twain made a number ofbad investments that lefthim bankrupt after thepublication of HuckleberryFinn, but his next threebooks helped him get backon his feet financially. Hemoved his family to Berlin for a fewyears. When he returned to the U.S. in1903, it was a national event. Whereverhe appeared, masses of people welcomedhim. The next year his wife died. Herdeath left him sad and bitter, and hiswriting, while still humorous, took on adarker tone.

Twain was given many honors late in hislife. In 1907 he received an honorarydoctorate in literature from OxfordUniversity. His response was: “I don’tknow why they should give me a degreelike that. I never doctored any literature.

I wouldn’t know how.”

Twain died in 1910. His work hit a chordwith people because his humor wasalways mixed with honesty. As he liked tosay, “Always tell the truth. That way, youdon’t have to remember what you said.”His writing provides a sincere look at howhuman beings really behave, with all theirstrengths and all their weaknesses. And,pretty often, it makes you laugh. AsTwain said, “The human race has onereally effective weapon, and that is laugh-ter.” Mark Twain is remembered as one ofthe greatest of American writers. ❂

A Daughter RespondsMark Twain dedicated The Prince and the Pauper to hisdaughters: “To Those Good-Mannered and AgreeableChildren, Susie and Clara Clemens, this book is affectionate-ly inscribed by their father.” Susie felt that the bookexpressed her father’s ideas more purely than any of his otherworks. When she was 13 years old, she wrote:

"His Prince and Pauper is his most original, and best production; itshows the most of any of his books what kind of pictures are in hismind, usually. Not that the pictures of England in the 16th century

and the adventures of a little prince andpauper are the kind of things he mainlythinks about; but that that book, and thosepictures represent the train of thought andimagination he would be likely to bethinking of to-day, to-morrow, or next day,more nearly than those given in TomSawyer or Huckleberry Finn."

The World According to Mark TwainOn The Prince and the Pauper:“If I knew it would never sell a copymy jubilant delight in writing itwould not suffer any diminution.”- Letter to W. D. Howells, March 5, 1880

“Always obey your parents, when theyare present. Most parents think theyknow more than you do; and you cangenerally make more by humoring

that superstition than you can byacting on your own better judgment.”- Advice to Youth, April 15, 1882

“The best way to cheer yourself up isto try to cheer somebody else up.”- Mark Twain's Notebook

"When I reflect upon the number ofdisagreeable people who I know have

gone to a better world, I am moved tolead a different life."- Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar, 1894

“Rise early. It is the early bird thatcatches the worm. Don't be fooled bythis absurd saw; I once knew a manwho tried it. He got up at sunrise anda horse bit him.”- Mark Twain's Notebook

“If all men were rich, all men wouldbe poor.”- Mark Twain's Notebook

“There are several good protectionsagainst temptation, but the mostpopular is cowardice.”

“When you cannot get a complimentin any other way, pay yourself one.”

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n 16th century England, the gap between the rich

and the poor was large – and growing. In his 1577

book about English society, William Harrison,

a country parson, describes the divisions between

various social classes. “We in England divide our

people commonly into four sorts.” The first are

gentlemen (women were included in the class of

their husbands and fathers), which covers everyone

from nobles to professionals; next come the citizens

of the cities, who are free men with special

privileges; next come the yeomen of the

countryside, such as farmers, tradespeople,

and craft workers; and finally the poor – day

laborers, servants and vagrants, who have

“neither voice nor authority.”

While most societies have different economic

levels, what is staggering about Tudor England is

the amount of people in each extreme. About 5%

of the population were “gentlemen.” The majority of

English citizens, a whopping 80-90%, were poor – or,

as they were often called, “common people.”

Between 1520 and 1600 the population of England

doubled – from 2 million to 4 million – widening

the gap between rich and poor even more as jobs

became harder to find.

On the Street

The lives of the common people were full of hardships. Their

homes were not much better than sheds. Usually there was

one dirt-floored room downstairs for living and cooking, and

an upstairs for sleeping and storing hay. Windows had

shutters but no glass. Thatched roofs were a fire hazard and a

nesting place for rats and insects. Inside the houses were

dark and dingy. Light came from candles or torches,

which posed a major fire risk. The poor survived on

a very basic diet: hunks of bread, hard cheese,

sometimes meat or fish. There was no running

water or real drainage. All waste was dumped

straight onto the street. Partly as a result, personal

hygiene was bad. Many of the commoners were

dirty and smelly.

Common people were expected to show respect and

deference to those in the higher classes. Many

of the poor were illiterate, which means that

members of the clergy were relied on for the

spread of knowledge. In poor households, children

began helping out around the age of seven. Girls

helped their mothers fetch water, clean clothes, and

watch younger siblings. Boys herded cattle, tended

geese and sheep, and collected firewood.

All children were expected to obey the Fourth

Commandment of the Bible: “Honor thy father and

thy mother.” They often knelt to ask their parents

for their blessing. Parents prized obedience and

manners; as a result many children were raised

with harsh discipline.

Many diseases were rampant. Smallpox, syphilis,

and tuberculosis were common among all classes – but in the

crowded areas where the urban poor live, these diseases were

everywhere. One in every five newborn children died before

reaching its first birthday. About 25% of children born

between 1550 and 1600 didn’t live past 10 years old.

About the Era:

The World of The Prince

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In the Palace

Things were different for the

select few who lived in the

palace. The royal family and

their courtiers had a full staff of

servants who waited on them.

Nobility was passed down from

generation to generation – and

with it, specific sets of customs and

traditions. Royalty and nobility

wore lavish clothing. A fancy

velvet dress might cost more

than a day laborer could earn in

10 years of work. The palace

chef prepared lavish meals for

the royal family – well-prepared

chicken or steak, as opposed to the bread and cheese of the

commoners.

The strict hierarchy of Tudor England

was reinforced through customs

and standards of behavior. For

the well-to-do, social status

depended on appearances and

hospitality. The rich entertained

gentlemen and women in their

lavish houses. Clothing also

expressed status and wealth.

One law (enacted in 1463) even

said that velvet and satin can only

be worn by men above the rank

of knight, and their wives. The

rich and powerful had large

households, with enormous

serving staffs. For example, in

1521 the Earl of Northumberland supported 166 people –

family, servants, and guests.

and The Pauper

■ In times of inflation, some men and women doa day's work for board and lodging, with no payment.

■ In the 1550s, a laborer can make 1 shilling a day.

■ Poor relief in some parishes is 6 pence a week.

■ The staple diet of the poor is a halfpenny loaf of bread, which feeds two people.

■ A Tudor soldier's daily rations – if they arrive – are 32oz of meat, 24oz of bread, 16oz of cheese and 5 pints of beer.

■ On January 6, 1508, to mark the end of the 12days of Christmas, the Duke of Buckingham gives a feast for 460 people. The menu includes

swans, herons and peacocks, 680 loaves, 260 flagons of ale, 400 eggs, 200 oysters,12 pigs and 10 sheep. The total cost is £7 – more than a year’s pay for a laborer.

■ In 1597, the year when the poor are in greatest need because of widespread famine, one courtier lavishes £2,000 on his mistress.

■ In 1550, Sir William Petre, one of Elizabeth I’s officials, has 21 servants at his home, Ingatestone Hall in Essex.

■ Begging licenses were only given to the elderly and the sick during Henry VIII's reign. Anyone without a license was subject to terms in the stocks, whipping, having their ears cut off, and, for repeat offenders, death by hanging.

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enry VIII was animportant andinfluential Englishmonarch. Although

he is often remembered for hissix marriages, his achievementsare noteworthy. He helpedshape English society at acrucial turning point.

Henry VIII was born in 1491to King Henry VII andElizabeth of York. His fathercreated a style of royal courtlife that the young kingemulated and built upon.Instead of always remaining inthe castle, Henry oftentraveled to the countryside.He left governmental businessto his nobles and clergy.

Not that Henry was lazy. As a youngking, Henry invaded France, defeatedScottish forces at the Battle ofFoldden Field, and wrote a treatiseagainst the Reformist ideals ofMartin Luther, whose Protestantismwas at odds with England’s RomanCatholicism. For this treatise, thePope gave Henry the title“Defender of the Faith.”

In the 1530s, Henry became moreinvolved in governing England.During this time, English society– and all of Christianity – waschanged by the separation of the

Church of England from Roman Catholicism.Henry initiated this change partly because his wife at thetime, Catherine of Aragon, had not given him a son.Without a son, Henry would have no heir to the throne.He became obsessed with having a son, and realizedthat he needed to end his marriage to Catherine.Because the Roman Catholic Church would not legallyend the marriage, Henry passed a series of laws thatseparated the Church from the state.

As a result of the separation, much ofthe land that had belonged to theChurch was put on the market andthousands of ex-monks needed jobs.Both events helped to widen the gapbetween rich and poor in England, asland and money went to the royaltyor the nobility, and new legions of theunemployed fought for fewer jobs.

Henry became known as theSupreme Head of the Church ofEngland, and he moved away fromthe older, medieval idea of the ruleras primary lawmaker. His ruleinstead focused on a more modernidea of the ruler as a figurehead andsymbol for the ideals and patriotismof the state.

In 1537 Henry finallyhad a son, with his wifeat the time, JaneSeymour. Henry wasrelieved to know that hisson Edward VI (theprince of The Prince andthe Pauper) would carryon his legacy after hepassed away.

Although for the mostpart Henry was wellloved by his subjects,some commoners wereunhappy with him. Oneuprising (The Pilgrimage of Grace) was spurred by somecounties that didn’t want to break with the Roman CatholicChurch, and resented the poverty that befell them as a result.

The Prince Becomes KingHenry VIII died in 1547, making nine-year-old PrinceEdward the King of England. Since he was still a minor,Edward had to rely on nobles in his court to govern (as“Protectors”) until he was the proper age. Various people

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within the royal courtfought for control of thecrown, and, as a result,Edward’s reign began withmany problems. Edward’suncle, Edward Seymour,gained power and used theProtectorship to further hisown interests and advancehis brand of Protestantism.

During Edward’s rule,England’s economy faredpoorly, as did foreignrelations. The country hadtrouble adjusting to theeffects of Henry VIII’sreligious reforms; unem-ployment skyrocketed andEngland lost money.

Edward VI was intelligentand pious. When he turned16, he was diagnosed withconsumption. A frail boy,he died soon after. Manyagree that if Edward hadlived into manhood, hecould have become one ofEngland’s greatest kings.The novelist Jane Austenwrote: “This Man was onthe whole of a very amiablecharacter.” Thomas Beckettnoted that Edward was “asdocile as a lamb, if indeedhis gentleness did notamount to absolutesheepishness.” ❂

VIII Life in the 1500sFun Facts from the 1500s

ost people got married in Junebecause they took their yearly bath in

May and still smelled pretty good by June.However, they were starting tosmell so brides carried a bouquet

of flowers to hide the body odor.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled withhot water. The man of the house had theprivilege of the nice clean water, then all theother sons and men, then women and finallythe children – last of all the babies. By thenthe water was so dirty you could actually losesomeone in it. Hencethe saying, “Don’tthrow the baby outwith the bath water.”

Houses had thatchedroofs – thick straw –piled high, with nowood underneath. It was the only place foranimals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats andother small animals (mice, bugs) lived in theroof. When it rained it became slippery andsometimes the animals would slip and falloff the roof - hence the saying “It’s rainingcats and dogs.”

Thewealthy had slate floors that would get slip-pery in the winter when wet, so they spreadthresh (straw) on the floor to help keep theirfooting. As the winter wore on, they keptadding more thresh until when you openedthe door it would all start slipping outside. Apiece of wood was placed in the entrance-way, hence, a “thresh hold.”

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchenwith a big kettle that always hung over thefire. Every day, they lit the fire and addedthings to the pot. They ate mostly vegetablesand did not get much meat. They would eat

the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in thepot to get cold overnight and then start overthe next day. Sometimes thestew had food in it that hadbeen there for quite awhile.Hence the rhyme, “peasporridge hot, peas por-ridge cold, peas porridgein the pot nine days old.”

Sometimes they couldobtain pork, which made them feel quitespecial. When visitors came over, theywould hang up their bacon to show off. Itwas a sign of wealth that a man “couldbring home the bacon.” They would cutoff a little to share with guests and would allsit around and “chew the fat.”

Most people did not have pewter plates, buthad trenchers, a piece of wood with the mid-dle scooped out like a bowl. Often trencherswere made from stale bread, which was soold and hard that they could be used forquite some time. Trenchers were neverwashed and a lot of times, worms and moldgot into the wood and old bread. After eat-ing off wormy, moldy trenchers, one wouldget trench mouth.

Bread was divided according to status.Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf,the family got the middle,and guests got thetop, or “uppercrust.”

Lead cups wereused to drink ale orwhiskey. The combinationwould sometimes knock them out for a cou-ple of days. Someone walking along the roadwould take them for dead and prepare themfor burial. They were laid out on the kitchentable for a couple of days and the familywould gather around and eat and drink andwait and see if they would wake up. Hencethe custom of holding a “wake.”

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Writing Exercise

Trading PlacesOBJECTIVE: Students explore the concept of perspectivetaking.

TOM: …Sometimes I pretend to be you.

PRINCE: Why would you want to be me?

TOM: It’s fun.

PRINCE: All right, Canty, let’s play pretend. You be me

if you like, and I shall be…you.

EXERCISE: If you could switch places with anyone in the world, whowould it be? Why would you want to switch places with himor her? What would be the drawbacks to “being” this person?

A. Choose someone you’d like to switch places with. Write adiary entry, in the first person, that describes a normal day inyour new life. What kinds of things do you do? How dopeople treat you? How is it different from your old life,down to the little details?

B. Imagine that you are switching places with a homelessperson. Write a diary entry, in the first person, that describesa normal day for you. What does the world look like throughthese eyes? How do people treat you? How do you feel aboutyourself?

TEACHING TIPS:What does it mean to see the world through someone else’seyes? What benefits can it provide? Why is it helpful tounderstand other peoples’ perspectives? Who else would youlike to trade places with, and why? Who would you like totake your place, and why?

Note: Students may use the accompanying Activity Guide towrite their diary entries.

Discussion Exercise

Class DifferencesOBJECTIVE: Students learn about differences between richand poor in Tudor England, and connect it to today’s society.

TOM: Didn’t mean to be no trouble, your Highness.

Honest. I was only beggin’ a bit. So me familycan eat.

PRINCE: You have to beg for food?

TOM: Well, I won’t steal it…so me Dad makes me beg.

EXERCISE:Read about life in 16th century England. How wereconditions different in the palace than they were on thestreet? Why did many of the peasants resent the nobility andthe royal family? How could tensions between the rich andthe poor have been eased? In what ways does the gapbetween rich and poor express itself in American societytoday? What contemporary groups are equivalent to “princes”and “paupers?” Compare contemporary American society tothe society portrayed in The Prince and the Pauper. How is itdifferent? How is it the same?

TEACHING TIPS:In today’s society, how can we tell the “haves” from the“have-nots” – that is, what are the visual markers of class?How is the concept of class handled differently in othercultures? For example, compare U.S. class structures withIndia’s caste system. How difficult is it for Americans tochange their economic status? How is this tied up with theconcept of “The American Dream?”

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Experiential Exercise

AdaptationOBJECTIVE: Students adapt a literary work into a stage piece.

"We dance and sing about the Maypole in Cheapside, weplay in the sand, each covering his neighbor up; and timeswe make mud pastry – oh, the lovely mud, it hath not itslike for delightfulness in all the world – we do fairly wal-low in the mud, sir, saving your worship’s presence!"

"Oh, prithee, say no more, ‘tis glorious! If that Icould but clothe me in raiment like to thine, and strip myfeet, and revel in the mud once, just once, with none torebuke me or forbid, meseemeth I could forgo the crown!"

"And if that I could clothe me once, sweet sir, asthou art clad – just once – "-From The Prince and The Pauper by Mark Twain

PRINCE:IF I WERE YOU, I’D HAVE FRIENDS AND FREE-DOMI’D FIND SOME MUD, ALL THICK AND DRIPPINGGOO.I WOULD JUMP IN WITH GLEEDOM.YES, THAT IS WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WERE YOU.

TOM: IF I WERE YOU, I’D RULE PEOPLE KINDLY.I WOULD FEED THEM, AND PAY THEM TWICEWHAT THEY WERE DUEI KNOW THEY’D LOVE ME AND FOLLOW MEBLINDLY.YES, THAT IS WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WERE YOU.

-From The Prince and The Pauper, The Musical

EXERCISEThe creators of the musical, The Prince and The Pauper, tookMark Twain’s original novel as a starting point and adapted itfor the stage. They wrote songs and made alterations to thestory and the language so it would work in the theater. Whatdo you think some of the challenges are in adapting a literarywork to the stage?

Split the class into groups of 4-5. Each group should choosea short story (or fairy tale) they may have read in class.Working together, adapt the story into a performance.Keeping in mind what would make the story interesting towatch, not just read, write a short script. Think about timeswhen the story can be told with visuals or movement ratherthan with dialogue. Perform the short adaptation in front ofthe class.

TEACHING TIPS:What are some other adaptations you have worked with inclass – such as films adapted from books? Which ones weremost successful, and why? Do adaptations work best whenthey remain completely faithful to the source material, orcan deviations from the original sometimes be useful andproductive? What makes something theatrical, as opposedto literary?

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Research Activities

Preparing to ReadOBJECTIVE: Students research background information toincrease their enjoyment and understanding of the novel.

■ Research changes in the English language, especially inspelling and pronunciation, from the 16th century to thepresent day.

■ Research the Tudor royalty. The Prince and the Pauperincludes four characters who served as rulers of England:Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey, Mary, and Edward VI. Whatwere their reputations as leaders?

■ Research the differences in living conditions for commonpeople and nobility of 16th century England. Divide a pieceof paper in half, and on each side draw a picture of what youimagine living quarters looked like in each section of society.

■ Research the different types of punishments used in 16thcentury common life. How are they different from punish-ments used today?

TEACHING TIPS:What movies or plays have you seen that depict 16th centuryEngland? What images stick in your head about that timeperiod? What similarities can we find between contemporaryAmerican society and Tudor England? What differences? Inwhat ways do class differences influence a culture?

Writing Exercise

A Novel Point of ViewOBJECTIVE: Students look at the story from a different angle.

The Prince and the Pauper is told in the third person. Thestoryteller switches back and forth between the prince andthe pauper to see how each one is faring in his new identity.Many other characters populate the book. How does theaction appear to them?

Choose a part of the novel and rewrite it from a new point ofview. For example, write from the perspective of Tom Canty’smother, talking to a friend about how strangely her son isacting.

TEACHING TIPS:What can we learn from taking a different perspective? Whydid Mark Twain choose to write the novel in the thirdperson? How would the novel be different if he had chosen anarrator from within the story? Who do you think wouldhave made a good narrator to tell the entire story?

Extended Learning

Using the Novel in yourUse the following activities and assignments to further explore Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper.

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Experiential Learning

Hugh Hendon on TrialOBJECTIVE: Students learn to debate and defend a givenpoint of view.

Create a courtroom trial for Hugh Hendon. He is accused oftaking his brother’s property and stealing his fiancée, LadyEdith. Assign students the roles of Hugh, Miles, Edith,Father Andrews, and other servants as witnesses. Twostudents should be the lawyers, and one should be the judge. Others may be jurors, reporters, spectators, etc.

Each side should make its case as convincingly as possible,using "eyewitness testimony." In the end, the jury shouldmake a decision on the case, and the judge should hand out a sentence, if the defendant is guilty.

TEACHING TIPS:Why did Hugh Hendon do what he did? What did he hopeto gain? How did his actions affect other people? Did any ofhis actions have positive effects? To whom or what did Hughshow loyalty? If you were the judge, how would you sentencehim?

Writing Exercise

InterviewOBJECTIVE: Students use journalism skills to imagineEdward’s first days as king.

Write a newspaper or magazine interview with Edward, justafter he has become king. Come up with a list of questions,then write out Edward’s answers yourself, as you think hewould respond to the questions. Based on his experiences,what kind of ruler do you think Edward will turn out to be?

TEACHING TIPS:What kinds of questions lead to good answers? What aresome techniques that journalists use when conducting interviews? How would Edward speak, in terms of the vocabulary he would use?

Experiential Learning

President for a DayOBJECTIVE: Students explore making political policies thataffect large groups of people.

In The Prince and the Pauper, Tom Canty imagines all thethings he would do if he were prince. Since he lives on thestreet, he suffers the effects of the royal laws. He therefore hasa unique perspective on how they should be changed –whereas the royalty is so separate from the common peoplethat they have no idea what really goes on in society. WhenTom is mistaken for the prince and gets to make politicaldecisions, his experience affects these decisions.

What kinds of decisions would you make if YOU weregiven that kind of power? Imagine that you have beenelected President of the United States. What kinds of lawswould you propose to make society run better – from yourperspective? First, research some of the recent policydecisions by the current president. Then, write a speechoutlining your goals and how you plan to achieve them.For example, do you have any solutions for the homelessproblem?

Read your speech in front of the class. The class should thenrespond to your ideas, and you may be asked to defend yourviews.

TEACHING TIPS:What are the goals of speeches such as this one? What doesthe president hope to accomplish in one of his big speech-es? What are the elements of a good speech? How is speechwriting related to debating? How does the president’sperspective affect the decisions he makes? Are your views oncertain issues in line with the majority way of thinking, ordo they differ in some way? How do we form our ownopinions on political and social issues? Where do youropinions come from?

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WEBSITES:www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/prince_pauper.html Lesson plans for studying the book

www.lib.berkeley.edu/BANC/Exhibits/MTP Mark Twain at Large

www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown The Children's Literature Web Guide

www.marktwainhouse.org The Mark Twain House

www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide16/part05.html Information about Tudor England

www.lepg.org/sixteen.htmInformation about the 16th century

www.calvin.edu/academic/engl/346/proj/lew/debweb4.htmHistorical information about the time period

ResourcesBOOKS:Astington, John H. English CourtTheatre, 1558-1642. CambridgeUniversity Press: England, 1999.

Beer, Barrett L. Rebellion and Riot:Popular Disorder in England duringthe Reign of Edward VI. Kent StateUniversity Press: Ohio, 1982.

Budd, Louis J., ed. Critical Essays onMark Twain, 1867-1910. G.K. Halland Co: Boston, 1982.

Hill, Hamlin. Mark Twain's Letters tohis Publishers: 1867-1894.University of California Press:Berkeley, 1967.

Jordan, W.K., ed. The Chronicle andPolitical Papers of King Edward VI.Cornell University Press: Ithaca,1966.

Mayhew, Henry and John Binny. TheCriminal Prisons of London andScenes of Prison Life. Frank Cassand Co. Ltd: London, 1968.

Miller, Robert Keith. Mark Twain.Frederick Ungar Publishing Co:New York, 1983.

Paine, Arthur Bigelow. Mark Twain: ABiography. Harper and Brothers:New York, 1912.

Salomon, Roger B. Twain and theImage of History. Yale UniversityPress: New Haven. 1961.

Smith, Lacey Baldwin. Henry VIII: TheMark of Royalty. Houghton Mifflin Co:Boston, 1971.

Thurley, Simon. The Royal Palaces ofTudor England: Architecture andCourt Life, 1460-1547. New Haven:Yale University Press, 1993.

Twain, Mark. The Prince and thePauper. Penguin Books: New York,1882, 1997.

VIDEOS:The Prince and the Pauper. WarnerBrothers, 1937. Directed by WilliamKeighley. Starring Errol Flynn (MilesHendon) and Claude Rains (Earl ofHertford). 120 minutes, b/w.

The Prince and the Pauper. Disney,1962. Directed by Don Chaffey.93 minutes, color.

Crossed Swords. Fox, 1978. Directedby Richard Fleischer. Starring RaquelWelch (Lady Edith), Ernest Borgnine(John Canty), George C. Scott(Ruffler), and Charlton Heston(Henry VIII). 121 minutes, color.

The Prince and the Pauper. Hallmark,2001. Directed by Giles Foster.Starring Aidan Quinn (Miles Hendon)and Alan Bates (Henry VIII). 100minutes, color.