Class 9 English Moments – Chapter 4 “In the Kingdom of Fools” by A.K. Ramanujan.
Here are the characters and their sketches :
👑 1. The King
- Foolish & Irrational: The king makes strange rules, like making people work at night and sleep during the day.
- Short-Tempered: He gets angry quickly and takes harsh, illogical decisions.
- Insecure: He fears wise men and drives them out of the kingdom.
- Unjust: He punishes people without proper judgment, e.g., ordering the execution of the innocent merchant.
- Symbol of Misrule: Represents irresponsible rulers who misuse power and cause chaos.
👸 2. The Queen
- Equally Foolish: She follows the king in his irrational ways.
- Unwise & Dependent: She never questions his decisions and shares the same childish mindset.
- Symbolic Role: Represents blind followers who support foolish leadership without thinking.
👳 3. The Guru
- Wise & Experienced: He understands the foolishness of the kingdom’s laws and leaves at the right time.
- Foreseeing: He warns his disciple not to stay in the city of fools.
- Compassionate & Clever: Returns to save his disciple when he is in danger.
- Spiritually Powerful: His wisdom and cleverness finally help him outsmart the king and queen.
🙇 4. The Disciple
- Simple-Minded & Greedy: He disobeys his guru’s advice and stays back because of cheap and abundant food.
- Careless: His desire for food makes him ignore the dangers of living among fools.
- Helpless: Later, he realizes his mistake when he is sentenced to death unjustly.
- Saved by Guru: Represents common people who fall into trouble due to short-sightedness and greed.
👨🌾 5. The Merchant
- Innocent yet Victimised: Though not guilty, he is blamed for the weak wall that killed the thief.
- Helpless: Despite proving his innocence, he is sentenced to death under foolish justice.
- Represents Victims: Shows how innocent people suffer under unjust rulers.
🦹 6. The Thief
- Greedy & Dishonest: He tries to break into the merchant’s house.
- Dies Accidentally: A weak wall falls on him, leading to his death.
- Irony of Justice: His death becomes the basis of a foolish trial against innocent people.
🏰 7. The People of the Kingdom
- Obedient but Foolish: They blindly follow the king’s strange rules without questioning.
- Changeable: Later, they accept the guru and disciple as new rulers without resistance.
- Symbol: Represent the masses who easily accept authority without using their own wisdom.
✨ Summary of Character Portrayal:
- King & Queen → Foolish rulers, symbol of misrule.
- Guru → Wise, foresighted, savior.
- Disciple → Greedy, careless, learns a lesson.
- Merchant & Thief → Victims of foolish justice.
- People → Blind followers of authority.