King John and the Abbot of Canterbury
Anonymous
Literal Comprehension:
Once the king of England was quite jealous and suspicious of the prosperity of the Abbot of Canterbury. So he thought that the abbot might make a conspiracy against his throne. The king decided to get rid of him. So he called the abbot and asked three nonsense questions on the condition that he would behead him if he failed to answer the questions within fifteen days. The questions were: What is the exact price/value of the king with his crown of gold on his head among the noblemen? How quickly he may ride the whole world about? What does the king think at the moment? It made him too sad. He tried his best to find the answer by consulting the professors visiting the university but couldn't. Finally, his own shepherd promised him to help him. So one day, in order to answer the questions raised by the king, the shepherd changed himself as the abbot and went to the palace. One by one he answered that the value of the king was twenty nine pence less than the savior, for the second he responded that it takes a whole day if he rose and ran in the speed of sun that rotates round the earth and for the last, he responded that the king might be thinking that he was the abbot of Canterbury but he was wrong because he was a simple shepherd to abbot.. Finally, the disguised shepherd i.e. the abbot exposed all the truths. The king pardoned them and withdrew all his charges.
Interpretation:
From the moral point of view, the poem is much impressive. Through the poem, the poet proves that the bookish and formal education is not so much effective and useful to solve the practical problems. On the one hand, it has a great lesson that people and their knowledge shouldn't be judged on the ground of their profession and appearance. Thus the text has taught a great lesson that makes it clear that much is learnt through their daily life activities than from the universities. So the so called ignorant ones in terms of getting formal education aren't to be ignored and devaluated.
Critical Thinking:
The poem seems to be much humorous and satirical. So far it imparts the idea of human knowledge and wisdom, it is appropriate but in whatever way the King Abbot and the Shepherd are presented, they don't seem believable and convincing. Since the king fails to recognize the shepherd changed as abbot. Similarly, the shepherd is presented in such a way that doesn't fit him to be more than that it mocks the formal education. It is too difficult to accept it.
Assimilation:
Reading this poem, I am too much impressed with the fact that only the formal education doesn't make people capable, rather they may learn many things from the practical experiences too. Having seen in my village, I come to know that many old people are capable of doing various things which other educated men don't know. So people can learn many things from their practical knowledge and experience.
Anonymous
Literal Comprehension:
Once the king of England was quite jealous and suspicious of the prosperity of the Abbot of Canterbury. So he thought that the abbot might make a conspiracy against his throne. The king decided to get rid of him. So he called the abbot and asked three nonsense questions on the condition that he would behead him if he failed to answer the questions within fifteen days. The questions were: What is the exact price/value of the king with his crown of gold on his head among the noblemen? How quickly he may ride the whole world about? What does the king think at the moment? It made him too sad. He tried his best to find the answer by consulting the professors visiting the university but couldn't. Finally, his own shepherd promised him to help him. So one day, in order to answer the questions raised by the king, the shepherd changed himself as the abbot and went to the palace. One by one he answered that the value of the king was twenty nine pence less than the savior, for the second he responded that it takes a whole day if he rose and ran in the speed of sun that rotates round the earth and for the last, he responded that the king might be thinking that he was the abbot of Canterbury but he was wrong because he was a simple shepherd to abbot.. Finally, the disguised shepherd i.e. the abbot exposed all the truths. The king pardoned them and withdrew all his charges.
Interpretation:
From the moral point of view, the poem is much impressive. Through the poem, the poet proves that the bookish and formal education is not so much effective and useful to solve the practical problems. On the one hand, it has a great lesson that people and their knowledge shouldn't be judged on the ground of their profession and appearance. Thus the text has taught a great lesson that makes it clear that much is learnt through their daily life activities than from the universities. So the so called ignorant ones in terms of getting formal education aren't to be ignored and devaluated.
Critical Thinking:
The poem seems to be much humorous and satirical. So far it imparts the idea of human knowledge and wisdom, it is appropriate but in whatever way the King Abbot and the Shepherd are presented, they don't seem believable and convincing. Since the king fails to recognize the shepherd changed as abbot. Similarly, the shepherd is presented in such a way that doesn't fit him to be more than that it mocks the formal education. It is too difficult to accept it.
Assimilation:
Reading this poem, I am too much impressed with the fact that only the formal education doesn't make people capable, rather they may learn many things from the practical experiences too. Having seen in my village, I come to know that many old people are capable of doing various things which other educated men don't know. So people can learn many things from their practical knowledge and experience.
Summary
There
was a king of England whose name was King John. He ruled England very
cruelly and he always did the wrong thing. Once he came to know that
there was an Abbot of Canterbury who was leading life better than the
king. He had one hundred servants and each one there wore fifty gold
chains and velvet coat. They where always ready to serve the Abbot. For
very minor things they used to go to the city of London.
This way
of leading life angered the king and his sent for the Abbot to explain
his position before the king. The Abbot said to him that he was spending
the money so luxuriously because he had inherited a lot of money from
his fore fathers. The king disbelieved him and charged him to be a
traitor.
The king said to Abbot that his life and properties
would be confiscated by the government if he could not answer his three
questions. There was given three weeks time to answer those questions.
- The first question was what his worth and value was when he was having such a precious crown on his head.
- The second question was how soon he could make the journey of the whole world.
- The third question was that he was thinking at that time when he was talking to the Abbot of Canterbury.
After
listening three questions the Abbot was very much confuse. He confessed
that he had no mind to answer those difficult questions. He went to
many universities but no one was able to answer him.
Then the
shepherd of the Abbot offered him that he would imposter the Abbot
prodded he was given the relevant dress of the Abbot.
In reply to
the first question he said that his value was twenty-nine pence. In
response to the second question he said if he rose with the sun and rode
with the same he would complete the journey of the world in 24 hours.
In response to the third question he said that he thinking that he was
talking to the Abbot by he was not the Abbot but the shepherd. The king
was very happy, he rewarded him and pardoned the Abbot.
