King John and The abbot of Canterbury

King John and The abbot of Canterbury

Anonymous, England (Before 1695)

b. Write the four levels of meanings to "King John and The Abbot of Canterbury"

Literal Comprehension: Once King John asked three questions to the about of Canterbury. Abbot of Canterbury had to reply those questions within fortnight otherwise he would be killed. The abbot was highly honored probably more than king himself. So the king was envious and asked those questions to trap the Abbot. The three Questions were: What was the worth of king among his noble men? How much time would he take to travel around the earth? What was he thinking at that moment? After bearing those questions, Abbot went different places including Oxford and Cambridge to get help from scholars and doctors but he did not get correct answers. Nobody could answer the questions. Then he returned with sad heart at home. He told everything to his shepherd. After that shepherd became ready to go and answer all questions disguising as the abbot. Then the shepherd answered all questions perfectly before the king and saved his master. According to Shepherd, the worth of king was 29 pence i.e. one pence less than Jesus Christ. If the king traveled like the sun, he could travel around the earth within 24 hours. And in the last shepherd said that the king was thinking that the Abbot was replying the questions but in face he was not the Abbot he was his poor Shepherd who came to pardon his master. However, at last the king was happy and pardoned his master and awarded the shepherd.

Interpretation:  This is musical narrative ballad poem, which might be telling us that an absolute king is envious to his powerful subjects. He does not like to see the progress and prosperity of his public. The poem is also dedicated to interpret that sometimes a fool may teach a Wiseman wit and the knowledge limited within books and institutions sometimes does not help to educated people. The knowledge of practical experience is very significant. In the poem the Abbot went many educational institutions including Oxford and Cambridge but he did not get any help. At last an illiterate shepherd helped him. The poem also expresses that many absolute king regard himself or herself equal as god but they always remain inferior to the god. This poem is also trying to make fun and satire upon the absolute king and so-called learned people.

Critical Thinking: The subject matter of the poem is legend taken from real historical event. But it has some point and details which seem unrealistic and unreasonable to the readers. So readers may ask few questions against these details. How can a subject be more powerful than an absolute king? Can shepherd be able to answer so intelligently? Why did the king ask all those non-sense questions? Is it possible for man to ride around in twenty-four hours? Can't Oxford and Cambridge scholars reply such ordinary questions? Did the king really understand the hidden meaning of the Shepherds first answer?

Assimilation:  This poem gives me special impact about the way I generally used to judge ordinary people. Before reading this ordinary people were very insignificant. But after reading this poem my concept upon layman has been changed. This poem really is able to convince me that some ordinary people are very practical. Using their practical knowledge they would be very successful in their life. Sometimes they are proved to be much more intelligent and useful than the scholars of great academic institution ordinary and illiterate country's people like shepherds farmers and potters are good in themselves. I believed after reading this poem, that they have also hidden practical experience, which sometime shows the special solution of great problem.

c. "King John and the Abbot of Canterbury…." recounts a conflict between the king and the Abbot.

        i.            Describe this conflict.

      ii.            Explain the reasons for this conflict.

    iii.            How is it resolved?

    iv.            Describe similar conflict you may have had.

(I)Describe this conflict. King John was a cruel ruler of England who didn't like others to live more comfortable life than him. The King felt that the Abbot of Canterbury was his great enemy when he knew that Abbot was very famous, living better life than him. He became jealous with the Abbot. So he wanted to ruin his life and his property. Then he blamed abbot that he was going against him. Abbot had hundred of noblemen, fifty fold coins in his coat. Being jealous King thought that Abbot was against his crown. So to damage the Abbot and his property was King John's motive. Abbot's living standard and king John's jealously brought this conflict.

(ii) Explain the reasons for this conflict.  To take revenge against Abbot became the basic aim of King John. Jealousy was the main reasons for the conflict between King John and the Abbot. So the cruel and plotted King planned to put the Abbot to death. He called Abbot and asked three nonsense questions and commanded to give right answer within two weeks. The question were: (i) what was the worth of king? (ii) How much time would he take to go round the world? (iii) What was the king thinking right then? Abbot wandered here and there from Oxford to Cambridge but couldn't get the answers of the questions. Lastly, when he returned home being sad and serious his shepherd purposed to solve the problem and he did indeed. So the shepherd saved his master Abbot giving tactful answers to the nonsense questions asked by the cruel King John.

(iii) How is it revolved?

The Abbot was very sad when he get the question and returned back home hopelessly. He wandered from Oxford to questions. When three days were left to give answers, the shepherd became ready to go in disguised form of Abbot and answered the questions like this.

1.      The value of king was twenty-nine pence.

2.      He would take 24 hours to go round the world.

3.      The king was thinking that the shepherd was Abbot of Canterbury. Listening those answer King John was fully satisfied and gave pardon to the Abbot and rewarded to shepherd.

(iv)Describe similar conflict you may have had.

When I was in grade five one of my friends asked me a tricky question "How can we identity a widower since we can identify widow with wearing white clothes?"  I couldn't answer it. I asked that question to all my teachers, friends, uncles, fathers, village brothers but no one could give right answer. At night I asked the question to my uneducated another. She easily gave the answer that by asking tot eh person we can identity him. I became surprised because no educated persons could give the answer of the question but my illiterate mother could easily.

We generally don't care the knowledge of common people who have understood great things. Because sometimes their practical experiences can solve serious questions or problems.

Here a minor shepherd has solved treat problems. It proves that the solution of any problem doesn't always come from wise persons. Sometimes the common people may do that. The balled teaches us a great moral that we should not proud of post and greatness undermining common ones. Sometimes in problem minor and common people can be helpful and become superior to educated scholars.

d. Retell the plot of the ballad "King John and the Abbot of Canterbury" in a paragraph.

King John was unfair and cruel king of London. Once he knew that the Abbot of Canterbury was living more comfortable life keeping hundred serving men and fifty fold coins in his coat. Being jealous he wanted to take revenge against the Abbot. He called Abbot to his palace and asked three nonsense question to answer within two weeks. If he were not be able to answer those questions in given time, king would kill him. The questions were how much did the king cost? How quickly could he ride around the world? And what was the king thinking right then? Abbot became too much surprised and unable to answers the questions. He wandered from Oxford to Cambridge but no scholar could answer the questions. When being sad he came back home his shepherd encouraged him to answer the question. The shepherd wore king's clothes and went to King John. He answered like: The value of king was 29 pence. He would take 24 hours to go round the world. The king was thinking that the shepherd was the Abbot the Canterbury. Being fully satisfied with his answer king john gave pardon and rewarded to shepherd.

e. Summarize the poem "King John and ….." in a sentence.

The cruel ruler of England, King John being greedy with the post and higher living standard of the Abbot of the Canterbury asked the Abbot three nonsense question to be answered giving challenge to chop him down if he wasn't able to answer them within 15 days that made the Abbot visit Oxford and Cambridge but unable to find right answers but his shepherd gave correct answer going with with Abbot's dress and saved the Abbot and got answered himself.