King Leopold's Soliloquy Literary Devices

One of the world’s most deadly genocides was orchestrated by an unfamiliar person to many. This man was known as King Leopold II of Belgium. When the Berlin conference was held he asked the constituents for the area known as the Congo. He able to bunco all the other countries, including the Americans by murdering nine million people and stole all the rubber in the Congo. King Leopold made over $1.1 billion dollars while pillaging in the Congo (The New York Times). King Leopold used this idea of religious toleration to cozen everyone. Their livelihood was a mere trifle to him. When citizens of other countries were absolutely horrified and scared of his gruesome orders that occurred in the congo because they were worried if it could happen to them (“Belgian Congo.”). Mark Twain decided to write “King Leopold’s Soliloquy” which were King Leopold’s thoughts when the press and other people found …show more content…
Throughout the narrative, King Leopold is sniveling to himself about the press only referring to him as an evil or malevolent person. The line “ I have spent millions to keep the press of the two hemispheres quiet, and still these leaks keep on occurring” (Twain). This line shows how even with his kingly power and wealth he was still criticized. He is trying to keep the press quiet because he knows he has done something wrong and wants to cover it up so he does not get in trouble with the law as well. King Leopold believes he should not get criticized by the press since his power was given to him from god, The line “they have revealed these and yet other details which shame should have kept them silent about, since they were exposures of a king, a sacred personage and immune from reproach, by right of his selection and appointment to his great office by God himself; a king whose acts cannot be criticized” reinforces this