*Narrators 1, 2, and 3 (N1, N2, N3)
*Emperor
Nobles 1, 2, and 3
*Tailors 1 and 2
Guard
Characters
Choose the character you will play. *Starred characters have large speaking roles.
Carolyn Ridsdale
Play,
The Emperor’s New Clothes
The latest royal outfit reveals more than the Emperor’s style.
By Spencer Kayden, based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen.
From the February 2020 Issue
Learning Objective: As students read a play adaptation of a classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen, they will identify characters’ motivations.
Guided Reading Level: Q
DRA Level: 40
Featured Skill:
Character,
Common Core Standards
TEKS Standards
Scene 1
The Great Hall of the Imperial Palace
N1: A group of nobles are chatting when suddenly, a trumpet blares. The room goes quiet.
N2: The Emperor enters wearing a robe of blazing yellow velvet covered in rubies and sapphires.
N3: The nobles bow to him.
Emperor: How do I look?
All (clapping ): Ooh . . . aah . . . ooh!
Noble 1: Simply divine, Sire!
Noble 2: Stunning!
Noble 3: Of the five royal outfits you’ve worn today, this is by far the . . . shiniest!
N1: The Emperor sees himself in a mirror and smiles.
N2: The Nobles whisper to one another.
Noble 1: The Emperor sure loves his fancy clothes.
Noble 2: Well, nothing matters more to him than his appearance.
Noble 3: It’s true. His vanity is known throughout the land.
Royal Aide (to himself): A dangerous trait, vanity.
Scene 2
At the Palace Gate
N3: Off to the side, two people speak quietly.
Tailor 1: I hear he spends a fortune on his clothing.
Tailor 2: I’m told he spends more time getting dressed than he does ruling the kingdom.
Tailor 1: If he really is that obsessed with how he looks, we are sure to get rich!
N1: The two tailors stand tall and approach the palace gate.
Guard: Halt! What is your business here?
Tailor 2: We are tailors come to offer our services to the Emperor.
Guard: The Emperor has many royal tailors.
Tailor 1: We can weave the most extraordinary cloth.
Tailor 2: Not only is it beautiful, but the fabric is so fine, it becomes invisible to those who are fools.
Tailor 1: Surely your Emperor would want to know about this.
Guard: Wait here.
N2: The guard goes inside.
Carolyn Ridsdale
The Emperor
Why won’t anyone tell him the truth?
Scene 3
The Throne Room
N3: The Emperor is admiring a painting of himself. The Royal Aide enters.
Royal Aide (chuckling): Your Majesty, there are two tailors outside. They say they can weave a cloth so fine that fools cannot see it.
Emperor: Really? Bring them in.
Royal Aide: Sire, clearly it’s nonsense.
Emperor: What’s the harm? Are you afraid you won’t be able to see the cloth?
Royal Aide: Such a cloth cannot exist.
Emperor: Must you be so mistrustful?
Royal Aide: I am being sensible.
Emperor: Well, I need a new outfit for my royal procession. This cloth sounds perfect.
Royal Aide: But . . .
Emperor: Bring me the tailors at once!
Scene 4
The Royal Chamber
N1: The tailors measure the Emperor.
Tailor 1: Arm is 16 inches.
Tailor 2: Leg is 40 inches.
Tailor 1: Sire, the suit and robe will require many yards of our special cloth.
Tailor 2: It’s going to cost at least three sacks of gold.
Royal Aide: Three sacks of gold? That’s enough to buy two castles and a moat!
Emperor: I could use a new moat . . .
Tailor 1: Ah, but your Majesty, when you wear these new clothes, you will be admired by all who are worthy.
Tailor 2: And anyone who cannot see your outfit will be revealed as a fool.
Tailor 1: Just think, you will be the first in the empire to have garments like these.
Tailor 2: We have offered this cloth to no one but you.
Emperor: That settles it. Royal Aide, pay these tailors whatever they ask.
Royal Aide: Are you sure? We haven’t seen any of their work.
Emperor: They brought this special cloth to me and only me. They clearly have good taste.
N2: The tailors give each other a sly smile.
Emperor: Now I will surely be remembered as the best-dressed emperor who ever ruled.
Royal Aide: I fear, Your Majesty, that you will be remembered as a buffoon.
Tailors 1 and 2: Gasp!
Emperor: How dare you insult me!
Royal Aide: Can you not see what is happening?
Emperor: Out of my sight! If you dare appear in my court again, off with your head!
Scene 5
The Palace Sewing Room
N3: The room is crowded with mannequins, sewing tables, and spools of silk thread in every color.
N1: The tailors doze in comfortable chairs. The Royal Dresser enters and clears his throat.
Royal Dresser: A-hem. I am checking on the Emperor’s clothes.
Tailor 1 (startled): Ah yes, of course.
Royal Dresser: As you know, tomorrow is the royal procession.
Tailor 2: We were just taking a short break; we were up all night weaving.
Tailor 1: The cloth is so delicate, we must work very slowly.
N2: The tailors go to an undressed mannequin at the center of the room.
Tailor 2: Isn’t the robe breathtaking?
N3: As the dresser furrows his brow, the tailors begin to “sew.”
N1: They snip the air with scissors and carefully draw needles through nothing at all.
Royal Dresser (to himself): I . . . I don’t see anything. . . . Am I a fool?
Tailor 1: What do you think of the pattern?
Royal Dresser: Well, I—I’ve never seen anything like it.
Tailor 2: Do you like the crimson and purple?
N2: The dresser looks at the empty mannequin.
Royal Dresser (to himself): If the Emperor finds out I’m a fool, I’ll lose my job—or worse.
N3: The dresser smiles at the tailors.
Royal Dresser: It is splendid! The Emperor will be so delighted.
Carolyn Ridsdale
The Tailors
Why do they get away with their trick?
Scene 6
The Royal Chamber
N1: The Emperor paces nervously.
Emperor: Where is my outfit? My subjects are waiting.
N2: The tailors rush in with their arms outstretched, carrying imaginary clothes.
Tailors 1 and 2: We’re here! We’re here!
N3: The Emperor looks around, confused.
Emperor: Where are my clothes?
Tailor 1: Can’t you see them? We’re holding them up.
N1: The Emperor nearly faints. A horrified look crosses his face.
Emperor (to himself): I see nothing. But I cannot say so!
Tailor 2: Do you not like them, Sire?
N2: The Emperor quickly smiles and begins to nod.
Emperor: You are true artists! They are magnificent!
Tailor 1: The lion was stitched with thread of pure gold.
Emperor: Ah yes . . . the lion.
Tailor 2: Put them on, Sire. The cloth is so lightweight, you will barely feel it.
N3: The Emperor undresses. The tailors hold out imaginary pants for him to step into.
N1: They dress him in an imaginary jacket and drape an imaginary robe over his shoulders.
Royal Dresser: A perfect fit.
N2: The Emperor looks in a large mirror and turns around slowly.
Emperor: Really?
Royal Dresser: Without question!
N3: The Emperor steps into the hallway where the nobles are waiting.
Emperor: How do I look?
Noble 1: So . . . glorious!
Noble 2: So . . . elegant!
Noble 3: So . . . regal!
Emperor (relieved): Yes. I look gorgeous.
Scene 7
At the Palace Gate
N1: The Emperor’s subjects line the street.
Guard: Step back! You will all get a chance to see the Emperor’s new clothes—unless, of course, you’re a fool. Then you won’t see them at all.
N2: Trumpets blare as the gate opens and the Emperor comes out.
N3: He is wearing only his crown and underpants.
N1: A shocked hush falls over the crowd as the Emperor walks down the road.
N2: Two royal officers trail behind him pretending to hold the train of a robe that does not exist.
N3: At first, there is nothing but silence. Then a few people begin clapping. Soon, the whole crowd is cheering.
All: Hooray! Hooray!
Subject 1: What a wonderful outfit!
Subject 2: Such vivid colors!
N1: Just then, a small child points up.
Child: Look! The Emperor has no clothes!
N2: There is a moment of horrified silence.
N3: And then, as if a spell has been broken, everyone begins to laugh.
Subject 1: Are those his royal underpants?
Subject 2: He’s got goosebumps!
All: Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahaha!
N1: The Emperor runs inside the gate where the nobles stand, their faces red with shame.
Emperor: Those tailors tricked me! And you—telling me I looked elegant and regal—what rubbish! Get the Royal Aide. NOW !
N2: The nobles find the Royal Aide and bring him over.
Emperor: I truly am a buffoon. Why didn’t you stop me?
Royal Aide: I tried, but you wouldn’t listen.
Emperor: Aside from a small child, only you had the courage to speak the truth.
Royal Aide: I’d rather be hated for being honest than loved for lying.
Emperor: From now on, I would like you to be my chief adviser.
Royal Aide: I would be honored, Sire.
Emperor: Your first command . . .
Royal Aide: Yes?
Emperor: Bring me some pants.
Carolyn Ridsdale
The Child
Why do you think a child says what no one else will?
This play was originally published in the February 2020 issue.
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Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Learn about the life of Hans Christian Andersen on the Scholastic Book Wizard site. Then explore the master storyteller’s 168 stories on here.
In the play, almost everyone is afraid to speak up. Help your students learn about peer pressure and the importance of speaking up with this video.
Your students will love this catchy song by Danny Kaye about Hans Christian Anderson!
More About the Story
Skills
Characters’ motivations, vocabulary, fluency, character, compare and contrast, author’s craft, plot, theme, opinion writing
Complexity Factors
Levels of Meaning
This funny play illustrates how often people accept what we’re told in order to avoid looking foolish—and what a bad choice that can be.
Structure
The play is chronological and has seven scenes.
Language
The play contains some challenging academic vocabulary, such as nobles and buffoon, as well as rhetorical questions and a simile.
Knowledge Demands
No special knowledge is required.
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
1. Preparing to Read
Preview Text Features and Set a Purpose for Reading (20 minutes)
- Have students look at the illustration and read the headline and subhead on page 15. Tell them they are about to read a play adapted from a classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author who wrote many famous fairy tales in the 1800s, including “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and “The Snow Queen.” Ask if anyone is familiar with this story or another by Andersen.
- Ask a student to read aloud the Up Close box on page 16. (Make sure students understand that motivation is the reason someone does something.)
- Draw students’ attention to the illustrations on pages 16-18 and the question that accompanies each one. Tell them to keep these questions in mind as they read.
Introduce Vocabulary
- Show the vocabulary slideshow and distribute the vocabulary Skill Builder to preview challenging words. Highlighted terms: nobles, vanity, procession, moat, garments, buffoon, mannequins, furrows
2. Reading the Play
Read and Unpack the Text (45 minutes)
Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class. After reading, discuss the close-reading and critical-thinking questions.
Close-Reading Questions (25 minutes)
- What do you learn about the Emperor in the first scene? (character) You learn that his appearance is very important to him. He is a vain person.
- Reread the beginning of Scene 2. What do the tailors’ lines tell you about the reason they think they can sell their “extraordinary cloth” to the Emperor? (characters’ motivations) The tailors talk about how much time and money the Emperor spends on his clothes. They know this obsession will cause him to easily fall for their trick—and help them make a lot of money.
- In Scene 3, what does the Royal Aide think about the tailors’ claim that their cloth is invisible to fools? What does the Emperor think? (compare and contrast) The Royal Aide thinks that the tailors’ claim cannot be real and that the cloth is nonsense. The Emperor thinks their claim is real and is interested in the cloth.
- At the end of Scene 4, why does the Emperor say “off with your head” to the Royal Aide? (characters’ motivations) The Royal Aide suggests that the Emperor is being tricked by the tailors, saying that if the Emperor buys the clothes, he is “a buffoon.” The Emperor is insulted and fires the Royal Aide, then threatens to have him killed.
- Several times in the play, the author includes stage directions that instruct a character to speak “to himself.” Why does the author do this? (author’s craft) The author wants readers to understand what a character is thinking and why they behave as they do, so she has characters say their thoughts out loud.
- Why does the Emperor “nearly faint” in Scene 6 after the tailors present the clothes to him? (inference) The Emperor cannot see the clothes, which makes him think he must be a fool. He has been told that only a fool cannot see the clothes. The shock of realizing that he might be a fool causes him to feel faint.
- After the child points out that the Emperor has no clothes, why does everyone start laughing? (characters’ motivations) The child’s observation makes everyone realize that no one else can see the clothes either. They become more confident when they realize they are not alone and that the Emperor has been tricked into parading in his underwear. So they start laughing.
- Why does no one see the clothes? What was the tailors’ trick? (plot) No one sees the clothes because they do not exist. The tailors’ trick was that they convinced the Emperor to spend his money
on nothing.
Critical-Thinking Question
- Split students into three groups, and have each group answer one of the questions next to the illustrations on pages 16-18. (characters’ motivations)
- The Emperor (p. 16) Everyone is worried that if they admit they can’t see the clothes, people will think they’re fools. Nobody wants to risk being the one person to speak up.
- The Tailors (p. 17) The tailors get away with their trick because they know that the Emperor is a vain person. He will want to spend a lot of money on the expensive clothes and will be too ashamed to admit that he is a fool when he can’t see them. No one else will speak up either.
- The Child (p. 18) The child is too young to worry about what other people think of her, so she’s not afraid to say exactly what she sees: that the Emperor has no clothes.
- In this play, almost everyone is afraid to speak up. When might it be important to speak up, even if no one else does? Why might this be difficult? (theme) Answers will vary. Students might say it’s important to speak up if someone is in danger or being treated unfairly. It might be difficult because others might not like what you say, or you might not be confident in what you think.
3. Skill Building
Featured Skill: Characters’ Motivations
- Distribute the characters’ motivations Skill Builder. Have students complete it independently or in small groups.
- Ask students to respond to the writing prompt on page 19.
Differentiate and Customize
For Struggling Readers
Several characters in the play do not stand up to the Emperor. After you read the play together, create a list of the characters who don’t stand up to him and discuss why each of them chooses not to say anything.
For Advanced Readers
Have students work in groups and read the original version of the tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Ask them to discuss how it is the same and different from this play version. Which do they prefer? Why? Then invite them to choose another Andersen tale and create their own play adaptation.
For ELL Students
This play is a great opportunity to discuss adjectives to describe personality. After reading the play together, come up with a list of adjectives to describe the tailors, the Emperor, and the Royal Aide.
Make a Connection
Pair this story with another dramatic adaptation of a tale about vanity. The Necklace, from our December 2017 / January 2018 issue, can be found here.
Text-to-Speech