Around the World in English: The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (video)

Sunday, March 15, 2015

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (video)

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish writer and poet. His most notable works are "The Importance of Being Ernest" and "The Picture of Dorian Grey".

The Happy Prince and Other Tales (sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories) is a collection of stories for children first published in May 1888. It contains five stories, "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket". It is most famous for its title story, "The Happy Prince".

Here is an animated film of "The Happy Prince". Watch the video and answer the questions below. (You can watch the video on YouTube if you wish to turn on the captions but keep in mind they might contain a few errors.)

Comprehension Questions

Where did the Happy Prince's statue stand?
Why hadn't the swallow gone south with the other birds?
Why was the Prince sad?
What did the swallow carry to the sick child's house?
Who did the Prince give the gemstones from his eyes to?
Why did the swallow finally decide not to fly south?
Who received the gold leaf that covered the Prince's body?
Why did the swallow thank and kiss the Prince?
What did the villagers decide to do with the statue? Why?
Does the story have a happy ending?

Vocabulary

A dagger is a sharp pointed knife that is used as a weapon.
When you ornament something, you make it more attractive by adding small objects to it. e.g. a dress ornamented with pearls
A gem or gemstone is a valuable stone that is used in jewellery/jewelry.
When you pluck something, you pull it quickly to remove it. e.g. My sister plucked a white hair from my head.
If something is grubby, it is dirty or messy. e.g. He lives in a grubby little apartment.