Caspian X
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Narnia character | |
|---|---|
 Ben Barnes as Caspian X in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian |
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| Caspian X | |
| Race | Human |
| Nation | Narnia |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | King of Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands, Lord of Cair Paravel, Lord of Telmar, Baron of Ettinsmor, Duke of the Lantern Waste, Duke of the Seven Isles, Duke of Galma, Count of the Western March, Emperor of Dragon Island, King of Terebinthia |
| Birthplace | Narnia |
| Family | |
| Spouse | Ramandu's Daughter |
| Parents | King Caspian IX |
| Children | Rilian |
| Family | King Miraz (uncle), Queen Prunaprismia (aunt), Ramandu (father-in-law), Erlian and Tirian (direct descendents) |
| Major character in | |
| Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair |
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| Portrayals in adaptations | |
| 1988 BBC miniseries: Jean-Marc Perret (boy) Samuel West (young man) Geoffrey Russell (old man) |
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| 2008 Walden/Disney film: Ben Barnes | |
| 2010 Walden/Fox film: Ben Barnes | |
Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and Emperor of The Lone Islands, also called Caspian the Seafarer and Caspian the Navigator is a fictional character in the The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. He is featured predominantly in three books in the series: Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair. He also makes an appearance at the end of The Last Battle.
Contents |
[edit] Biographical summary
[edit] Prince Caspian
Lewis introduces Caspian as the young nephew and heir to King Miraz of Narnia. By this time, 1300 years since the rule of High King Peter, Old Narnians no longer live openly in Narnia, having been driven into hiding by Caspian's ancestors, the Telmarines. In fact, the talking beasts are believed to be mythical, and are a forbidden subject in Miraz's castle. When Caspian is a little boy, his nurse tells him of these stories, and he is fascinated by them; but when he mentions them in the presence of his uncle, Miraz rebukes Caspian and dismisses the nurse.
Miraz appoints Doctor Cornelius Caspian's tutor and mentor. Cornelius has dwarfish as well as human blood, though Miraz does not know this. Cornelius teaches Caspian the sciences and history that his uncle wants, but also tells him secretly the true stories of Narnia's past. From Cornelius Caspian discovers that Miraz killed Caspian IX (Caspian's father and Miraz's elder brother) to take the throne for himself. When Miraz's wife Prunaprismia gives birth to a son, Cornelius urges Caspian to flee for his life, for Miraz will try to kill Caspian as his son's only rival to the throne. Caspian flees south, taking with him Queen Susan's magic horn, which Cornelius gives him; this horn will bring help to the person who blows it. He meets creatures he once thought mythical, and most agree to accept him as their king. When Miraz attacks them, Caspian blows the horn, which summons back to Narnia the kings and queens of old: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. With Aslan's help, they defeat Miraz in what Lewis called the "War of Deliverance" and restore old Narnia. Despite his Telmarine bloodline, Caspian is named the rightful heir by Aslan himself, as he is a member of Adam's race from Earth. He becomes King Caspian X.
[edit] The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Early in the book we learn that King Caspian X has just won several decisive victories over the Giants of the North.[1] Caspian, in his own words, "gave those troublesome giants on the frontier such a good beating last summer that they pay us tribute now."
The titular voyage of the novel is set exactly three years after Prince Caspian.[2] Order has been re-established in Narnia, and Caspian has constructed the ship Dawn Treader to sail the eastern seas in search of the seven Telmarine lords who had remained loyal to his father and were sent away by Miraz. On the way to the Lone Islands, the sailors discover Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace in the water. They have been magically transported to the Narnian world, and help Caspian and the ship's crew sail east towards the end of the world to find the missing lords. When they reach the end of the world, the mouse Reepicheep (who had fought to liberate Narnia in Prince Caspian) goes on to Aslan's Country, described as a blissful paradise. During the voyage, Caspian meets the unnamed daughter of the retired star Ramandu. They marry and have a son, Rilian.
[edit] The Silver Chair
In this novel, Caspian is a weak and ailing elderly man. About ten years earlier, his wife died of a serpent's bite, and their son Rillian disappeared when he rode to exact revenge.
Eustace and his school friend Jill Pole arrive in Narnia while fleeing a gang of bullies at their school, Experiment House. They arrive to witness the aged Caspian set off to sea to revisit the lands of his youth; but many believe that Caspian, fearing he will never see his son again, has gone to ask Aslan who should be the next King of Narnia. Meanwhile, Eustace and Jill rescue the lost Prince from the underworld where he had been held captive by his mother's murderer, the shapeshifting Lady of the Green Kirtle. Caspian returns to Narnia in time to embrace his son before dying. After his death, Caspian is rejuvenated by Aslan, and he accompanies Eustace and Jill back to their world, where they deal with the Experiment House bullies. Finally, Caspian's spirit returns to Aslan's Country.
[edit] The Last Battle
Caspian makes a very brief appearance at the end of this novel, the final book in the Narnia series. He is present with all the other major characters who reappear at the end of the Narnian world in Aslan's Country.
[edit] Portrayals
- In the 1988 television serial of Prince Caspian produced by the BBC, Caspian as a teenage boy was played by Jean Marc Perret. In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, he was played by Samuel West and in The Silver Chair, the aged Caspian is played by Geoffrey Russell (and the rejuvenated Caspian by Jean Marc Perret).
- In Walden Media's 2008 release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the character is portrayed by British actor Ben Barnes. In this version Caspian is older and is attracted to Queen Susan, and before she returns to her own world for the last time Susan gives him a final kiss.
[edit] Notes
- ^ According to the Narnian timeline, in the Narnian year 2304.
- ^ Again, according to the Narnian timeline, though the defeat of the Giants in 2304 would then not have occurred "last summer".
[edit] External links
- Dawn Treader model photographs
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at Narnia Fans
- NarniaWeb
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
[edit] References
- Ford, Paul F. (2005), written at SanFrancisco, Companion to Narnia, Revised Edition, Harper, ISBN 0-06-079127-6
- Lewis, C.S. (1951), written at London, Prince Caspian, Geoffrey Bles
- Lewis, C.S. (1952), written at London, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Geoffrey Bles
- Lewis, C.S. (1953), written at London, The Silver Chair, Geoffrey Bles
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