Prisoner Of Zenda: Questions and Answers

1. Dangerous situation

In the Prisoner of Zenda, Rudolf Rassendyll faces great danger when he plans to free King Rudolf from his captors. Rassendyll is an ordinary man with no special military or police training. Yet, he feels a strong moral duty to play his part in ensuring that the right king ascends to power. He works together with Colonel Sapt, who is loyal to the king. The king is abducted by his brother, who is a ruthless man, and is guarded by an equally ruthless group of men, known as the Famous Six. Rassendyll first rescue attempt is not successful. His second rescue attempt is, but only after he changes the plan dramatically at the last minute. Both situations are very dangerous and lives are lost.

2. Admirable character

I find Rudolf Rassendyll an admirable character in the novel The Prisoner of Zenda because he is brave and has a strong sense of responsibility and public duty. On several occasions, he risk his life to save the King. Rassendyll does not have special military training or skills to use weapons. But that does not stop him from challenging the Famous Six. Rudolf continues to pursue Rupert even though he is injured and tired. He does all this because he hopes to bring justice to Zenda and to return the country to its rightful leader.

3. The character I like most

The character I like most in ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ is Rudolf Rassendyll. He is adventurous, brave and honourable. In Zenda he risked his life to impersonated king Rudolf V. While impersonating the king, he fell in love with Princess Flavia. However, he knew that her duty to her country was more important than their love. This shows his sense of honour. Their last meeting was very touching and sad.

4. Enjoyed reading the novel

I have enjoyed reading the novel ‘Prisoner of Zenda’. The story is interesting and is about the adventures of Rudolf Rassendyll and how he impersonates King Rudolf V. He went on to save the king and finally part from Princess Flavia, the women he loved. Its message is we should handle crises with courage like Rudolf Rassendyll. He also showed that honour was more important than love. I am so inspired by the honourable nature of these two characters.

5. The Brave character

The character who is very brave is Rudolf Rassendyll. He showed great courage by impersonating King Rudolf V though it was dangerous of doing so. Later, when the king is imprison in then castle, he courageously rescued the king. He fought with the king’s enemies and even got wounded in doing so. His courage paid off when King Rudolf was finally rescued and regained his throne.

6. Theme of honour

The theme of honour is well portrayed in ‘the prisoner of zenda’. Rudolf Rassendyll impersonated King Rudolf V who was kept prisoner in Zenda Castle. He fell in love with Princess Flavia who was betrothed to the real king. But his sense of honour made him feel guilty for he was not the real king. In the end, they agreed to part for, to them, honour was more important than their love. Princess Flavia’s duty to her country must come before her love for Rudolf Rassendyll.

7. Lesson that I have learnt

I have learnt an important lesson from ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’. It is facing challenges with courage and honour. Rudolf knew the danger of impersonating King Rudolf V. Yet, he did it to save the throne from the evil Duke Michael. While playing the part of king, he had fallen in love with Princess Flavia. But he part with her as she had a duty to fulfill for her country. Like him, I have learnt that we must handle problems and challenges with courage and honour.

8. Message of loyalty to its readers

The novel ‘Prisoner of Zenda’ has the message of loyalty for its readers. Colonel Sapt sowed loyalty to his king. It was he who suggested to Rudolf Rassendyll to impersonate the king to save the throne. Later, with Rudolf’s Rassendyll’s help, he helped to rescue the king from the castle. Princess Flavia also showed loyalty to her country by sacrificing her love for Rudolf Rassendyll to marry the king Rudolf V. Like them, we should loyal to our country.

9. Brings attention to the value of love

The novel ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ brings attention to the value of love. While impersonating king Rudolf V, Rudolf Rassendyll fell in love with the beautiful Princess Flavia. She had also fallen in love with him. However, their love was not mean to be, for Princess Flavia was betrothed to the king. In the end, they sacrifices their love for honour and duty. In doing so, Princess Flavia showed that her love for her country was stronger.

10. The title ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ is relevant to the novel

The title ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ is relevant to the novel. The story is about the king of Ruritania who was imprisoned by his evil brother, Duke Michael in Zenda castle. Rudolf Rassendyll who bore a striking resemblance to king Rudolf V impersonated the king. While Rudolf Rassendyll was playing the part of king, King Rudolf V was becoming very ill in prison. Rudolf Rassendyl risked his life to rescue the king who got back his throne.

11. An interesting incident

An interesting incident in the novel ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ was when Rudolf Rassendyll met the king of Ruritania for the first time. For a time, it seemed almost unreal. There was a lot of confusion in this part. This ‘lookalike’ element added intrigue and mystery to the story. It also brought all the earlier questions and riddles to an end. The feeling in this part is like looking at a live image of oneself. I find this is most interesting indeed.

Potato People: Question and Answers

1. Lesson that can be learnt

There are many lesson that can be learned from the novel, Potato People. Perhaps the most important is that we should never give up hope.Patrick Flynne was a young orphan in Ireland during the time of great famine. He had to fend for himself. All around him were people suffering from the effects of the famine. Some of this people were nasty and took advantage of weaker people, but others were good. Patrick, like many other people, ate whatever he could find. Once he had to eat the rotten meat of a dead dog. Patrick saw his home in his village destroyed and burn down. He saw his best friend, Sean, being arrested. He dream of escaping to Amerika. We should never give up hope and must strive for a better life.

2. Enjoyed reading the novel?

Yes, I have enjoyed reading the novel, ‘Potato People’. The story is interesting, and it has an important message. The story tells about the food famines during the Irish potato blight in 1840s. Its message is that we must control our destiny and work hard towards achieving a better life, like Patrick and Marie. They persevered and never gave up hope for a better life. In the end they settle down in California and became cattle ranchers. I am inspired by the story of their success.

3. Enjoyed reading the novel ‘Potato People’

The story is interesting and tells about the food famines during the Irish potato blight in 1840s. Many Irish wanted to migrate to the new world. Its message for it readers is that we must work hard towards achieving a better life, like Patrick and Marie. In the end, they settled down in California and became cattle ranchers. I am inspired by the story of their determination and success.

4. Message of Love

Potato People highlights the message of love. Sean showed his love for Patrick by turning up with the money for the ship tickets after having gone to great lengths to obtain the money. Patrick and Marie struggle together in a new country. Love blossomed between them for they shared difficult as well as happy times. Patrick showed his love for the poor and hungry when he welcomed them at his home in California. These characters portray the value of selfless love.

5. Brave Character

The character in ‘Potato People’ who is brave is Patrick. He showed a great courage by leaving Ireland for a new life in Amerika. Life was full of hardship. He endured the struggle and even joined the Union Army to fight against slavery. His courage paid off when he was promoted to the rank of Captain and had the respect of the people. After the war, he travelled a lot, experiences many dangers and finally, settled down in California.

6. Theme of Perseverance and determination

Patrick and Marie show perseverance and determination to achieve a better life in America. Life in the new country was tough. Often, they had to go hungry. However, they persevered for they never gave up hope for a better future. After so much hardship, they settled down in California. Patrick married Marie and became a wealthy cattle rancher.

7. Lesson that I have learnt

I have learnt an important lesson from ‘Potato People’. It is the effort taken in working towards a better future. During their early years in America, Patrick and Marie had to endure many years of hardship. However, the hope or a better life in a new country made them persevere. Their perseverance paid off for life become much better many years later. I have learnt that if one is determined to struggle, one can achieve one’s dreams for a better future.

8. The character I like most

The character I like most in ‘Potato People’ is Marie. She is intelligent, cheerful and determined. She remained cheerful despite the widespread hunger an uncertainty. Her intelligence save her and Patrick when she stopped him from revealing their identity to the soldiers. In New York, she was determined to make a better life for herself. Her struggle finally paid off when she married Patrick and they both settled down in California.

9. The character that u like

I like the character Sean. I think that he was very loyal to his village and he love the people very much. Although he stole from Mr Greystone, he did it because he felt that Mr Greystone was greedy and unfair by burning the village down. The money that he stole, he gave to Patrick and Marie so that they could go to America to lead a better life, a live that he could not live. He was punished for stealing the money, but he did it because he could not bear injustice.

10. Message of loyalty for it readers

The novel ‘Potato People’ has the message of loyalty for its readers. Sean and Patrick were loyal in their friendship with one another. Sean did not reveal the identity of Patrick and Marie to the soldiers. This was to save their lives. When Patrick saw Sean being led away in chains, he wanted to approach Sean, showing his loyalty. Fortunately, Marie saved his life by stopping him from doing so. Like them, we too, must be loyal to our friends.

11. Brings attention to the value of love

The novel ‘Potato People’ brings attention to the value of love. Sean showed his love for Patrick by turning up with the money for the ship fare. Patrick and Marie struggled in the new country, sharing the hope for a better future. Love blossomed between them as they shared their hardships with one another. Patrick showed his love for the poor and hungry when he welcomed them at his ranch in California.

12. The title ‘Potato People’ is relevant to the novel

The title ‘Potato People’ is relevant to the novel. The story is about the ‘potato blight’ in Ireland in the 1840’s. the people who were victims of this famine were called the ‘Potato People’. They fed on whatever they could find, even decayed meat of dead animals. These people, like Patrick and Marie, saw emigration to the New World as an escape from the starvation and national chaos.

13. Interesting incident

In the novel ‘Potato People’ I especially find the incident in the chapter ‘The Feast’ somewhat intriguing. When Patrick following Marie into the house full of food on the table, it seemed like they had wandered into a dream. This experience was somewhat exciting, yet was dangerous. Had they been caught, the story would have surely ended differently. Strangely, they found humour in narrowly escaping danger. This was both exciting and thrilling to me. It has taught me to strive hard to achieve my dreams

The Potato People: Moral Values - Question & Answer

What moral values have you learnt from the novel? Give examples from the novel

Generosity/Kindness

One of the moral values found in the novel ‘Potato People’ is generosity. This is shown in the friendship between Patrick Flynn and Sean.

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Potato People: Character - Question & Answer

Based on the novel, write about a character that you dislike.

One of the characters in the novel ‘Potato People’ that I dislike is, Mr. Oswald Graystone. He was Lord Egham care taker in Ireland.

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The Potato People: Themes - Notes

Based on the notes, write about the themes. Give details from the story.

Poverty and hardship of life
The potato blight has left the villagers poor and helpless. They experienced famine, diseases and suffering. To escape poverty and hardship, many of the villagers leave Ireland.

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Potato People - Setting

Based on the novel, discuss the setting.

LOCATIONS : (in Ireland)

a. The oak tree
A good observation post. It was where Patrick kept watch for Mr. Graystone’s men. He spies on Lord Egham’s house. He is starving and he dreams about the magnificent food to be found in Lord Egham’s house.

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Potato People - Plot

Based on the novel, discuss the plot.

PLOT

Exposition

Patrick was introduced to the readers.
He lived in Skullgoragh.
The villagers would soon be evicted.
British soldiers arrived.

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Prisoner Of Zenda - Question & Answer

Describe the hardship faced by the main character .

Add more details, evidences to the given answer below...

This is a story of mistaken identity. The protagonist Rassendyll is the red-headed sosie of the king of Ruritania (an imaginary Central-Eastern European country) and.....read more>>

Prisoner Of Zenda - Question & Answer

Who do you think is the hero in the novel?

Add more detail to the given answer...
Rudolf Rassendyll, the protagonist, is a true hero because...read more>>

Prisoner Of Zenda - Question & Answer

What are the similarities and differences between Rassendyll and the king?

Add more details and evidences to the given answer below..

Apart from the striking similarity of their appearance, the two men are not at all cut from the same cloth.

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Prisoner Of Zenda - Practices

Instructions:
Give answers to these questions. Give evidence to support your answer in not less than 50 words in continuous writing.

1. Write about a character you think is cruel.
2. Write about a character that you think is determined.
3. Write about the lesson that you have learnt.
4. Write about the character that you think is brave.
5. Write on ONE of the following moral values:

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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.