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SUMMARY
The King and Duke get engrossed with their practice of Shakespeare's plays. The Duke guides the King as to how he should enact his part effectively. The next day is spent rehearsing the "sword fight" scene from "Richard II. In order to embellish the performance further, the Duke decides they should also enact Hamlet's "Soliloquy ". But, unfortunately, he doesn't have the text with him and, therefore, he has to summon up the entire soliloquy from his memory. After labouring for a long time, he is able to recall it and he delivers his speech in the most melodramatic way. Huck and Jim enjoy their company as they get to witness a lot of colorful rehearsals that keep everybody entertained.
A couple of days later, they come to a small town. Everyone, except Jim, goes down in the canoe to explore an opportunity to put up the show. They discover that people are enthusiastic about a circus coming to town that afternoon. The two frauds (King & Duke) decide to stage their performance. They hire a courtroom for the purpose and stick posters to advertize their splendid and brilliant show.
Then they go around exploring the town. They find it a shabby place with unimpressive houses and surroundings. "All the streets and lanes was just mud; they warn't nothing else but mud - mud as black as tar and nigh about a foot deep in some places". Even the inhabitants of the town area loafers" and an "ornery lot". Their demeanor is quite churlish as they talk and use "considerable many cuss-words". They indulge in and derive pleasure from senseless activities like seeing dogs chase pigs or witnessing a dog-fight.
Suddenly, an old drunkard named Boggs makes his appearance. This man has a reputation of coming to town every month. He threatens to kill a man but never hurts anyone. This time, he has come to settle Scores with the wealthiest man in town, Col. Sherburn, who has swindled him. Col Sherburn, with all his composure, confronts him. He threatens him that if the latter doesn't stop hurling abuses before 1 o'clock, he would shoot him. And, sure enough, at the appointed time, Col. Sherburn appears and shoots Boggs. The latter's daughter comes rushing, hoping to take her father away but it is too late. After the killing, the mob decides that Col. Sherburn deserves to be lynched for his action.
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| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Chapter 21 |
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Twain mocks at Shakespeare's plays. The vision of the old King, with his "peeled head" and "white whiskers", playing the exquisite Juliet, bellowing the name of Romeo, is outrageous. The Duke's tireless efforts, to recollect Hamlet's "Soliloquy", results in a terribly botched up speech. The outcome is a concoction of "Hamlet" and "Macbeth". The manner, in which the greatest tragedies of Literature are parodied, is indeed sad. Moreover, the fact that these literary masterpieces are performed before the "gaping and yawning and stretching - a mighty jornery lot, is an effort to trivialize the greatness of the Dramatist. The Duke himself acknowledges the fact that "these country jakes wont ever think of that.
Twain's contempt for society is evident from the incident of Boggs death. Twain proves how vicious one can be towards one's fellow beings. People can be malicious, not only towards animals but also innocent human beings. Boggs' murder, even though he is acknowledged as "the best naturedest old fool in Arkansaw - never hurt nobody, drunk nor sober, is heartrending. Though slightly annoying, Boggs behavior was, after all, quite harmless. Even the townspeople of Arkansas "looked glad" possibly because "they was used to having fun out of Boggs". On his death, far from empathizing With the daughter, the people are more interested in having "fun", a chance to "have a look". It is outright pathetic to witness humanity in its most ignoble form.
It is interesting to note that the malice of "civilized" whites Pap. Grangerfords, Shepherdsons and Col. Sherburn - deserves more reproach than Jim's "wrongs". After all, despite the censure of society, he seems to be more benevolent than the assortment of characters that Huck and Jim encounter during their odyssey downriver.