Talk:Murtagh/Old history

Murtagh is a major supporting character in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy. Murtagh is often compared to Han Solo and Darth Vader from Star Wars, as is his master Galbatorix. He is an immensely popular character among many Eragon fans, despite or perhaps because of his heritage, hardships and later betrayal.

Early life

Murtagh explained parts of his past in Eragon and Eldest to Eragon. As the child of the violent and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. He was born to Selena, a woman who was desperately in love with Morzan, whom Morzan used as a tool against the other Forsworn. For his own safety, Murtagh was raised for the first few years in Morzan's castle, the estate protected by magic so that the boy was never seen, except by a few chosen servants. Only King Galbatorix knew of the boy's existence. Murtagh was often physically abused by his father, when in one of his mad rages. The long scar on his back bears testament to this - at the age of three, Murtagh received the wound when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at him in a fit of anger. The sword tore into the child's back and nearly killed him, but he was miraculously saved by skilled healers.

When his father was killed by Brom, Selena had disappeared (she was pregnant with another child, and escaped to find a better life for that child). She returned after many months and died from an illness, leaving the boy an orphan with only a few of Morzan's trusted servants. The king brought Murtagh to the royal palace at Urû'baen. There Murtagh was educated and taught swordsmanship by Tornac, the king's weapon master who was completely loyal to Murtagh. Murtagh avoided the courts as much as possible during his years at the palace, although he kept himself informed of the power struggles and politics that went on among the nobles. Then, when he was around eighteen, the king called Murtagh to have a private dinner with him. Unable to refuse, Murtagh agreed; the ensuing meal was almost silent as Murtagh's attempts to make polite conversation failed, and the king watched him intently and speculatively.

After dinner the king asked Murtagh if he would serve him and fight for him. Murtagh, knowing the terrible power of Galbatorix, answered yes although Galbatorix's reign sickened him, though he was slightly swayed by Galbatorix's persuasive speaking. Months after that meeting, the king summoned Murtagh in a terrible rage, and ordered him to lead an army to crush a rebellion in a certain province. When Murtagh asked whether he should imprison the civilians, Galbatorix answered that everyone, rebels and civilians alike, should be killed, and the area destroyed. Disgusted by the king's mad passions and clear lack of foresight, Murtagh and Tornac fled the palace on their horses. The king seemed to have anticipated it, and soldiers blocked their way. Although they fought bravely, Tornac was killed. Murtagh escaped on his horse, a swift grey stallion named Tornac in honor of his friend. (It is quite possible that the horse was already named Tornac, as he had been gifted to Murtagh as a foal).

Filled with grief, Murtagh escaped to an old friend's estate, where he was sheltered. While in hiding at the estate, Murtagh kept track of the king's movements and began to plan out his future. He then heard rumors that the king's elite dragon hunters, the Ra'zac, were searching for someone, and he remembered the king's plans for the Riders. Murtagh therefore set out to track the Ra'zac, in the hope that they would come across a Dragon Rider.

Role in Eragon

Eragon first meets Murtagh when he, Brom and Saphira are ambushed by the Ra'zac. Murtagh had been able to drive the Ra'zac away with his arrows, but not before Brom is fatally wounded. Murtagh explains how he had been hunting for the Ra'zac in hopes of meeting the new Dragon Rider, Eragon, who had been stirring up so much trouble for the king. When the two young men meet, Murtagh is tracking the Ra'zac. Eragon wonders who he is, for Murtagh has an air of authority, is dressed and armed like a prince, and rides a noble horse. Eragon can't think what he is, speculating that Murtagh is either a thief or "accustomed to money - and lots of it". Murtagh is cagey about his past at first. Much later, when the two of them spar, they are equally excellent swordsmen. Murtagh wields a hand-and-a-half sword.

Brom dies, and Eragon, Murtagh, and Saphira continue fleeing the Ra'zac. They travel to Gil'ead together in hopes of coming in contact with the Varden. During this time, Eragon and Murtagh become very good friends, although they continue to keep their pasts hidden from one another. When Eragon is captured at Gil'ead, Murtagh saves him from captivity by paying a steep bribe to enter the prison by stealth, and then kill the guards before rescuing Eragon and signalling to Saphira to come and fly them away. Meanwhile, Eragon breaks out of his cell with magic and is assaulted by prison guards, who are shot down by Murtagh. As they escape, Durza the Shade appears and is temporarily disembodied after being shot between the eyes by Murtagh. This secures their getaway; Murtagh, Eragon, Saphira, and Arya (a captive elf whom Eragon insisted on rescuing) safely depart the city.

Murtagh somewhat reluctantly agrees to accompany them on their quest to find the Varden; though as they approach the fortress of Farthen Dûr, the Varden's stronghold, Murtagh becomes increasingly uneasy and makes it clear that it was against his will to come there. Eragon is curious as to why, but Murtagh will say no more. They are imprisoned for a time, though Arya is recognized as the dragon-egg courier, and Eragon demands to know why Murtagh does not wish to stay with the Varden. Grudgingly, Murtagh reveals that he is the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. Although Murtagh has proven himself to be trustworthy and genuine, he faces distrust and scrutiny because of his heritage, and is imprisoned by Ajihad when he, Eragon, and Saphira finally arrive at Tronjheim. However, the "prison cell" Ajihad puts him in is in fact a very nice bedroom where sumptuous meals are frequently delivered, as well as anything Murtagh wants from the Tronjheim Library.

In the battle of Tronjheim, Murtagh is allowed to join in the fight, and he defends the dwarf-city valiantly, charging the Urgals on his steed Tornac. The dwarves are heartened by his skill and his bravery. In the scouring of the dwarf tunnels immediately following the battle (the scouring is shown in Eldest) Ajihad allows Murtagh to accompany him.

Role in Eldest

In Eldest, Murtagh is captured and taken to Urû'baen by the Twins, the personal guards of Ajihad who betray the Varden leader to his death. The Twins kidnap Murtagh and spirit him away to King Galbatorix, tormenting him mercilessly along the way by using magic. Galbatorix, a Dragon Rider and an extremely powerful magic user, tortures Murtagh severely because he ran away from the palace, and then uses to magic to forcibly extract everything Murtagh knows about Eragon, Saphira and the Varden. Then the ruby dragon Thorn hatches for Murtagh. Galbatorix wants another Rider to work for him, and so forces both Thorn and Murtagh to swear allegiance to him in the Ancient Language, a binding magical oath. In addition, Galbatorix discovers Murtagh and Thorn's true names - and knowledge of a being's true name grants a person absolute control over another. Galbatorix's knowledge of Thorn and Murtagh's true names allows him to control them regardless of their intent. Thus enslaved, Murtagh becomes a Rider for the Empire.

From Galbatorix, Murtagh learns dark secrets of magic that allow him to best the weary Eragon towards the end of the Battle of the Burning Plains. After defeating him, Murtagh takes Eragon's blade, Zar'roc (Misery), and claims that the sword is rightfully his. He then reveals that Morzan was Eragon's father, as well, and that he and Eragon are brothers. When Eragon doesn't believe him, Murtagh repeats the statement in the Ancient Language, which confirms it as truth because it is impossible to tell a complete lie in the Ancient Language. However, they may actually be half-brothers, sharing only the same mother. A possible clue is given in the riddle mentioned by Blagden, the raven (P. 546):

While two may share two,
And one of two is certainly one,
One might be two.

Galbatorix had ordered Murtagh to capture Eragon and Saphira and bring them to Urû'baen - Saphira is the last female dragon in existence, and Galbatorix wants to use her to rebuild the Riders. At Eragon's pleading, Murtagh spares him, circumventing his magical oath by saying that he tried to capture them, but couldn't. This is a great act of mercy on Murtagh's part, especially considering that Eragon had tried to kill him moments before and that he would be cruelly punished by Galbatorix for sparing Eragon, and he knew it.

Personality

Murtagh is perhaps the most controversial character in the Inheritance series. He has a thinly veiled distaste for the Varden, asserting that although the king is mad, the system of government is itself sound, and therefore feels that the radical politics of the Varden is flawed. When he flees the king, he joins the Varden out of loyalty towards Eragon, a hatred for Galbatorix, and perhaps a growing interest in Nasuada, the bright, clever daughter of the Varden leader Ajihad. He is later forced by Galbatorix to fight for the Empire and to capture and kill his friends; speculation is rife as to which side his loyalties really lie.

Murtagh is extremely intelligent and ambitious, a logical, sharp-minded and hard young man who can often understand and gauge a situation more clearly than the main protagonist, Eragon, can. Accustomed to being in danger from the day he was born, Murtagh is constantly on edge, wary of strangers and even friends and reluctant to trust anyone. When he beheads a slaver who was trying to capture them, and Eragon grows hysterical, Murtagh explodes at him:

"Do you think I enjoy this? My life has been threatened from the day I was born! All of my waking hours have been spent avoiding danger in one form or another. And sleep never comes easily because I always worry if I'll live to see the dawn. If there ever was a time I felt secure, it must have been in my mother's womb, though I wasn't safe even there! You don't understand - if you lived with this fear, you would have learned the same lesson I did: Do not take chances"

Later he tells Eragon, "You must be willing to protect yourself and what you cherish, no matter what the cost".

Murtagh is cool and ruthless, with an air of authority and a very high level of emotional maturity - this is shown often in the books, with Murtagh staying calm and controlled even in the most trying circumstances, although Eragon's childish behavior does sometimes make him lose his temper. His ambition leads to a love of power, and he revels in the dark magic Galbatorix teaches him, and scorns Eragon for fearing it. However, he is also a loyal comrade and, despite his hardness, a very compassionate person. He also has an amazing inner strength, greater even than Eragon's, that enables him to survive the countless hardships he faces in his life. When he becomes a Rider, he rises from being Eragon's sidekick to being Eragon's powerful adversary; in Eldest his virtual imprisonment (through magic) by the king leads to Murtagh's cold anger and destructive power surfacing, suppressing his better qualities.

Dispute

• An interesting aspect of Eragon and Murtagh's relationship is that they are near equals. Although Eragon was gifted with magic through his bond with Saphira, he and Murtagh were equally skilled swordsmen and could never defeat each other when sparring. In Eragon, however, Murtagh was not as powerful as Eragon simply because he lacked magic. Later, in Eldest, Eragon and Saphira were trained by the ancient Dragon Rider Oromis and his gold dragon, Glaedr. Around the same time, Murtagh and Thorn were trained by King Galbatorix and the king's black dragon, Shruikan. While Murtagh learned powerful dark magic, Eragon was endowed (without training, but as a gift) with ancient elf magic that made him almost superhuman in his skills. When Thorn, Murtagh, Saphira and Eragon meet in combat at The Battle of the Burning Plains, they are again almost equals - except that this time Murtagh's magical abilities are far superior to Eragon's.

• At the end of Eldest, Murtagh seems to better Eragon in magical skill. It is widely believed, though, that, after being 'transformed' by the elves, a fully replenished Eragon could have defeated Murtagh in a duel. Certain fans disagree, as Murtagh's technical skill is excellent. Also, Murtagh had been learning dark magic of which the elves do not even speak; in addition, he knows his true name. Both these things give him advantages over Eragon. Murtagh has also been said to be more powerful even than Morzan. Finally, Eragon himself admits that Murtagh's power outstrips him by far, even in his rested state.

• There is speculation that Garrow (Roran's father) and his sister Selena (Murtagh and Eragon's mother) are descendants of the royal House of Palancar. This would make all three young men - Roran, Eragon and Murtagh - royal.

Possible Romance

It is hinted in Eragon that Murtagh is fascinated by Nasuada (something that Eragon also guesses), who eventually becomes the leader of the Varden in Eldest. When talking about her to Eragon, Murtagh says that when he first saw Nasuada, "I thought she was one of the great ladies of Galbatorix's court. I've seen earls and counts who had wives that, compared to her, were more fitted for life as a hog than of nobility." Murtagh is eighteen, Nasuada is seventeen and Eragon is sixteen when the three of them are in Tronjheim, and there are certain similarities between Murtagh and Nasuada. Both are intelligent, with strong leadership qualities, and are extremely politically astute. They are the offspring of opposing political forces: Murtagh the son of the leader of the Forsworn, Nasuada the daughter of the leader of the Varden. They inherit these positions in Eldest, with Murtagh becoming a Rider and the second most important person in the Empire (after the king) and Nasuada becoming one of the main leaders of the Resistance. Their personalities also complement each other - while Murtagh is cool and guarded, Nasuada is warmer and more affectionate.

While his betrayal in Eldest seems to destroy all hope of a relationship between them, Nasuada shows regret (in the beginning of the second novel) that Murtagh seems to have died and (later in the same novel) that Murtagh has turned traitor. When Murtagh is thought dead, Nasuada confesses quietly, "I liked Murtagh a great deal"; later when Eragon tells her and Arya of Murtagh's forced betrayal, she is deeply moved by compassion and sadness. This has led to eager speculation that a romance is possible in Book III.

Other

In the upcoming film version of Eragon, Murtagh will be portrayed by Garrett Hedlund.

External links

• Fanfiction.net - The Online Murtagh Forums, for fans of Murtagh (he has attracted an enormous following among female readers).