Characters

The process of social evaluation leads to self-ratings that may be positive, neutral, or
negative in relation to the standards set by the individuals employed for comparison. The Social
Evaluation Theory states that Human beings learn about themselves by comparing themselves
to others. It is already noted that Bertie does not believe in himself to be worthy of the position
as King because of his speech disorder. It is aggravated by the fact that his brother, Prince
David, is normal and more capable of delivering speeches to the public. In one scene where he
was giving a speech, paintings of great men who, perhaps, spoke eloquently intimidated him.
This is again a negative self-rating which did not help him to conquer his stammer. There was
also an instance where the main character believed that the people were still referring to his
brother, Prince David, as King. He reasoned that every British Monarchy has succeeded
someone who is dead, or is about to die, but that his predecessor was not only alive, but very
much so. In this sense, Prince David and the other predecessors of the throne are the
standards for comparison set by Bertie. It caused a negative self-rating, leading him to doubt his
capabilities more.

In social comparisons, if you compare yourself to a low standard, one in which you
possess better qualities, you may find your self-esteemed raised. The opposite happens when
you compare yourself to a person who has better attributes. One may think that Bertie always
exhibits the first type of comparison with regards to him and his standards. But it can be noted in
the film, during Berties temper breakdowns, he compared himself to Lionel stating that the
therapist is just nobody compared to him since he is a King. It is an example of the second type
of comparison wherein he tried to find some attributes in which he is superior to others.

Another type of comparison which was distinguished by Rosenberg (1979) is a criterion-

based comparison which marks or classifies individuals as superior or inferior in terms of a
criterion. In the aspect of being King, Bertie marks himself as inferior and his brother, along with
his other predecessors as superior. The consequence of this is that Berties low self-esteem
only worsens.