The Prisoner of Zenda

What It's About

Rudolf Rassendyll, an idle English gentleman, travels to the small kingdom of Ruritania and discovers he bears a striking resemblance to its soon-to-be-crowned king — a distant relative through an old scandal in the family line. When the king is drugged on the eve of his coronation by his scheming half-brother, Duke Michael, Rassendyll is persuaded to take his place for the ceremony to save the throne from falling into the wrong hands. What begins as a brief impersonation spirals into a dangerous game of court intrigue, as Rassendyll must convince nobles, guards and even the king's intended bride, Princess Flavia, that he is the man he is pretending to be — all while the real king is held prisoner in the castle of Zenda.

Key Concepts

The novel is built around themes of identity and impersonation, duty versus personal desire, and honour under pressure. It's widely credited as the book that launched the "Ruritanian romance" genre — adventure stories set in fictional Central European kingdoms, full of court intrigue, disguise and derring-do — which went on to influence countless later novels and films.

About the Author

Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, known as Anthony Hope, was an English novelist and playwright born in London in 1863. He trained and briefly practised as a barrister before the runaway success of The Prisoner of Zenda allowed him to become a full-time writer. He was knighted in 1918 for his contribution to propaganda work during the First World War, and died in 1933.