The King and I
Study Guide
By Amy Simpson
Contents
The King and I as Musical
The King and I as Film
The King and I as Fact
Reflections of Culture
Reflections of History
Reflections in Art
Reflections in Theatre
Works Cited Page
The King and I
As Musical
The King and I was first produced on
Broadway in 1952.
It was written by the famous
musical writing team
Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein:
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2
In 1952, The King and I won the Tony
Awards for Best Musical, Best
Actress, Best Featured Actor, Best Scenic and Costume Design.
The King and I
As Film
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You may be most familiar with the 1956 film
starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.
That film was nominated for 9
Academy Awards, and won 5 of them.
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The King and I
As Fact
You may not know that the musical is based on the
True Story
of a woman named
Anna Leonowens
who spent time as the Royal Governess at
King Mongkut’s
Siamese Court.
The King and I (and any other “Anna” story) is based upon her memoirs of her
time in Siam.
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When
Anna arrived in Siam…
She found it to be a beautiful, exotic place.
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The economy was good, the government powerful
and there was a very clear
social class system
with the king at the
very top.
There were those who had money and talent and those who did not.
Both were important to Siamese society and both were caused,
the Siamese Buddhists believe, by Karma.
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Most of those living in Siam were Buddhists who believe that human
beings can live many different lives, being born over and over again as
different people or creatures.
If they help
others and
remove desire in their hearts,
they achieve good Karma and
will have less suffering and more success and peace in their next life.
An important aspect of the Buddhist
religion is the Reverence due to
White Animals…
10
White animals like the dove, swan,
stork or monkey are said to house the
Souls of Noble, Pure
and Good Humans.
11
The White
Elephant is the Greatest,
said to carry the Soul of a King or Hero.
Since he has the wisdom of a great man, the white elephant can signal national
good fortune, success and peace.
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Whenever one is found, a huge Celebration is declared throughout the land
to honor the elephant and offer
Thanksgiving for the Blessings
such a creatures is said to bring.
When Anna arrived in Siam, she knew some things about Southeast Asian
culture and language. She lived in numerous Southeast Asian and Indian cities
including Singapore where she learned to speak Malay – a language she was
able to use even in Siam.
Siam
Singapore
14
Imperialism…
Anna also knew a lot about Southeast Asia because her home country
England
and many other European countries had
Imperialistic Tendencies,
which lead them to believe that they could
Capture and Rule
other countries as their own.
Imperialism…
The British Empire colonized India, and then they took cities
the Spanish had claimed in the Philippines, and the French
colonized Vietnam and Cambodia.
Siam
Philippines
Vietnam
India
Cambodia
14
Many Europeans in Siam were interested only in money. They were there
because it was profitable to be there.
The state of affairs [in England], however, was complex and far
from stable. The old mercantile Empire was weakened during
the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries by a
number of factors: by the abolition in 1807 of slavery in
Britain itself, a movement led by the Evangelicals ; by the
freeing in 1833 of slaves held elsewhere in the Empire; by the
adoption, after a radical change in economic perspective (due
in large part to the influence of Adam Smith's The Wealth of
Nations), of Free Trade, which minimized the influence of the
old oligarchical and monopolistic trading corporations; and by
various colonial movements for greater political and
commercial independence.15
Imperialism…
Victorians justified their imperialistic actions with the thoughts of British
Prime Minister
Benjamin Disraeli
and of
Charles Darwin.
16
17
Disraeli said those in the East loved being a small part of the great British
Empire -- that it was a privilege for them. Social Darwinism used the idea of
The Survival of the Fittest to claim that there were certain people who were
innately meant to rule
over others and certain people who were
innately meant to serve
and do manual labor.
Obviously, in the eyes of the Europeans, they were meant to rule and the
Asians were meant to serve.
King Mongkut did not want to be seen as a barbarian who
was meant to serve. He believed it was very important to Engage these
Western countries on their own terms. In 1855 (just 7 years before Anna
came to his court) King Mongkut signed the Bowring Treaty, which
opened Siam up to trading both goods and ideas with 12 European countries
including England.
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The repercussions of the treaty Changed rules and context for a lot of
Siamese Business and Cultural Traditions:
exports grew, making Ports Busier,
Property Rights became more defined,
Capitalist Ideas grew while the
Power of the Nobles Waned.
Not everyone was happy with King Mongkut for signing the Bowring Treaty.
But he was a thoughtful man and did what he believed was best for his
country.
King Mongkut was thoughtful in part because he spent over
Twenty-Five Years
in political exile as a Buddhist Monk in a monastery.
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He spoke many different languages, including English; which he learned from
English-speaking missionaries and he read all the time. However, he was a
staunch Buddhists and was not afraid to express both his respect and distaste
for Christianity.
In 1851,
after his political enemy died,
he was brought out of exile and declared
King of Siam.
As King, Anna Leonowens describes
him as both a
Caring, Enlightened, and
Virtuous Ruler
and as a
Terrifying Tyrant,
especially with his family: he
expressed great
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Jealousy, Anger, and
Favoritism
with his wives and their children.
The women
in the palace had little say about what they did and when they did it.
Indeed, Anna describes the life of a wife or concubine as life in a
Gilded Cage,
where “light and darkness are monstrously mixed”19.
20
In all things – in all things -- they are bound to the will of the king. Anna tells
one story of one woman who petitioned the king that a position “held by her
late uncle…might be bestowed on her elder brother”. She did not know,
however, that King Mongkut preferred another man for the position. When
the king received her petition, he had her
Captured, Flogged, Beaten, and Chained to the Wall in a
Muddy, Rotting, Prison.
Once Anna brought the woman’s plight to the attention of the king’s court, his
conscience returned and he released the woman to return to her only son.
Yet, this example shows why
the Women in the Palace were so Fearful and Careful.
Reflections on Culture…
Clearly nineteenth century Siam was an exciting place to be:
on the brink between Western and Easter philosophies;
enjoying Social
Independence and Wealth,
yet aware of possible takeover by Imperialistic Europeans;
the citizens saw a movement towards Greater Democracy and a
Balance of Power in the land yet still
Feared for Their Lives if they spoke against the King;
Women were often treated little better than Carnal Slaves, yet a
woman was hired to the Respected Position of Teacher that other
women might Learn and Grow.
Do you see any contradictions in our own society?
What are they?
Reflections in History…
The following list includes words and names of people that fit into an
historically imperialistic category.
Pick a Partner. Then, pick one name, word or phrase. Create a 10 minute
presentation about how this phrase or person impacted British Imperialism.
You must including important dates, at least one image, and at least one quote
from a book or an online article.
Sir James Lancaster
General George Campbell of Inverneill CB., Esquire
Benjamin Disraeli
Queen Victoria
Imperialism
The British East India Company
The 1857 Indian Mutiny
John Jacob Thomas
John A. Hobson
Thomas Babington Macaulay
The East India Company Acts
The Government of India Acts
Social Darwinism
Herbert Spencer and Survival of the Fittest
Rudyard Kipling and The White Man’s Burden
Reflections in Art…
Imagine what it must have been like to live within the Siamese Palace walls. It
would have been very different if you were a woman, a guard, a child or the
crowned prince. Imagine that you are one of those people. Using the art tools
your teacher gives you, create a visual art piece that reflects what life would
be like living in that group:
Reflections in Theatre…
 Imagine that you have been cast as a chorus member in The King and I.
You must come up with accurate background movement for the following
scenes:
1. The opening scene on the boat
2. The scene where the wives are getting ready for the Europeans to
visit
What do you choose to do, and why? Do you work independently or with
others? Are you happy about what you’re going, or are you sad, or
scared, or tired or upset? As you practice this background movement,
make sure it starts before you even step on stage: image what your
character is doing throughout the day and especially right before they
walk on stage.
 Imagine you are cast as Chulalongkorn or as Louis. How do you create a
believable child on stage? What do you remember from your childhood
and early teenage years that could help you as you create this character?
 As a Theatre Artist, it’s important to know why we do certain theatre
pieces. Should we choose a piece because it provides the audience with a
means of escape? How about choosing a piece because it enlightens or
educates the audience, or because it challenges social mores? Would you
direct, act in or design a set for The King and I? Why or why not?
Works Cited Page…
1. Cover Image: Provider: Luxotic World
Website: http://luxoticworld.com/tag/thailand
Date Obtained: 08/25/2011
2. Provider: applause online.com
Website: http://www.applauseonline.com/images/King~I~OBP.jpg
Date Obtained: 08/25/2011
3. Provider: TalkMoviesworld.com
Website:
http://movies.broadwayworld.com/article/Rodgers_Hammerstein_Organization_Launches_Podca
st_Series_20090219
Date Obtained: Sept. 22, 2011
4. Provider: Moveedo
Website: http://moveedo.com/movie/53657
Date Obtained: 08/25/2011
5. Website: http://pizzadominoes.com/oscar-night-pizza-time
Date Obtained: Sept. 22, 2011
6. Website: http://www.hasekamp.net/anna.htm
Date Obtained: 08/25/2011
7. Providor: Siamese Visions, blog
Website: http://siamesevisions.blogspot.com/search/label/King%20Mongkut
Date Obtained: 25 September 2011
8. Provider: Property World.com
Website: http://www.propertyworld.com/Thailand
Date Obtained: 8/25/2011
9. Provider: Esemplastic thermoplastic
Website: http://drzubkov.com/cardinal-knowledge/philosophy/buddhist-philosophy/
Date Obtained: 08/28/2011
10. Website: http://gallery.craftech.com/linvilla/album_001/Animals_White+Dove.JPG.html
Date Obtained: 23 September 2011
11. Provider: A LIE AND A TRUTH
Website: http://alieandatruth.blogspot.com/2009/09/colour-me-white.html
Date Obtained: 23 September 2011
12. Website: http://www.123rf.com/photo_2056857_tiny-white-elephant-statues.html
Date Obtained: 08/08/2011
13. http://siamesevisions.blogspot.com/search/label/Elephants
Date Obtained: 08/08/2011
14. Provider: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas
Date created: 1892
Location: Asia
License: This work is believed to be in the public domain. Users are advised to make their
own copyright assessment and to understand their rights to fair use.
Website: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/3280
Date Obtained: 08/08/2011
15. C o d y , D a v i d . " T h e B r i t i s h E m p i r e . " V i c t o r i a n W e b . n . p a g e . W e b . 2 6 S e p .
2011. <http://www.saylor.org/site/wp -content/uploads/2011/04/The British-Empire.pdf>.
Date Obtained: 23 September 2011
16. H Lenthall Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-1881) 19th Cen Painting
Provider: Vangobot
Website: http://popartmachine.com/item/pop_art/FASF-FASF.305201/H-LENTHALL-BENJAMINDISRAELI,-1ST-EARL-OF-BEACONSFIELD-(1804-1881)-19TH-CEN
Date Obtained: 23 September 2011
17. © From the Richard Milner Archive
Provider: GreatScience.com
Website: http://www.glsc.org/darwin/darwin_press.php
Date Obtained: 23 September 2011
18. Provider: dipity
Website: http://www.dipity.com/jakehollin/US-History-Timeline-Pink/
Date Obtained: 25 September 2011
19. L e o n o w e n s , A n n a n n a . T h e E n g l i s h G o v e r n e s s A t T h e S i a m e s e C o u r t .
Kessinger Publishing, 2010. 74. Print.
20. Providor: Siamese Visions, blog
Website: http://siamesevisions.blogspot.com/search/label/King%20Mongkut
Date Obtained: 25 September 2011
Books:
Englehart, Neil A. Culture and Power in Traditional Siamese Government . 1st
ed. 18. Ithaca: Cornell University, 2011. Print.
Leonowens, Anna. The English Governess At The Siamese Court . Kessinger
Publishing, 2010. Print.