The Glove and the Lions – Contextual Q&A

Question 1

"King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,
And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,
And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed:
And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below."

(i) What kind of king is Francis and what is his favorite entertainment? (3)
(ii) Who are the spectators at this sporting event and what does their presence suggest? (3)
(iii) What is the significance of the Count de Lorge and his presence at the court? (3)
(iv) What does the phrase "Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below" capture about the scene? (3)
(v) How does this opening establish the court setting and introduce the main character and central conflict? (4)

Answer:

(i) King Francis is described as a "hearty" (good-natured, robust) king who loves the royal sport of watching lions fight. He is an affable ruler, not cruel or tyrannical, but someone who enjoys entertainment and spectacle.

(ii) The spectators include nobles (who filled the benches) and ladies (in their pride—their best appearance and demeanor). Their presence suggests a formal court occasion, a gathering of the aristocracy to witness royal entertainment. The scene is one of ceremony and social hierarchy.

(iii) The Count de Lorge is present as a noble in the court, and crucially, he is in love with a lady at the court. The phrase "with one for whom he sighed" reveals his emotional state—he is lovesick, pining for a lady. This unrequited or uncertain love sets up the central emotional conflict of the poem.

(iv) The phrase captures the complete hierarchy of the scene: "Valour" (the lions' savagery), "love" (the romantic feelings of the count), "a king above" (Francis presiding over all), and "the royal beasts below" (the lions). This captures a world of multiple tensions and interests—physical spectacle, emotion, and power—all gathered in one arena.

(v) The opening establishes a formal court setting with clear social hierarchies: king, nobles, ladies, animals. It introduces the main character (Count de Lorge) and hints at his emotional vulnerability through his infatuation. The casual mention that the king himself is attracted to de Lorge's lady love foreshadows future complications. The description of the lion fight as "gallant" and worthy of attention sets up the poem's central irony: what seems grand and significant is about to be questioned by the poem's moral critique.

Question 2

"De Lorge's love o'erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame
With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same;
She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;
He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;
King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;
I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine."

(i) What does the lady overhear that prompts her to take action? (3)
(ii) How is the lady characterized in these lines, and what are her motivations? (3)
(iii) What does her statement "He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me" reveal about her expectations? (3)
(iv) Why does she frame her plan as an "occasion divine" and link it to gaining "glory"? (3)
(v) How do these lines reveal the lady's character flaws and set up the poem's moral critique? (4)

Answer:

(i) The lady overhears the King's comment praising the safety of watching the lions rather than being in the arena with them. This witty remark about preferring to be safe captures her attention and perhaps stirs her to test whether her lover shares the king's courage.

(ii) The lady is described as "beauteous" (beautiful), "lively" with "smiling lips and sharp bright eyes." These physical descriptions suggest vanity—she is aware of and takes pride in her beauty and charm. Her motivations are self-centered: she wants to see her lover prove his devotion in a spectacular way that will gain her admiration and "glory."

(iii) Her statement reveals she expects her lover to perform dangerous, extraordinary feats as proof of his love. She equates love with a willingness to risk one's life for her. This reflects a romantic ideal of chivalry where love demands proof through dangerous actions. The phrase "wondrous things" suggests she seeks spectacle and drama.

(iv) By framing her plan as "divine" and linking it to personal "glory," she reveals that her motivations are not about genuine love but about seeking attention and admiration from the assembled court. She wants to be the center of attention, to be glorified through her lover's dangerous act. The occasion is "divine" only because it serves her vanity.

(v) These lines expose the lady's superficiality and vanity. She mistakes vanity for love, spectacle for devotion. Rather than simply expressing love, she needs external validation and public admiration. The poem critiques her for setting a "test" based on pride rather than genuine emotion. She wants to possess a lover who will perform for her, not to express mutual affection. This character flaw—confusing vanity with love—is the poem's central target for moral critique.

Question 3

"She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled;
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild:
The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face.
'By God!' said Francis, 'rightly done!' and he rose from where he sat:
'No love,' quoth he, 'but vanity, sets love a task like that.'"

(i) What does the lady's action of dropping the glove and smiling reveal? (3)
(ii) How do the Count's speed ("quick... quick") and his retrieval of the glove demonstrate his character? (3)
(iii) Why does the Count throw the glove at the lady's face "but not with love"? (3)
(iv) What does King Francis mean by his statement "No love, but vanity, sets love a task like that"? (3)
(v) How does the Count's refusal to accept the lady's test represent the poem's central moral argument? (4)

Answer:

Question 4

"Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;
With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;
Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;
The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;
Said Francis then, 'Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there.'"

(i) What literary devices are used in the description of the lions? (3)
(ii) What is the effect of words like "ramped," "roared," "horrid," and "thunderous"? (3)
(iii) What is ironic about the King's comment "we're better here than there"? (3)
(iv) How does this violent lion fight contrast with what will follow in the poem? (3)
(v) What purpose does the lion fight serve in the overall structure of the poem? (4)

Answer:

(i) The description uses several literary devices: simile ("gave blows like beams"), personification (the lions "roll" like humans), onomatopoeia (the sounds "ramped," "roared"), and vivid imagery throughout. These devices combine to create a visceral, violent picture.

(ii) These words create a tone of savage ferocity and danger. "Ramped" and "roared" suggest aggressive animal sounds. "Horrid" emphasizes the horror and danger. "Thunderous" elevates the sound to grand, awesome proportions. Together, these words make the lion fight seem like a significant, dangerous spectacle worthy of royal attention.

(iii) The irony lies in the King's casual, witty comment about being "better here than there." While witnessing brutal, violent combat, the King can joke about his safety. This casual tone about something objectively dangerous mirrors the later irony: what the lady sees as a glorious test of love is actually a vain and foolish demand. The King's wit foreshadows his later moral judgment.

(iv) The violent, brutal lion fight is in shocking contrast to the more subtle, psychological drama that follows. The lions' physical danger pales in comparison to the emotional danger the Count faces from the lady's vanity. The poem suggests that the real danger lies not in physical combat but in the corruption of love by vanity.

(v) The lion fight serves multiple purposes: it establishes the court setting, creates the atmosphere of spectacle and danger, provides the reason for everyone to gather, and gives the lady the opportunity to orchestrate her vanity test. The lion fight also functions as a metaphor for the court itself—a place of danger, spectacle, and social posturing where appearance matters more than substance.