PRISONER OF ZENDA - PLOT SUMMARY

Chapter 1
• Introduction to hero – Rudolf Rassendyll.
• Living with brother and sister-in-law, Lord Burlesdon and Rose.
• Rassendyll, studied in German university, travelled far. Spoke German and English, swordsman & horseman.
• Rose asks him to go to Ruritania with Sir Jacob Borrodaile.
• Decides to go to Ruritania on his own.
• Tells Rose he is going to the Alps to write a book.

Chapter 2
• Rudolf Rassendyll takes train to Ruritania.
• Meets Antoinette de Mauban (widow).
• Everyone stares at him.
• Strelsau is crowded; decides to stay in Zenda.
• Stays at an inn with view of castle.
• Learns about Black Michael, Princess Flavia.
• Johann, Duke’s forest guard is surprised to see Rassendyll.

Chapter 3
• Rassendyll takes a walk in the forest.
• Meets Colonel Sapt, Fritz.
• Finds out he looks like the king; only difference is the beard.
• Meets King Rudolf V.
• Rassendyll is invited to a hunting lodge.
• King Rudolf V drinks drugged wine presented by Duke Michael.
• All fall asleep.

Chapter 4
• All wake up except King Rudolf V.
• Late for coronation.
• King is ‘ill’ and weak.
• Sapt suggests Rassendyll takes the place of the king.
• Rassendyll agrees to do it.

Chapter 5
• Rassendyll shaves and puts on uniform.
• King Rudolf V is left in cellar. Josef is ordered to guard him.
• Sapt instructs Rassendyll on how to behave.
• They take train to Strelsau.
• Welcomed grandly by army; bands & bells.

Chapter 6
• Streslau has ‘ Old Town’ and ‘New Town’.
• Old Town supports Duke Michael; New Town, King Rudolf V.
• Coronation procession.
• Rassendyll meets Princess Flavia in Cathedral.
• They leave for palace; Princess Flavia says he is different.
• Rassendyll dines with Flavia & Michael by his side.

Chapter 7
• Dinner successful; Rassendyll not recognized.
• That night Rassendyll rides to lodge with Sapt.
• Fritz left to guard the King’s bedroom.
• 2 horsemen ride pass (Duke Michael & Max Holf).
• They reach the lodge; find Josef murdered, King missing.

Chapter 8
• Sapt advises Rassendyll to return to Strelsau as King.
• On the way they see 8 horsemen going to bury Josef.
• They kill 3 of the horsemen.

Chapter 9
• Rassendyll returns to the palace.
• Meets ambassadors.
• Introduction to Famous Six.
• Only 3 come back so the other 3 must be guarding the King.

Chapter 10
• Rassendyll visits Princess with Fritz.
• Fritz in love with Countess Helga.
• Rassendyll meets Black Michael & three of the Famous Six.
• Flavia warns him of danger.

Chapter 11
• Rassendyll learns that the King is in Zenda Castle.
• Rassendyll receives a letter asking him to come to a house in New Avenue.
• Meets Antoinette de Mauban.
• She tells him that the Duke made her write the letter and soon 3 men will come to kill him.
• Tells him that the King is in the Old Castle.
• They offer him 50,000 pounds if he leaves Ruritania.
• Rassendyll pretends to accept the offer.
• He shields himself with a heavy iron tea table when they enter and start shooting.
• He hits them with the table and escapes.

Chapter 12
• Duke and the three leave for Zenda.
• People of Ruritania angry; wedding not fixed.
• Goes to dance; says ‘ I love you’ to Flavia in garden.
• Flavia says she started loving him after the Coronation.
• Rassendyll wants to tell her the truth but is stopped by Sapt.
• Everyone cheers to see them together.

Chapter 13
• Flavia gives Rassendyll a red rose.
• In Rassendyll’s heart, Love & Honour are already at war.
• The rescue team comprises thirteen people.
• Sapt spreads the news that the King is going to hunt boars in the forest near Zenda.
• Flavia receives the news of Rassendyll’s hunting trip with sadness.
• She learns that the ‘boar’ is actually Duke Michael and confesses her love to Rassendyll.
• Going to the Castle of Tarlenheim (belongs to Fritz’s uncle) five miles from Zenda. Plenty of boars in surrounding forest.

Chapter 14
• Black Michael sends three of his Famous Six to meet Rassendyll.
• Michael will be visiting Rassendyll when he is better.
• Rassendyll plans to save the King by a trick.
• He asks innkeeper’s daughter to arrange for Johann to meet him.
• Sapt waiting near the Castle of Tarlenheim.
• Bad news; Bernenstein has been shot, mistaken for Rassendyll.

Chapter 15
• Rupert of Hentzau offers a hundred thousand pounds from the Duke if Rassendyll agrees to leave Ruritania.
• Rupert stabs Rassendyll with a dagger.
• Johann agrees to help Rassendyll.
• He tells that the King is imprisoned in the Castle, in the room at the end of the drawbridge.
• If anyone attacks, King will be killed.

Chapter 16
• News that the King is seriously wounded in a boar hunt is spread.
• Princess Flavia visits Rassendyll.
• Rassendyll sets out for Zenda Castle late at night.
• Tries to find the pipe that leads to the King’s room.
• Kills Max Holf, Johann’s brother. Feels bad about it.
• Rassendyll hears the King’s voice through a crack in the pipe.
• He fights with Rupert Of Hentzau but the latter manages to escape.
• Lauengram and Kaufstein killed.

Chapter 17
• Rassendyll’s family are looking for him.
• Rassendyll requests help from Rupert to save the King.
• Instead, Rupert offers Rassendyll a plan; asks Rassendyll to kill Sapt, Fritz and Duke.
• Rassendyll receives a note from Antoinette de Mauban to rescue her.

Chapter 18
• Date of the royal wedding fixed; in a fortnight’s time.
• Duke, Antoinette and Rupert quarrel.
• King is very ill.
• Rassendyll gives Johann fifty thousand crowns to open the front door of the New Castle at two o’clock in the morning.
• Rassendyll plans to save the King before the wedding.
• Bids farewell to Princess Flavia and gives her a ring.

Chapter 19
• Rassendyll swims to the drawbridge from the moat.
• Antoinette is being harassed by Rupert.
• She threatens to jump into the moat.
• Duke is furious with Rupert.
• Rupert throws an empty bottle into the moat and starts to fire at the bottle.
• Rupert jumps into the moat and swims to New Castle.

Chapter 20
• Loud crash in Antoinette’s room.
• Antoinette is crying frantically.
• Duke and Rupert are fighting.
• Rupert strikes down Duke and Johann and escapes into the moat.
• Rassendyll kills De Gautet, Bersonin and Detchard.
• Rupert appears.

Chapter 21
• The duke is dead.
• Antoinette fires at Rupert but misses.
• Rupert disappears into the forest.
• Snatches a peasant girl’s horse.
• Rupert tries to kill Rassendyll who is injured.
• Fritz saves Rassendyll.

Chapter 22
• Antoinette grieves for the Duke.
• King badly wounded.
• News is sent to Strelsau that the King has gone to rescue a friend.
• Princess rides to Zenda and finds out who the real King is.

Chapter 23
• Rassendyll rests in Old Castle.
• He meets the King who is grateful to him for saving his life and throne.
• Rassendyll meets Princess Flavia.
• Princess loves Rassendyll, not the King.
• Honour requires her to serve her country and marry the King.
• Rassendyll gets into train and leaves Ruritania.

Chapter 24
• Rassendyll goes to Italy.
• Travels to the Alps for a ‘ quiet holiday’.
• Stays a few days in Paris.
• Hears that Antoinette is living alone in Paris with memories of the Duke.
• Rassendyll is scolded by Rose for not writing the book.
• He rejects the job of being an ‘attache’ to Sir Jacob.
• Rassendyll lives alone in a small house with sweet memories of Princess Flavia until his dying day.
• Once a year they exchange roses and profess their love with the help of Fritz.