The Player King, written by Newbery Medal winner Avi, is based on a true story set in 15th Century England about an orphan boy who was groomed to play the part of the missing Edward the 6th, Earl of Warwick and to take back the throne of England from Henry the 7th.
The story is told in the first person by the teenage boy who has no identity but has taken the name Lambert Simnell. He slaves long and difficult hours cooking mutton on a spit in the kitchen of a tavern located in Oxford. This historical novel is tightly organized, full of action, drenched in political intrigue and very engaging.
It begins in the year 1486 when a priest and his accomplices buy the boy from the tavern owner and begin to transform him into the missing Earl of Warwick. The transformation requires long days of lessons---he must become acquainted with history, his family, dates and courtly manners. He must also learn to read, walk about in silk robes, talk with both flair and wisdom and, much to his great worry, lead an army!
The reader is drawn beautifully into the boy’s mind as he thinks out his situation from disbelief about what is happening to fear that he might be killed to an uneasy acceptance. The reader is also given a vivid picture of place and time from the marketplace in Oxford full of smoky smells and street cries to the brutal cacophony of defeat on the battlefield. “Horrified and bewildered, I was so shocked I could hardly breathe, think or move. I am not even sure when the five soldiers who had been posted to guard me had fled.”
The Player King, based on a true story and written masterly by Avi, is exciting storytelling for readers 8-12 years of age ( A Richard Jackson Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017).
Questions and Activities for 'The Player King'
This book has many vividly-described characters. Study Avi’s descriptions and try to identify them:
1.“Looking like a large pig, he had a face to match and a neck so wide it was no neck at all.”
2.“His eyes aimed at me like sharp spear points. He bit the side of his thumb.”
3. “...big, round, and loud as a cathedral bell...”
4. “His cheekbones were high, his face pale, and his lips thin, without emotion.”
5. “...his delicate fingers suggested he pushed pens, not plows.”
To go from an orphan kitchen boy to Edward the Earl of Warwick Lambert Simnel had to learn a great many things as are detailed in this book. Study the story again and make a list of all the things he had to learn to do and not to do.
Is there a figure in history that you would like to pretend to be? Give it some thought and research. What would you have to learn to do to carry off the disguise? Try it out. Walk, talk and think as your character. Write a paragraph about how it feels to climb into another person’s shoes?
What does the colorful scene acted out by three players in the streets of Oxford tell you about the humor of the day? What actions caused the gathered audience to laugh? Think about the jokes, the props, the music and the movements. Why did Lambert enjoy the players? How did some of the scenes forecast what was coming? Try drawing a picture of these players in action. Don’t forget the pig!
