The Contest

The Contest

In the year 66 AD, Emperor Nero embarks on a journey to Greece, accompanied by a troupe of performers and admirers, to compete in musical contests. He aims to win accolades despite his lack of talent, relying on a carefully orchestrated display of support from his entourage. Among those in Greece is Policles, a talented goatherd and musician known for his poetic gifts, who lives a reclusive life tending to his flock. Policles, intrigued by the unusual activity in Olympia, ventures into town, only to find a large assembly gathered for a musical competition. He witnesses a performance by a comically inept singer, who receives overwhelming applause from the audience despite his poor execution. Confounded by the audience's enthusiasm for such a lackluster performance, Policles stands up to voice his dissent, challenging the crowd's judgment. As tensions rise, a herald invites Policles to showcase his own talents. He steps onto the stage, improvising a heartfelt song about the beauty of his homeland. However, his performance is met with indifference and ridicule, overshadowed by the return of the absurd singer, who again captivates the audience with his outlandish style. Frustrated and disheartened, Policles flees the scene, realizing the absurdity of the situation. Unbeknownst to him, the singer is Nero himself, who has just won the competition. As Policles escapes, Nero demands to know the identity of the critic who dared to insult him. Despite the search for Policles, he remains elusive, having returned to the safety of his mountain home. Nero, initially furious, is eventually amused by the incident, deciding to spin the tale of his victory into a grand story for Rome, unaware of the true talent he had dismissed. The narrative explores themes of artistic integrity, the nature of talent, and the absurdity of public opinion, culminating in a critique of the superficiality of fame and recognition in the arts.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1890 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama, Satire · 3,877 words

First lines

In the year of our Lord 66, the Emperor Nero, being at that time in the twenty-ninth year of his life and the thirteenth of his reign, set sail for Greece with the strangest company and the most singular design that any monarch has ever entertained. With ten galleys he went forth from Puteoli, carrying with him great stores of painted scenery and theatrical properties, together with a number of knights and senators, whom he feared to leave behind him at Rome, and who were all marked for death in the course of his wanderings. In his train he took Natus, his singing coach; Cluvius, a man with a monstrous voice, who should bawl out his titles; and a thousand trained youths who had learned to applaud in unison whenever their master sang or played in public. So deftly had they been taught that each had his own role to play. Some did no more than give forth a low deep hum of speechless appreciation. Some clapped with enthusiasm. Some, rising from approbation into absolute frenzy, shrieked, stamped, and beat sticks upon the benches. Some -- and they were the most effective -- had learned from an Alexandrian a long droning musical note which they all uttered together, so that it boomed over the assembly.

What this Textopian page supports

The Contest is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1890 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Good citation fit

Discussion starters

Similar titles

Genres

Tags

mystery · detective · suspense · crime · investigation · thriller · adventure · literature · short story · plot twist · suspenseful · character study

More by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle