The Tale of Melon City Vikram Seth | Class 11 English Notes

The Role of the Wisest Man and the King's Final Decision

As the blame game escalates, the king seeks counsel from the wisest man in the country. The wise man, though old, blind, and unable to walk, is brought to the royal court. In a quavering voice, he declares that the arch itself is the culprit and must be punished. This absurd suggestion leads to the arch being symbolically led to the scaffold for hanging. A councillor objects, pointing out the irony of hanging the object that caused the king's crown to fall. The king, sensing the crowd's growing unrest, decides to postpone finer points of guilt and insists that someone must be hanged immediately to satisfy public demand. The noose is set up, and men are measured to find who fits the height for hanging. Only the king himself is tall enough, leading to the ironic and tragic decree that the king be hanged by royal order. This conclusion highlights the dangers of inflexible justice and the absurdity of punishing without understanding the true cause.

📊 Diagram: Snapshots show the old wisest man being brought to court, the arch being led to the scaffold, the crowd's restless murmuring, and the king being measured for hanging. These visuals capture the poem's climax and the ironic twist.

🧪 Activity: Students can discuss the role of public opinion in justice and how it influences the king's decisions in the poem.

🔗 Connection: This section connects to the aftermath of the king's death and the selection of the new ruler, continuing the poem's commentary on governance.