Flavia.docx

FLAVIA

2ND YEAR ENGLISH NOVEL CHARACTER "PRINCESS FLAVIA" INTRODUCTION: Princess Flavia is a character from the novel entitled The Prisoner of Zenda, written by Anthony Hope. She is the only female character who is not directly involved in the conspiracies, which pervade the entire atmosphere of the novel.

HEROIN OF THE NOVEL: Princess flavia is the most character from amongst the women character of the novel "The Prisoner of Zenda". She is the heroine of the novel .She is the cousin of the King, Rudolf Elphberg and the next heir to the throne of Ruritania. She is tall, graceful and charming lady with a pale face, blue eyes and glorious red hair. She is very young, beautiful and also attractive.

SOBER AND INTELLIGENT: Princess Flavia is a wise woman. Her wisdom keeps her aware of the evil desires of Black Michael, who is not a good man. She very intelligently keeps herself away from

all sorts of intrigues. She is a sensible person who has the courage to face the realities of life.

ROMANTIC ELEMENTS: Flavia is the only character in the novel who brings the element of love and beauty and romance in the plot to the novel. She sincerely and quite confidently admits her inclination towards Rassendyll, being impressed by his personality. She was bold enough to propose Rassendyll but her sensibility restricted her to perform any action below dignity. She gave heart and soul to Rudolf Rassendyll considering him to be the real king. She never mourns her decision even after coming to know that he is a pretender. She confessed that Rudolf Rassendyll was acceptable to him even if he was a beggar. “The fate of love is that it always seems too little or too much.”

DEVOTION: The princess was a sincere and devoted lady, always worried about the security of Rassendyll. She advised him time and again to be cautious of the wicked plans of Duke Michael. When Black Michael was successful in injuring Rassendyll, she at once reached Zenda to look after him. This action reflects her sense of responsibility and devotion towards the man whom she loved from the depths of her heart. She said to Rassendyll: “Oh, if you were not the king, then I could show you how I love you.”

HIGH SENCE OF DUTY: princess Flavia knows her duty to her lover and to her country. She is a self sacrificing lady.She has great respect for the King, Rudolf Elphberf but she does not love him. Love in its true forms enters her life when she meets Rudolf Rassendyll who is crowned in Ruritania as king.She is not a slave to her passions and she sacrifices her sincere love to Rassendyll and her personal happiness for the sake of the country. She decides to marry the King, Rudolf Elphberg to bring peace and joy in the lives of her people because she knows very well that the king alone cannot manage the affairs of the country.

CONCLUSION : Princess Flavia proves to be not only the leading female character of the novel but also the most lively and integral personality. She holds the attentions of the readers because of her charm, duty and incredible virtues. She respected the wishes of the people and the country and gave up her love for the sake of her country. She is a complete symbol of love, beauty and sacrifice, which makes her an admirable character. To love one person with a private love is poor and miserable, to love all is glorious.” - Thomas Traherne