Prince Otto · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Prince Otto by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates Prince Otto to Nelly van de Grift, recalling their shared past in an old wooden house in Oakland, the inhabitants now scattered, and his own ambitions for health and literary success. He sends the book as a messenger across the seas to her in Monterey, with tender greetings from a house where she is beloved.
Chapter 2
Prince Otto
The opening chapter introduces Prince Otto of Grünewald, a gentle but ineffective ruler, and his strained marriage with Princess Seraphina. It sets the stage for political intrigue as Baron Gondremark manipulates Seraphina and plots against Otto, while Otto himself seeks solace in the countryside and encounters various characters who reflect on his character and the state of the principality.
Chapter 3
Book I: Prince Errant
Prince Otto, weary of his royal duties and troubled by his strained marriage to Princess Seraphina, decides to leave the palace and wander incognito through his own principality. He encounters various subjects and reflects on his role as a ruler, his personal failures, and the political tensions simmering in Grünewald.
Chapter 4
In Which the Prince Departs on an Adventure
The chapter introduces the bygone state of Grünewald, a small German principality nestled in hilly, wooded terrain. As spring draws to a close, Prince Otto embarks on a hunt in the northwest corner of the principality. Two huntsmen, Kuno and another, express frustration and disdain as they realize the Prince has deliberately slipped away, crossing the border into Gerolstein on a grey mare. Their dialogue reveals political tensions, with one huntsman declaring himself a Grünewald patriot for liberty and Gondremark, while the other remains loyal to the Prince. The chapter ends with the Prince disappearing into the evening landscape, his departure marking the beginning of his adventure.
Chapter 5
In Which the Prince Plays Haroun-al-Raschid
Prince Otto, incognito, overhears his subjects' harsh opinions of him and his court, including accusations of cowardice, corruption, and impending war, while learning of a wrestling incident that paradoxically shows his character.

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Dedication

Prince Otto

Book I: Prince Errant

In Which the Prince Departs on an Adventure

In Which the Prince Plays Haroun-al-Raschid