The Conjuror's Revenge

📘 The Conjuror’s Revenge – Study Notes

• Author: Stephen Leacock

• Genre: Short story / Humorous satire

• Tone: Humorous, ironic, exaggerated

• Theme: Ego, revenge, and how over-smart people spoil things for others

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🧠 Summary

A conjuror (magician) performs a magic show, but a man in the audience — the Quick Man — keeps loudly explaining the tricks, even when he doesn’t actually understand them. 

He ruins the performance by shouting things like, “He had it up his sleeve!” or “He took it out of his pocket!” 

The audience starts ignoring the magic and listens to him instead.

Finally, the conjuror has had enough. 

He performs some tricks that shock and confuse the Quick Man — like pulling out the man’s watch and smashing it. 

When the Quick Man tries to explain, no one believes him. 

In the end, the conjuror gets his revenge by turning the tables, using tricks the Quick Man can’t explain.

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💡 Key Themes

1. Revenge and Justice

• The conjuror cleverly gets back at the man who ruined his performance.

2. The Need for Appreciation

• Artists and performers need support and attention, not mockery.

3. Overconfidence and Foolishness

• The Quick Man thinks he’s smart but ends up embarrassed.

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👥 Main Characters

• The Conjuror: A skilled magician who is calm at first but later cleverly humiliates the Quick Man.

• The Quick Man: An annoying audience member who pretends to know how every trick is done. He loves showing off.

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😂 Use of Humor

• Irony: The “Quick Man” turns out to be not so smart.

• Sarcasm: Leacock exaggerates the Quick Man’s behavior to make him look foolish.

• Reversal: At first, the Quick Man wins — then the conjuror turns the situation around.

• Exaggeration: For example, the conjuror "smashes" the man’s watch — all part of the act.

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✍️ Narrative Style

• Third-person narration

• Simple and clear language

• Fast-paced events

• Humorous tone with dramatic descriptions

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📜 Important Lines and What They Mean

1. “He had it up his sleeve!”
   – The Quick Man spoils the magician’s trick by guessing loudly (even if he's wrong).

2. “The Quick Man was still explaining how the trick was done.”
   – Even when he's proven wrong, he continues acting as if he knows everything.

3. “The conjuror had smelt blood.”
   – A dramatic way of saying the conjuror was ready to strike back.

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