Based on Vikram Seth’s treatment of the theme kingship, in his poem, analyse THE TALE OF MELON CITY as a political satire.

' The Tale of Melon City ' is a satire on the ' just and placid king '.In an amusing way the poet, Vikram Seth narrates the tale of the Melon city where the King ordered that an arch should be built and so the workmen built the arch but when the King came under the arch, his crown fell off as the arch was built too low. The King thought of it as a disgrace and ordered that the chief of builders be hanged. In due course of actions, the humour develops, portraying the silly nature of the king. The king is over ruled by all his subjects from the chief of builders to masons, he becomes nervous when he finds his subjects restless and ultimately loses his crown and his life in the haste to please his subjects.

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