Miraz: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Fictional character in The Chronicles of Narnia}} |
{{Short description|Fictional character in The Chronicles of Narnia}} |
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{{for|the album by Bosnian singer [[Elvira Rahić]]|Miraz (album)}} |
{{for|the album by Bosnian singer [[Elvira Rahić]]|Miraz (album)}} |
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{{All plot|date=March 2017}} |
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{{Infobox character |
{{Infobox character |
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| name = King Miraz |
| name = King Miraz |
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'''Miraz''' is a fictional character from [[C. S. Lewis]]'s fantasy series ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''. He is the main [[antagonist]] in the book ''[[Prince Caspian]]'', and is the uncle of the book's [[Caspian X|protagonist]]. |
'''Miraz''' is a fictional character from [[C. S. Lewis]]'s fantasy series ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''. He is the main [[antagonist]] in the book ''[[Prince Caspian]]'', and is the uncle of the book's [[Caspian X|protagonist]]. |
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Miraz killed his brother, [[List of The Chronicles of Narnia characters#C|Caspian IX]], allowing his nephew to live as heir until, as the book opens, his wife bears him a legitimate heir. He is a descendant of the [[Telmarines]] who had invaded Narnia hundreds of years before, and a cruel and unpopular ruler. Most notorious for banning the teaching of Narnia's pre-Telmarine history, he also levies high taxes and enacts harsh laws. He is ultimately defeated in a duel by [[Peter Pevensie]] and then slain by his own advisors. |
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Miraz, a descendant of the [[Telmar]]ines who had invaded Narnia hundreds of years before, is a cruel and unpopular ruler. Most notorious for banning the teaching of Narnia's pre-[[Telmarine]] history, he also levies high taxes and enacts harsh laws. He initially tolerates Caspian as his heir, taking the title of "[[Lord Protector]]" for himself, before ascending the throne while Caspian is a small child. Many years later, his wife, [[Prunaprismia]], bears a son. Miraz is then ready to kill Caspian too, in order to clarify the succession. |
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==Character== |
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Caspian, warned in the nick of time by his tutor, flees Miraz's Castle and forms an alliance with the "Old Narnians", after three of them rescue him after he is knocked out in a fall from his horse. Caspian's horse heads back to his stable at Miraz's castle, causing Miraz to send his army out to track down Caspian. |
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Miraz is a [[tyrant]]. Eliana Ionoaia notes that "this type of kingship can be termed a tyranny since Miraz rules through oppression, cruelty, and fear."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ionoaia |first1=Eliana |title=The Hero Paradigm in Fantasy Novels |date=2020 |publisher=[[Bucharest University Press]] |page=227 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iYNYEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA227 |access-date=28 October 2023}}</ref> [[Matthew Dickerson]] and David O'Hara argue that<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dickerson |first1=Matthew T. |author1-link=Matthew T. Dickerson |last2=O'Hara|first2=David|title=Narnia and the Fields of Arbol: The Environmental Vision of C.S. Lewis |date=2008 |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=80hdtBdYnigC&pg=PT63 |access-date=28 October 2023}}</ref> |
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<blockquote> |
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Miraz seeks to remove all sense of enchantment from nature — swords and battles are what are real for Miraz, not talking animals and trees — and by removing enchantment he seeks also to remove all sense of nature's sanctity. For in disenchanting and desanctifying the earth and its creatures, he will be more justified in exploiting it. |
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</blockquote> |
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== Significance == |
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[[Civil war]] ensues, culminating in [[Peter Pevensie]] defeating Miraz in a duel. Miraz is then killed in an act of treachery by his counselor Lord Glozelle (planned by him and Lord Sopespian), as an act of revenge for Miraz branding him a "coward" saying that he was talking "like an old woman" when suggesting reasons not to fight King Peter. |
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| ⚫ | The relationship between Miraz and his brother's son, [[Prince Caspian (character)|Prince Caspian]], resembles that of [[King Claudius|Claudius]] and [[Prince Hamlet|Hamlet]] in [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[Hamlet]]'', as well as [[Pelias]] and [[Jason]] from Greek mythology.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hardy|first=Elizabeth Baird|author-link=|title=Milton, Spenser and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=December 13, 2006|location=|pages=53–54|url=|doi=|id=|isbn=0-7864-2876-7|quote=…it is likely that Miraz's creation owes more to a tradition of scheming, murdering throne-stealers, such as Hamlet's Uncle Claudius…}}</ref> |
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In a ''[[Christianity Today]]'' opinion piece published in 2008, Devin Brown noted that Miraz was "aloof and emotionally distant" like Lewis' own father.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/aprilweb-only/isthismancaspian.html|title=Is Caspian Really C. S. Lewis?|date=April 22, 2008|accessdate=August 18, 2022|last=Brown|first=Devin|work=[[Christianity Today]]}}</ref> This theme is explored in more detail in Chandler Hanton's dissertation, ''The Tragedy of Caspian: C. S. Lewis and His Trauma''.<ref>{{cite thesis|type=MA|last=Hanton|first=Chandler|title=The Tragedy of Caspian: C. S. Lewis and His Trauma|url=https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3574&context=etd|date=Spring 2022|publisher=Georgia Southern University|accessdate=Aug 18, 2022}}</ref> |
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== Adaptations == |
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In the [[Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989 TV serial)|1989 BBC adaptation]], Miraz is played by [[Robert Lang (actor)|Robert Lang]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8cf95dbedd4d4011bf2d6f236db2b62b | title=BBC Programme Index }}</ref> |
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<br>In the [[The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian|2008 cinematic adaptation]], Miraz is portrayed by [[Sergio Castellitto]], an accomplished Italian actor hypothesized by [[IGN]] as chosen "to give the Telmarines a Latin-Mediterranean ethnic flavor."<ref name=IGN>{{cite news|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/13/caspians-king-miraz-cast|last=Davidson|first=Paul|work=IGN|title=Caspian's King Miraz Cast|date=Mar 13, 2007|accessdate=Aug 15, 2022}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]''' review noted that the film's "major source of dramatic energy is the villain, Caspian’s uncle Miraz, who is played with malignant grandeur" by Castellitto.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/movies/16narn.html|title=Out of the Wardrobe, Into a War Zone|last=Scott|first=A.O.|date=May 16, 2008|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=August 15, 2022}}</ref> While panning the movie as a whole, movie critic Mick LaSalle found Miraz "square-shouldered and decisive and, by medieval king standards, probably not all that bad. His beard may be too pointy for virtue, but he's hardly evil enough to make it worth yanking the Pevensie siblings out of 1940s England."<ref name=sfgate>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Movie-review-Narnia-sequel-lacks-magic-3214275.php|date=May 15, 2008|title=Movie review: 'Narnia' sequel lacks magic|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|work=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=August 15, 2022}}</ref> In an extended critique of the movie, Steven D. Boyer complains that the rivalry between Caspian and Peter is nowhere in the books, but is rather itself a reflection of Miraz' original character.<ref>{{cite news|title=Narnia Invaded: How the New Films Subvert Lewis's Hierarchical World|url=https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=23-06-030-f&readcode=&readtherest=true|work=[[Touchstone (magazine)|Touchstone]]|last=Boyer|first=Steven D.|date=Nov–Dec 2010|accessdate=August 18, 2022}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:The Chronicles of Narnia characters]] |
[[Category:The Chronicles of Narnia characters]] |
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[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1951]] |
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1951]] |
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[[Category:Fictional dictators]] |
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[[Category:Fictional fratricides]] |
[[Category:Fictional fratricides]] |
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[[Category:Fictional kings]] |
[[Category:Fictional kings]] |
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[[Category:Fictional mass murderers]] |
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[[Category:Fictional regicides]] |
[[Category:Fictional regicides]] |
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[[Category:Fantasy film characters]] |
[[Category:Fantasy film characters]] |
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[[Category:Male characters in literature]] |
[[Category:Male characters in literature]] |
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[[Category:Male literary villains]] |
[[Category:Male literary villains]] |
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Latest revision as of 03:51, 6 March 2024
| King Miraz | |
|---|---|
Caspian IX See relations of Caspian . | |
| Spouse | Prunaprismia |
| Children | Unnamed son |
| Nationality | Narnia |
Miraz is a fictional character from
protagonist
.
Miraz killed his brother, Caspian IX, allowing his nephew to live as heir until, as the book opens, his wife bears him a legitimate heir. He is a descendant of the Telmarines who had invaded Narnia hundreds of years before, and a cruel and unpopular ruler. Most notorious for banning the teaching of Narnia's pre-Telmarine history, he also levies high taxes and enacts harsh laws. He is ultimately defeated in a duel by Peter Pevensie and then slain by his own advisors.
Character
Miraz is a
Matthew Dickerson and David O'Hara argue that[2]
Miraz seeks to remove all sense of enchantment from nature — swords and battles are what are real for Miraz, not talking animals and trees — and by removing enchantment he seeks also to remove all sense of nature's sanctity. For in disenchanting and desanctifying the earth and its creatures, he will be more justified in exploiting it.
Significance
The relationship between Miraz and his brother's son,
In a Christianity Today opinion piece published in 2008, Devin Brown noted that Miraz was "aloof and emotionally distant" like Lewis' own father.[4] This theme is explored in more detail in Chandler Hanton's dissertation, The Tragedy of Caspian: C. S. Lewis and His Trauma.[5]Adaptations
In the 1989 BBC adaptation, Miraz is played by Robert Lang.[6]
In the 2008 cinematic adaptation, Miraz is portrayed by Sergio Castellitto, an accomplished Italian actor hypothesized by IGN as chosen "to give the Telmarines a Latin-Mediterranean ethnic flavor."[7] The New York Times' review noted that the film's "major source of dramatic energy is the villain, Caspian’s uncle Miraz, who is played with malignant grandeur" by Castellitto.[8] While panning the movie as a whole, movie critic Mick LaSalle found Miraz "square-shouldered and decisive and, by medieval king standards, probably not all that bad. His beard may be too pointy for virtue, but he's hardly evil enough to make it worth yanking the Pevensie siblings out of 1940s England."[9] In an extended critique of the movie, Steven D. Boyer complains that the rivalry between Caspian and Peter is nowhere in the books, but is rather itself a reflection of Miraz' original character.[10]
References
- Bucharest University Press. p. 227. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ Dickerson, Matthew T.; O'Hara, David (2008). Narnia and the Fields of Arbol: The Environmental Vision of C.S. Lewis. University Press of Kentucky. p. 63. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ISBN 0-7864-2876-7.
…it is likely that Miraz's creation owes more to a tradition of scheming, murdering throne-stealers, such as Hamlet's Uncle Claudius…
- ^ Brown, Devin (April 22, 2008). "Is Caspian Really C. S. Lewis?". Christianity Today. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ Hanton, Chandler (Spring 2022). The Tragedy of Caspian: C. S. Lewis and His Trauma (MA). Georgia Southern University. Retrieved Aug 18, 2022.
- ^ "BBC Programme Index".
- ^ Davidson, Paul (Mar 13, 2007). "Caspian's King Miraz Cast". IGN. Retrieved Aug 15, 2022.
- ^ Scott, A.O. (May 16, 2008). "Out of the Wardrobe, Into a War Zone". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ LaSalle, Mick (May 15, 2008). "Movie review: 'Narnia' sequel lacks magic". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ Boyer, Steven D. (Nov–Dec 2010). "Narnia Invaded: How the New Films Subvert Lewis's Hierarchical World". Touchstone. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
