BA1 Synopsis

Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Tinder Box” Synopsis

“... A soldier weary from his travels finds himself presented with unimaginable riches offered to him by a mysterious woman along his path. He does as is expected of any man and retrieves these riches as well as a strange object the woman desires greatly. Curious as to why she longed for it over such wealth as gold and silver the soldier decides to keep it as well as slaying the woman upon her attempt to take it off him.

He squanders his wealth upon many of the joys of life and finds himself without anything but the strange object he had so eagerly killed for. Upon discovering its powers and using them to regain his lost riches he turned his eyes to a greater prize.

The princess’ beauty had often been boasted of yet no one had ever laid eyes on her for the king had locked her away from all behind towers and walls of stone and copper. Filled with curiosity the soldier used his newly acquired power to have the princess retrieved and brought to his room. She was returned as promptly as she was brought in and upon witnessing her beauty he could not help but wish to see her again.

The King in the meanwhile had realised the disappearance of his beloved daughter and through his determination and his wife’s cunning they were able to track the daughter to the soldier’s home and imprison him. The King would never allow the prophecy of a marriage between his daughter and a soldier to come true and ordered the execution of the soldier to take place.

Unfortunately for the King the soldier had powers beyond him and come the day of his execution the soldier was able to summon terrible beasts of darkness and malice. As mighty as the king was he could not overcome the soldier’s spawn and fell to their onslaught. The good king had fallen, and instead a tyrant picked up his crown and ruled the land with the princess at his side and fear as his instrument…”