“The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen tells the story of an emperor who is deceived by two swindlers. Andersen is credited for writing many popular fairy tales, including “The Little Mermaid” and “The Ugly Duckling.” In the tale, the emperor’s pride and fear drives him to make a fool of himself before his people. This narrative proves that being too prideful can only lead to disaster.
The tale opens with the introduction of the main character, the emperor. The emperor was obsessed with clothing and being well dressed. In fact, he loved clothing so much that nothing else intrigued him. He only cared for displaying his garments.
One day, two swindlers arrived in the emperor’s city. These two men compelled people to believe …show more content…
They set up two looms and pretended to work diligently. Soon, the emperor became curious about their progress. He ordered an honest minister to check their development. The minister arrived to the workroom but was shocked to discover that he could not see the cloth they were weaving. He worried that he could not see it because he was incompetent or perhaps unfit for his job. Thus, he pretended that he could see the material. He praised the weavers for their work and returned to the emperor. The minister returned to the emperor and assured him that the cloth was magnificent. The emperor was satisfied, and the swindlers continued their …show more content…
Andersen’s tale derives from the Spanish narrative entitled “What Happened To A King With The Rogues Who Wove The Cloth.” This story was published in 1337 by Don Juan Manuel, a Spanish nobleman and influential fourteenth century writer. Andersen’s version is almost identical to Manuel’s, the main difference being the ending. In Manuel’s story, the king admits to all of his subjects that he has been fooled. However, the emperor of Andersen’s tale does no such thing. Instead, he keeps marching as though nothing is wrong. Andersen may not have invented the story, but he did make a change that emphasizes the moral of the tale.
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” does not leave much open to interpretation. It is clear that the emperor is self-obsessed and prideful. It is stated that he only cares about his appearance. He is very materialistic; he loves clothing so much that he is willing to pay large amounts of money to obtain the most beautiful suit. Although he does not receive the suit he had paid for, he acts as if he has. He does not want to admit that he had been duped. These instances prove that the emperor is obsessed with his image. His prideful attitude is the main reason why he embarrasses himself in front of his
The tale opens with the introduction of the main character, the emperor. The emperor was obsessed with clothing and being well dressed. In fact, he loved clothing so much that nothing else intrigued him. He only cared for displaying his garments.
One day, two swindlers arrived in the emperor’s city. These two men compelled people to believe …show more content…
They set up two looms and pretended to work diligently. Soon, the emperor became curious about their progress. He ordered an honest minister to check their development. The minister arrived to the workroom but was shocked to discover that he could not see the cloth they were weaving. He worried that he could not see it because he was incompetent or perhaps unfit for his job. Thus, he pretended that he could see the material. He praised the weavers for their work and returned to the emperor. The minister returned to the emperor and assured him that the cloth was magnificent. The emperor was satisfied, and the swindlers continued their …show more content…
Andersen’s tale derives from the Spanish narrative entitled “What Happened To A King With The Rogues Who Wove The Cloth.” This story was published in 1337 by Don Juan Manuel, a Spanish nobleman and influential fourteenth century writer. Andersen’s version is almost identical to Manuel’s, the main difference being the ending. In Manuel’s story, the king admits to all of his subjects that he has been fooled. However, the emperor of Andersen’s tale does no such thing. Instead, he keeps marching as though nothing is wrong. Andersen may not have invented the story, but he did make a change that emphasizes the moral of the tale.
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” does not leave much open to interpretation. It is clear that the emperor is self-obsessed and prideful. It is stated that he only cares about his appearance. He is very materialistic; he loves clothing so much that he is willing to pay large amounts of money to obtain the most beautiful suit. Although he does not receive the suit he had paid for, he acts as if he has. He does not want to admit that he had been duped. These instances prove that the emperor is obsessed with his image. His prideful attitude is the main reason why he embarrasses himself in front of his