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Mark Twain describes Tom Canty as a person who has a high-curiosity and willpower. This is the character trait that leads him to fulfil his desires that is to
meet the real prince. “….still his desires to look just once upon a real prince, in flesh, grew upon him, day by day, and week by week, until at last it absorbed all
other desires, and became the one passion of his life” 7. That is why he dares to go far to find the real prince.
b. In the Palace
One day, unconsciously Tom travels so far when he does his usual activity. He walks until he meets the King’s palace. He walks to get closer to the palace,
until he is stopped by the gate-guards who drive him away rudely. When Tom gets the inconvenient treatment from the gate-guards, the Prince sees it, and he
takes pity to Tom. Then, he invites Tom to come in the palace to get the compensation of what he has got. As what can be revealed from the character of
Tom Canty, he is a smart boy, even the Prince, the well-educated person, implicitly confesses it. After a moment conversation, the Prince is attracted of
Tom’s good manner and politeness. “Thou speakest well; thou hast an easy grace in it. Art learned?” 15. No wonder the Prince also becomes interested to change
his position with Tom Canty. Tom tells his story which implicitly showing his freedom as a common citizen.
Then, Tom Canty, who is left alone after changing his position with the Prince, begins to experience the life in the palace. After some time, Tom Canty’s
fear grows. He is afraid of being punished for using the prince’s clothes. “Might they not hang him at once, and inquire into his case afterward? He had heard that
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the great were prompt about small matters…” 25. The changes that happens to the “prince”, who is actually Tom Canty, makes the entire people in the palace
think that the prince has gone mad because he does not act like a prince as he should be. All the people in the palace are busy in thinking why the prince
becomes mad. In the sixteenth century the king had a great authority. The king could establish the royal council and the parliament, and the English Laws. He
could determine the number and the composition of the royal council and parliament. Carrie’s England and Scotland in the Sixteenth Century states that
English Laws were established by the king or by the king’s permission. Therefore when he said or declared something, it became something that had to be strictly
obeyed. Chrimes 73 states “Law was tribal custom, or folkright, to which the king
was subordinate in every respect, as any other member of the folk. He might, and on occasion did, find it necessary to declare, with the express or tacit assent of the
‘wise man’ of his realm the witan, what the law was on certain points, and even to commit such declarations to writing”.
In the novel, in order to avoid an assumption that the Prince is mad, the king declares that the overstudy is the cause why the Prince becomes ‘mad’. The
King declares that study hard which has done by the Prince gives himself a lot of pressures and makes the Prince gets stressed 30.
Once again, Tom Canty proves his ability to adapt in the new neighbourhood. Slowly, he gets the acknowledgements from his “uncle”, Lord
Hertford, amazingly by Tom’s honest expression in denying that he is the real prince. “Now were he impostor and called himself prince, look you that would be
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natural; that would be reasonable. But lived ever an impostor yet, who, being called prince by the king, prince by the court, prince by all, denied his dignity and
pleaded against his exaltation? No …..this is the true prince… ” 43. The story shows that Tom Canty is a honest person who is brave to confess his fault even it
contains a high risk. More and more, Tom’s development as a “prince” is getting better. After
his siesta, Tom Canty continues to experience the life in the palace. This time he will have a dinner, his first royal dinner. Food in the 16
th
Century could be regarded as the center of development of a society to show prosperity. Halsall’s Of
The Food And Diet Of The English describes in the sixteenth century the banquets that were eaten by the nobles were so big. Generally they employed so many
servants and only the royal and the wealthy family in those days could afford to have such a feast. In the novel Tom is dressed as a prince as what Prince Edward
usually. Tom, who usually is in rags and has never changed his clothes before, changes his clothes just for dinner. “He found himself as finely clothed as before,
but everything different, everything changed, from his ruff to his stockings” 44. Then, he is ready to have his first royal dinner, with everything is set for him in a
luxury and well-furnished. “He was presently conducted with much state to a spacious and ornate apartment, where a table was already set for one. Its furniture
was all of massy gold, and beautified with designs which well-nigh made it priceless, since they were the work of Benvenuto” 44.
The service for “prince” Tom Canty does not stop there. The chaplain greets him with a grace; the Earl of Berkeley fastens a napkin for him; the Taster
to his Highness the Prince of Wales also besides him, always stands by to taste any PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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suspicious dish that ordered and to get rid of the risk of the prince being poisoned 44. Tom Canty is an overt person, while he is eating; he feels something that
disturbs him that his nose is itchy. He chooses to ask rather than just keep his feeling. “I crave your indulgence; my nose itcheth cruelly. What is the custom
and usage in this emergence? Prithee speed, for ‘tis but a little time that I can bear it” 46. Tom Canty’s words actually not only show that he is an overt person, but
also he is a person who has willingness to learn something, even it seems a trivial thing, in order to avoid any mistakes.
Tom Canty makes great development for himself and changing for England. Just a moment after King Henry VIII is dead, knowing his authority,
Tom exclaims that the law of the king is law of mercy. “Then shall the king’s law be law of mercy, from this day, and never more be law of blood” 74. And he
also sets the Duke of Norfolk free. “Up from thy knees and away To the Tower and say the king decrees that the Duke of Norfolk shall not die” 75. Tom Canty,
through his act in this moment, shows that he is a person who is full of mercy and does not like any violence.
On his next day in the palace, Tom meets Humphrey Marlow. He is surprised knowing the job of his new friend; Humphrey is the prince’s whipping
boy 105. How strange it is for a boy who comes from a slum to know that when the prince makes mistakes then Humphrey, the whipping boy, will get the
punishment from the prince’s teacher 107. Tom realizes that when he stops studying, Humphrey has no more jobs. “My back is my bread, O my gracious
liege If it go idle, I starve. An thou cease from study, mine office is gone, thou’lt need no whipping boy. Do not turn me away” 109. Knowing Humphrey’s
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willingness, Tom wants to help him. There is no other way, except studying again and accepting Humphrey as his whipping boy, even it breaks his heart. But Tom
has a brilliant idea. He raises Humphrey’s position and makes it permanent. Tom will study very hard so that Humphrey will get more money.
Discomfort thyself…Thine office shall be permanent in thee and thee line, forever.” Then he struck the boy a light blow on the shoulder with the flat
of his sword, exclaiming, “Rise sir Humphrey Marlow, Hereditary Grand Whipping-Boy to the royal house of England...I will betake my books
again, and study so ill that they must in justice treble thy wage… 109.
Humphrey Marlow truly is a smart boy, from him Tom Canty gets a lot of information that helps him in “reminding” himself as the “prince”. “…Tom as to
the observances proper to the stately occasion, under the rather thin disguise of “reminding” him concerning things already known to him; but to his vast
gratification it turned out that Tom needed very little help in this line-he had been making use of Humphrey in that direction...“ 110.
He often spends his time with Humphrey now. Then Tom becomes more confident now. His self-confidence becomes greater after he solves a case of a
man and another case of an old and young lady. The man is accused of taking the life of a person by poisoning. He recognizes the man as a person who saved his
friend, Giles Witt out of the Thames. When he listens to the explanation of the man about the time he has proven in poisoning a person. Tom knows that the man
is not guilty, because at that time Tom watches this man saved Giles Witt. Therefore, he releases this man with full of spirit. This makes the people admire
Tom and feel that the king is not mad again. “A low buzz of admiration swept through the assemblage. It was not admiration of the decree that had been
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delivered by Tom…-no, the admiration was for the intelligence and spirit which Tom had displayed” 121.
Tom shows his intelligence and also the spirit that make people think that he is like his “father”, King Henry VIII. Carrie’s England and Scotland in the
Sixteenth Century describes King Henry is a king who full of spirit who was interested so much in adventure, including in military adventure. He was also
willing to be involved in the complicated diplomatic relationships of the Continental powers which violated the policy. In the novel Tom Canty also shows
that he is a merciful and generous person. As soon as he knows that the man is ordered to be boiled alive, he tells Earl Hertford to omit this kind of punishment.
“I beseech your good lordship that order be taken from this law-oh, let no more poor creatures be visited with its tortures” 118. This command makes Earl
Hertford amazed of the Prince’s kindness. “The earl’s face showed profound gratification, for he was a man of merciful and generous impulses-a thing not very
common with his class in that fierce age” 119. While the old and young lady are accused of wicked thing. In this case
Tom shows his wisdom. He asks the two ladies to make a storm, as what they are being accused in destroying a church. If she can do it, the “king” Tom will release
them and even makes them rich. But the old lady says that she can not make a storm, and she tries hard to convince the King that she has no power in it. 125
Tom considers that the ladies are not guilty. “I think the woman hath said the true. An my mother were in her place and gifted with the devil’s function, she had not
stayed a moment to call her storms and lay the whole land and ruins, if the saving of my forfeit life were the price she got It is argument that other mothers are
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made in like mold” 125. The experience with the convicts makes Tom’s self- confidence greater.
Tom’s reputation as king is wide-spread to the every corner in English. It comes to the ears of Miles Hendon. When he looses his little friend, the real king,
he intends to ask some help to the great king. “He remembered what old Andrews had said about the young king’s goodness and his generous championship of the
wronged and unfortunate” 230. Tom continues his role well, especially with Humphrey’s help. “He lost his fears; his misgivings faded out and died; his
embarrassments departed; and gave place to an easy and confident bearing. He worked the whipping-boy mine to ever-increasing profit” 233.
Tom passes his days in the palace very well and comfortably now. “Tom Canty was sinking to sleep in his rich bed in the palace, guarded by his loyal
vassals, and surrounded by the pomps of royalty, a happy boy…” 236. He forgets about the true king, Edward Tudor, whereas the coronation day is getting
closer. But Tom seems to over-enjoy everything that he has as a king now. “And
all these wonders and these marvels are to welcome me-me” 241. He is very excited of his condition now. “The mock king’s cheeks were flushed with
excitement, his eyes were flashing, his senses swam in a delirium of pleasure” 241. In London the rich and the poor had to separate each other. If a poor person
was found in the west of the city, where the rich lived, they would be was against the law and could be punished Poor in Elizabethan England. The boundary
between the nobles and common citizens showed that the nobles did not want to be touched by the poor. In the novel Tom Canty denies his mother because he already
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feels that he is a nobleman. He feels that he is not the part of his poor family. Even he realizes it is something that hurts himself later.
The words “I do not know you, woman” were falling from Tom Canty’s lips when this piteous thing occurred; but it smote him to the heart to see
her treated so; and as she turned for a last glimpse of him, whilst the crowd was swallowing her from his sight, she seemed so wounded, so broken-
hearted, that a shame fell upon him which consumed his pride to ashes, and withered his stolen royalty. His grandeurs were stricken valueless; they
seemed to fall away from him like rotten rags 242.
Tom realizes his mistakes because his short-thinking. He starts not enjoying his condition now. He regrets his mistakes. Until, the Lord Protector
notices the changes of the king’s mood, and tries to bring the mood back by speaks to Tom. “O dread sovereign Shake off these fatal humors; the eyes of the world
are upon thee.” Then he added with sharp annoyance, “Perdition catch that crazy pauper ‘twas she that hath disturbed your Highness” 244. But Tom answers it
in a dead voice that she is his mother 244. It makes the Lord Protector thinks that the king is gone mad again. While through this event, Tom shows that he is a
good-hearted son, as he makes mistakes by his short-thinking and regrets it so. Tom realizes that the luxury that he has now can not replace his mother who loves
him so much. Tom shows again that he is not a greedy person, by giving back the throne
to Edward Tudor, the real king, as soon as when Edward appears 250. Even Tom helps Edward when there is no one who believes that Edward is the real king.
He gives the clue to Edward, who is desperate in convincing the people in Westminster Abbey, to find the Great Seal, which by it the people will know who
is the real king 256. Although, Tom actually knows where the Great Seal is but he does not want to a profit from it. He struggles for the king to get his throne
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again. That is why Edward Tudor is glad upon Tom Canty and gives him a royal position and authority that there is no one higher than him but the King.
And for that he hath been a king, it is meet that other than common observance shall be his due; wherefore, note this his dress of state, for by it
he shall be known, and none shall copy it; and wheresoever he shall come, it shall remind the people that he hath been royal, in his time, and none
shall deny him his due reverence or fail to give him salutation. He hath the throne’s protection, he hath the crown’s support, he shall be known and
called by the honourable title of the King’s Ward 270.
Tom receives the honour from the king also because he has done well when he is a king, the king does confess it. “I have learned the story of these past few
weeks, and am well pleased with thee. Thou hast governed the realm with right royal gentleness and mercy” 269.
2. Prince Edward Tudor’s Life
