Describe the king in "The Three Questions"

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schulzie | Middle School Teacher | (Level 1) Educator

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The king is a ruler.  He is a conscientious yet ambitious.  He has determined that if he knows the answers to the three questions,

"...he would never fail in anything he might undertake." (paragraph 1)

These three questions become extremely important to him. When the wise men of the kingdom all give him different answers, he thought about the answers they had given him and disagreed with them. He was intelligent and open-minded.  He continued his search, so you could say he was persistent

He decides to visit an old hermit in the mountains who would only interact with the common folk.  He was open-minded enough to believe that this man, who was poor and lived alone, might have the answers to his three questions.  He also was not too proud to dress as a simple man, discarding his bodyguards, to visit the old man.

When he reaches the old man, he noticed that the old man was frail and breathed heavily while he was spading his garden.  He, again, was not too proud to take the spade and start digging in the garden.  He also was kind in trying to help the man. 

He showed that he was caring when the man came out of the woods with the wound in his stomach. 

"....the King again and again removed the bandage soaked with warm blood, and washed and rebandaged the wound." (paragraph 20)

When the man asked for water, he fetched it himself. 

However, there is another side of the man that Tolstoy does not really let us know.  The man he had helped, the man with the wound in his stomach, was the king's sworn enemy because

" executed his brother and seized his property." (paragraph 23)

The reader does not know the reason for these actions and can only judge the King on what he is doing at the present.  Again, he shows his compassionate side and a sense of righteousness.  He says he would

".....send his own physician to attend him and promised to restore his property."

By doing the three actions that he did: helping the old man spade his garden, attending to the wound of his enemy, and making peace with his enemy, he learned the answer to his three questions.


khoki's profile pic

khoki | eNotes Newbie

Posted on

The king  .of the  story "three gquestions" is a ruler but not an autocrat.He wants the answer to his three questions  so that he wouldn't fail in any of his endeavour , but  his actions, his compassionate nature, his forgiving attitude clearly proves that he wants success not for any selfish reason but for the people of his Kingdom.He was determined to find the answers to his questions at the cost of his own comfort and luxury.He choose the wise hermit which showed his foresightedness and intelligence.It was clear from the action of the hermit that he was in no mood to accept the king's disguised appearance   provides enough evidence to understand the answer of his three questions. So he took a tough test of the king to  let the king practically experience the purpose of God's creation and accept the truth that only when you do good you serve God and fulfill His purpose and find perfect success, peace and happiness.It was the inherent nature of the king to  do good and be good.Had it not been so the king would have failed to get the answers to his questions.Had he not shown sympathy to the frail  hermit and left the place without digging his enemy would have killed him in ambush.The king was submissive, patientan and compassionate.

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