The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson.

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Chapter 1
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia
The chapter introduces Rasselas, the fourth son of the Emperor of Abyssinia, who lives in the Happy Valley, a place of complete happiness and abundance. Despite all pleasures being provided, Rasselas grows discontented and restless, feeling that something is missing from his life. He begins to question the nature of happiness and seeks to understand the world beyond the valley.
Chapter 2
Description of a Palace in a Valley
The chapter introduces the Happy Valley, a secluded paradise in Abyssinia where the royal children, including Prince Rasselas, are confined until succession. The valley is described as a place of natural beauty and abundance, with all necessities provided and delights added during the Emperor's annual visit. The palace itself is a vast, labyrinthine structure built with secret passages and hidden treasures, designed to ensure security and isolation.
Chapter 3
II: The Discontent of Rasselas in the Happy Valley
Rasselas, now twenty-six, grows weary of the perpetual pleasures of the Happy Valley. He withdraws from amusements, takes solitary walks, and compares his own restless dissatisfaction with the contentment of animals. He concludes that humans have desires beyond mere sensory gratification, and that true happiness remains elusive. His melancholy is observed by a sage, but he finds some solace in his own eloquence and returns to evening diversions with a lighter heart.
Chapter 4
III: The Wants of Him That Wants Nothing
Rasselas, frustrated by the monotony of the Happy Valley, rejects the counsel of his old instructor who insists he lacks nothing. The Prince explains that his unhappiness stems from having no wants, which leaves him without purpose or desire. When the sage suggests that witnessing the world's miseries would make him value his state, Rasselas seizes on this as a new desire—to see those miseries.
Chapter 5
IV: The Prince Continues to Grieve and Muse
Rasselas, after a conversation with an old sage, experiences a brief hope that youth allows time for action, but soon falls into a pattern of idle daydreaming and visionary schemes. He spends twenty months in solitary musing, imagining adventures and benevolent deeds, yet never acting. A moment of self-reproach follows when he realizes how much time he has wasted, and he resolves to escape the Happy Valley after hearing a maid's casual remark about irreparable loss.

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The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia

Description of a Palace in a Valley

II: The Discontent of Rasselas in the Happy Valley

III: The Wants of Him That Wants Nothing

IV: The Prince Continues to Grieve and Muse