The Prisoner Of Zenda By Anthony Hope

The Prisoner of Zenda is a battle of fists, love, and honor. It is a completely fictional story set in Victorian England that has been written in the most promising manner. Tragedy, adventure, humor, and romance combine in a story that enchants you and forces you to read the entire novel in one sitting. The title of the novel, character descriptions, and locations mentioned are all royal and extravagant, immersing you in the feeling of living in a king's royal kingdom.

Sypnosis

The story’s protagonist, Rudolf Resendyll, a countryman from London sets out to attend his distant cousin Rudolf Elphbergs’ coronation ceremony in The Kingdom of Ruritania, a fictional country. Both of them belong to the Elphberg Family which is one of the noblest families in Europe. 

The preparations for the Kings coronation ceremony were in the full swing. The Stralsau city where the coronation was to take place had all hotel rooms booked. Leaving no option for Resendyll but to spend the night in an inn near a forest in Zenda, a small town, a few miles away from the city. 

Resendyll, however, encounters Col. Sapt and Fritz Von Tarlenheim when he goes for a walk in the forest the following day. They were both trusted advisors to Crown Prince Rudolf. The former was a civilian, whereas the latter had military experience. They both had a solid knowledge of one another and frequently agreed. They were shocked to see Resendyll's uncanny physical resemblance to their crown prince Rudolf when they first saw him. A little while later, Rudolf Resendyll meets Rudolf Elphberg, and the king extends an invitation to dine that evening.

Black Michael gave the bottle of wine to the recipient as a gift,  known as the Duke of Starlsau as well. He was the Crown Prince's half-brother. Rudolf's father and Micheals' mother entered into a morganatic marriage—a legal union between a male member of the royal family and a woman of lower status. He was not eligible to get anything from the state because he was the son of a poor lady. Micheals' mother was a modest woman, but he was aggressive in his nefarious plans and vicious and cold-hearted. He was the staunchest enemy of the Crown Prince. 

At the dinner, the king drank the bottle of wine all by himself, Black Michael knew the king's weakness towards wine. Therefore, the wine sent by him was heavily intoxicated with a powerful intoxicant. Upon drinking it, the king immediately became unconscious as a result of its reaction. Black Micheal did this intending to get the king out of the way to enable him to get away with his evil plans. 

He intended to take advantage of the king's absence and appear at the coronation ceremony the following day as the only candidate eligible to be crowned as king. However, Sapt advised Resendyll to pretend to be the king until he regains consciousness in light of the current situation.

When Resendyll arrived, the Marchell Strakenxz greeted him, and after mounting the horse, the coronations proceeded through the old and new streets of Stralsau. Every house was festooned with red flags and motos. People lined both sides of the street, and ladies sat on balconies, throwing roses at the future king. The procession finally arrived at the Cathedral. Resendyll knelt before the altar, and the cardinal anointed his head. Putting the crown on his head. Resendyll has taken the king's oath. He received the Holy Sacrament. Afterwhich hymns were played. 

The Marshall asked the Heralds to proclaim the king of Ruritania, namely, Rudolf The Fith. Then, a beautiful lady with glorious hair came forward and curtsied before the King. The Catherdral Archbishop presented a letter to the new king from the pope. This was followed by the Duke of Stralsau who greeted the king in a rather cold manner. As the kinds procession proceeded to the palace amid the people's publication. 

On their return to the palace, Resendyll and Sapt discovered that the real king is missing. Joseph was dead. They figured that the king was kidnapped by Black Micheal upon learning that the man in the coronation robe wasn’t Resendyll Elphberg. The Duke’s face turned pale, making him speechless. According to him, the king should have been in the castle of Zenda. Momentarily, he thought his plan had failed. 

Now, the real King is being kept at the prison of Zenda with Johann at his duty under Black Micheals's confinement. Ressendyll who’s impersonating the king meets princess Flavia hesitantly, who’s engaged to the king.  He wanted to avoid embarrassment in case she finds out about the real king. Princess Flavia and the real King both shared good chemistry. however, Flavia remarks that he looks more firm than before. 

By acting as the king, Resendyll saved Ruritania from chaos and civil war. His role potentially saves the life of the crown prince Rudolf. Resendyll’s efforts successfully defeated the conspiracy hatched by the Duke. However, the people of the old city of Stralsau liked Black Micheal and wanted to see him as the King. The people of the city were poor and naive and Black Micheal was in the habit of visiting them from time to time. 

Resendyll decided to throw a lavish ball after learning that the Stralsau residents were unhappy. The party was open to almost everyone, and Resendyll asked Princess Flavia to dance with him. Resendyll felt bad for Flavia but was powerless to stop falling in love with her. They both admitted that they loved one another. Ensuring the satisfaction of Stralsau citizens. They wished for a  wedding for the pair.

Crown Prince Rudolf's release from Black Michael's custody was now absolutely necessary because his life was in grave danger. There was no time to waste. Resendyll received a letter from an unknown person telling him to visit the summer house at midnight. Despite the danger, Resendyll chose to go.

There he met Antoinette de Mauban, a handsome, attractive lady of middle age. She was a widow who belong to the European high society. She confessed to Resendyll that Micheal had coerced her into getting married to him, but that she had deserted him when she found out he wanted the throne and was about to wed Princess Flavia. She forewarned him that the hired assassins of Black Michael would ambush him.

‘The six’ is a gang of ruffians. The Duke of Starlsau hired them on money to get rid of his half-brother as well as Resenddyll. Out of the six, three are Ruritanians––Laungram, Krafstein, and Rupert of Hentzau; who’s in love with Antoinette de Mauban. The another three are De Gautel, Bersonin, and Detchard. All six of them are ruthless killers but Rupert is by far the most dangerous and is the leader of the gang. 

Criminals showed up at the summer home, proving Antoinette's assertion They bargained with Resendyll a sizable amount of money in exchange for his return to his country which he turned down. He held the tea table as a shield in front of them and banged him over towards his enemies and rushed towards the door swiftly. His assassins were a motley crew. They fired quickly at Ressendyll, hitting him on the hand, but he managed to get to his horse and ride home in safety.

It was time to rescue the king, at last, the king was a captive at the castle of Zenda, and his health was increasingly declining. The Duke had connected the king's chamber to the moat around the castle through a large pipe. The pipe was so spacious that a man could easily slip through it. Rupert of Hentzau called this connection Jacob’s Ladder. If the king was ever attempted to be rescued, Black had instructed his minions to kill him and toss his body in the moat.

Resendyll intends to save the king by using Johann. He sends him a message through the innkeeper, asking him to meet him outside Zanda at ten a.m. While waiting for Resemdyll, one of the six, Bersonin, is shot after being mistaken for Resendyll. Micheal dispatches Rupert to meet Resendyll with a message to flee the country with 100,000 pounds, which he refuses. Rupert then stabs Resendyll in the shoulder with a dagger. However, throughout the scenario, Johann is apprehended while Rupert escapes.

Johann spills the beans about King's whereabouts and Resendyll along with Sapt and other men set out to rescue the king. He tries to find a way to reach the king through the moat. A fight breaks out between Resendyll and Michael's soldiers. Michael loses two teammates, and Resendyll loses three men.

As the wedding day draws near, Rudolf Resendyll is reported missing by a British police officer. The disputes between Maubun, Rupert, and Michael are getting worse. To bring peace to the Ruritania Kingdom, Resendyll must save the ailing monarch as Flavia's love for him are at an all-time high. The monarch is rumored to be going on a hunt close to Zenda, says Col. Sapt. If the King becomes incapacitated, Col. Sapt also urged Marchell Strakenxz to crown Prince Flavia.

The following morning, Resendyll sneaks into the moat to find the king but rather witnesses a dreadful scene. Rupert swims through the moat to get to Antoinette's room, where he engages in combat with Michael before killing him for Mauban. Resendyll takes advantage of the chaos that is caused by the gunshot. De Gaudet, Bersonin, and Detchard, the other three Michael's men, are all murdered by him. Resendyll is injured but receives the keys to the king's chamber. Ressendyll wants to capture Rupert despite being badly wounded. Rupert came close to killing him, but Col. Sapt arrived with his party in time to save the injured and frail Ressendyll. 

For saving both his life and the realm, the king expressed gratitude. Princess Flavia, who is riding to Zenda, learns that the king is seriously hurt. Col. Sapt runs into her on the road and reveals the truth. As a result of her amazement, she said, "Can I not recognize my own love, Rudolf my love?" The words "He is your love but not the king," spoken by Col. Sapt, crush her heart. The biggest shock of her life is this revelation. When she first encounters Resendyll, she says; “Love is not the only thing, honour binds a woman, too. Honor lies in being true to my country and the Royal House.” She parts with the words; “Your ring will always be on my finger and your heart in mine.” 

This was the dropped scene that brings the curtains down. Resendyll then returns to his country by catching a train. 

Reflections

After reading the novel, I can only wish to become a writer as thrilling as Anthony Hope. This story consists of every element from suspense, loyalty, vengeance, romance, sacrifice, adventure, and much more. A perfect melodramatic tale that keeps you hooked. Black Michael's own soul was condemned by his terrible intentions. Ressendyl had to give up his love since he was a good-hearted and well-educated man, but in exchange, he earned the esteem of the King and the respect of his confidantes. Flavia illustrates what a real lady would truly do in the given situation. The useless monarch benefits from the entire narrative. I'm hoping that he will now give up drinking and take his kingdom seriously. However, as the story is fictitious, these hopes are in vain.