Literary notes about Pretender (AI summary)
The term "pretender" in literature is frequently used to denote a figure whose claim to legitimacy—whether political, intellectual, or artistic—is dubious or outright false. Historical figures are often branded as pretenders to signify their contested or fraudulent bids for power, as in the case of Charles Edward Stuart, famously known as “the Pretender” [1, 2]. Beyond the political realm, the term extends to metaphorical or ironic uses, where an individual might be dismissed as a “pretender to genius” or as merely playing the part without true substance or authority [3]. This replete use of the term underscores themes of deception, ambition, and the clash between appearance and reality, challenging both characters and readers to question the authenticity of the claims being made [4, 5].
- Charles Edward Stuart, the Pretender ( b. 1720, d. 1788).
— from Candide by Voltaire - His young second wife, Mary of Modena, bore him a son, the prince afterwards known as "the Old Pretender" (June 10, 1688).
— from A History of EnglandEleventh Edition by Charles Oman - His work was styled a mere collection of libels; he had no invention except in defamation; he was a mere pretender to genius.
— from The Rape of the Lock, and Other Poems by Alexander Pope - Even those who did not join the Pretender remained sullenly at their castles, and thus all confidence was annihilated.
— from Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 1 of 3 by James Tod - "The paltry pretender!—and yet I fancied that he might be formidable!
— from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 71, No. 438, April 1852 by Various
