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King of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
Encyclopedia
The King of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll
.
The King also quietly pardons many of the subjects the Queen has ordered to be beheaded when the Queen is not looking. This guarantees few people are actually beheaded. Nevertheless, when the Queen plays a game of croquet in the story, the only players who remain at the end are himself, the Queen, and Alice.
At the Knave of Hearts
' trial, however, where he acts as judge
, he is revealed to be quite juvenile, with such lines as, "don't be nervous or I'll have you executed on the spot" to the Mad Hatter
, or asking the Duchess's cook irrelevant questions such as, "what are tarts made of?" Between the two of them, the King and Queen appear to present a fairly accurate portrayal of why Wonderland is as childish, reckless and confusing as it is.
He appears briefly when the Cheshire Cat
entangles the Queen's croquet mallet (actually a live flamingo) in her dress, causing her to fall over and expose her red heart-printed panties. The King then gives the order to save her modesty, which nearly all characters present do, with the sole exception of Alice. This causes the Queen to blame Alice for the embarrassing situation. Just as she orders Alice's head off, the King of Hearts requests a trial beforehand. This irritates the Queen, prompting the King to add that it will only be "a little trial". The Queen accepts; however, when the trial begins she offers an atypical approach towards justice: sentence before verdict (the same stance taken by her original portrayal in the book with regard to the Knave of Hearts).
The King again stops her, saying they should call witnesses first. The witnesses called are the Mad Hatter
, March Hare
, and Dormouse
. The Cheshire Cat reappears and upsets the Dormouse, who briefly puts the court into disorder. The Queen again blames Alice for it, and orders her beheaded. At this, Alice eats mushrooms she had earlier procured, which make her grow bigger. Although the King announces rule #42, which says that "all persons more than a mile high must leave the court immediately", Alice feels free to call the Queen a "fat, pompous, bad-tempered old tyrant" while growing to her new size. The Queen gives the order a third time; as Alice flees, the King uses his oversized crown as a megaphone to tell the guards to "do as her Majesty says". He was voiced by Dink Trout in the 1951 film
and by Tony Pope
in the Alice in Wonderland Disneyland attraction
.
In the 2010 movie, Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
, the King of Hearts was revealed to have been decapitated by the Queen out of the fear that he would have left her for the White Queen if she had not had him executed.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
by Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
He seems to, when compared to the Queen of Hearts, be the moderate part of the Wonderland government. As an example, when the Queen, who enjoys ordering beheadings, attempts to have Alice executed (charged with being unable to answer who is lying down in front of her) the King of Hearts reminds her that she is only a child.The King also quietly pardons many of the subjects the Queen has ordered to be beheaded when the Queen is not looking. This guarantees few people are actually beheaded. Nevertheless, when the Queen plays a game of croquet in the story, the only players who remain at the end are himself, the Queen, and Alice.
At the Knave of Hearts
Knave of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Knave of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:The Knave of Hearts is mentioned first in chapter 8, and chapters 11 and 12 deal with his trial for a tart robbery in which the King of Hearts presides as judge...
' trial, however, where he acts as judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, he is revealed to be quite juvenile, with such lines as, "don't be nervous or I'll have you executed on the spot" to the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Hatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll...
, or asking the Duchess's cook irrelevant questions such as, "what are tarts made of?" Between the two of them, the King and Queen appear to present a fairly accurate portrayal of why Wonderland is as childish, reckless and confusing as it is.
Disney version
The Disney movie portrays the King of Hearts as a dwarf wearing an extremely tall crown, who is very much subdued by the Queen in terms of popularity among their subjects. He also seems to be less bright than in the book: for instance, when he first sees Alice, he thinks she is another card. He also squeaks happily behind the subject being ordered beheaded, once the Queen gives the order, taunting the guards that are carrying away the subject to be beheaded, as if he had given the order himself.He appears briefly when the Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
entangles the Queen's croquet mallet (actually a live flamingo) in her dress, causing her to fall over and expose her red heart-printed panties. The King then gives the order to save her modesty, which nearly all characters present do, with the sole exception of Alice. This causes the Queen to blame Alice for the embarrassing situation. Just as she orders Alice's head off, the King of Hearts requests a trial beforehand. This irritates the Queen, prompting the King to add that it will only be "a little trial". The Queen accepts; however, when the trial begins she offers an atypical approach towards justice: sentence before verdict (the same stance taken by her original portrayal in the book with regard to the Knave of Hearts).
The King again stops her, saying they should call witnesses first. The witnesses called are the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Hatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll...
, March Hare
March Hare
Haigha, the March Hare is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.The main character, Alice, hypothesises,...
, and Dormouse
Dormouse (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Dormouse is a character in "A Mad Tea-Party", Chapter VII from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He sat between the March Hare and the Hatter...
. The Cheshire Cat reappears and upsets the Dormouse, who briefly puts the court into disorder. The Queen again blames Alice for it, and orders her beheaded. At this, Alice eats mushrooms she had earlier procured, which make her grow bigger. Although the King announces rule #42, which says that "all persons more than a mile high must leave the court immediately", Alice feels free to call the Queen a "fat, pompous, bad-tempered old tyrant" while growing to her new size. The Queen gives the order a third time; as Alice flees, the King uses his oversized crown as a megaphone to tell the guards to "do as her Majesty says". He was voiced by Dink Trout in the 1951 film
Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
and by Tony Pope
Tony Pope
Anthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,...
in the Alice in Wonderland Disneyland attraction
Alice in Wonderland (Disneyland attraction)
Alice in Wonderland is a dark ride in Fantasyland at Disneyland park. Based on the animated Disney adaptation of the same name, the attraction resides next to a second ride, the Mad Tea Party, based on a scene in that same adaptation...
.
In the 2010 movie, Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
, the King of Hearts was revealed to have been decapitated by the Queen out of the fear that he would have left her for the White Queen if she had not had him executed.