Question

Which best describes the satirical element of this excerpt?
Jim and Huck still genuinely believe that the“rapscallions” are royalty.
Jim is revealing to Huck that most people are not what they seem.
Jim tells Huck that he knew the truth about the kings before everyone else.
Jim and Huck are basing their opinion of all royalty on fake kings. 2Read the excerpt from chapter 23 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

. . . and the next minute the king come a-prancing out on all fours, naked; and he was painted all over, ring-streaked-and-striped, all sorts of colors, as splendid as a rainbow.

What does Twain use to convey how ridiculous the king looked on the second night of the show?
irony
satire
humor
sarcasm 3Read the excerpt from chapter 22 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

So the duke said these Arkansaw lunkheads couldn't come up to Shakespeare; what they wanted was low comedy—and maybe something ruther worse than low comedy, he reckoned.

Based on the excerpt, which best describes the duke’s impression of people in this part of Arkansas?
He believes that they are too serious.
He believes that they are not intelligent.
He believes that they are highly educated.
He believes that they are extremely humorous. 4Read the excerpt from chapter 23 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

When the place couldn't hold no more, the duke he quit tending door and went around the back way and come on to the stage and stood up before the curtain and made a little speech, and praised up this tragedy, and said it was the most thrillingest one that ever was; and so he went on a-bragging about the tragedy, and about Edmund Kean the Elder, which was to play the main principal part in it; and at last when he'd got everybody's expectations up high enough, he rolled up the curtain, and the next minute the king come a-prancing out on all fours, naked; and he was painted all over, ring-streaked-and-striped, all sorts of colors, as splendid as a rainbow. And—but never mind the rest of his outfit; it was just wild, but it was awful funny.

Which best describes the source of the humor in this excerpt?
the fact that the place was packed
the duke’s speech to the audience
the image of the king performing
the audience’s high expectations

Answer 1

1. Jim is revealing to Huck that most people are not what they seem.
- Satire here targets social hypocrisy and disguises, not just the plot facts.

2. humor
- Twain uses a comic, exaggerated visual to make the king ridiculous.

3. He believes that they are not intelligent.
- The duke calls them "Arkansaw lunkheads" who can't appreciate Shakespeare.

4. the image of the king performing
- The laugh comes from the ludicrous visual of the king prancing naked and painted, and the mismatch with the duke’s lofty build-up.