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 in the Eragon fandom, with an even larger and more ardent fan following than the main protagonist, Eragon.

Early life

Murtagh is a highborn bastard, born into the ruling elite of the Broddring Kingdom, one of the only children of the Thirteen Forsworn (that is known so far). His father was the powerful leader of the Forsworn and the King's most intelligent and dangerous Dragon Rider. His mother was a peasant woman, but it is hinted that she is one of the lost descendants of King Palancar.

Murtagh explains parts of his past in Eragon and Eldest to Eragon. As the child of the dangerous and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. He was born to Selena, a common woman who was desperately in love with Morzan, whom Morzan used as a spy against the other Forsworn. For his own safety from the twelve other Dragon Riders, 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. By this time all the Forsworn were dead. The king brought Murtagh to the royal palace at Urû'baen. There Murtagh was educated and taught swordsmanship by Tornac, a man (presumably a knight) 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 as his father Morzan had. Murtagh knew the terrible power of Galbatorix and privately disapproved of some of the king's actions, yet when Galbatorix began to speak of his vision for the Empire and its people, Murtagh found himself seduced by the power of Galbatorix's words, and his sweet persuasive voice. By the end of the king's speech, Murtagh was intrigued and moved by the ideal Galbatorix had painted, and immediately and eagerly agreed to serve him. 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. The shades were lifted from Murtagh's eyes, and he was disgusted by the king's mad passions, irrational cruelty and clear lack of foresight. Murtagh could tell that a king who could not control his own passions had no hope of controlling a kingdom, much less a great empire, and it was then that he decided that it would be folly to serve Galbatorix.

That very night, 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 kills 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 courage. 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, and probably the most popular. 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, Eragon grows hysterical. An argument escalates between them, until Murtagh explodes at Eragon:

"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 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. He is intensely private and strong willed. In Tronjheim, Lord Ajihad of the Varden told him that he would be imprisoned if he didn't allow Ajihad's guards to magically search his mind for his motives and intended treachery. Despite being in an extremely dangerous situation, Murtagh replied, "My mind is one sanctuary that has not been stolen from me. Men have tried to breach it before, but I have learned to defend it vigorously, for I am only safe with my innermost thoughts. You have asked me for the one thing I can not give. ... Do with me what you wish, but know this: death will take me before I expose myself to their probing."

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.

Possessions

(this list will perhaps never be complete, as it is not known the full extent of Murtagh's wealth and his possessions)

• A magnificent grey stallion named Tornac, who he received as a foal. Murtagh named the warhorse after his friend and mentor, and it was one of the few creatures he was truly attached to. He was separated from the stallion when he was kidnapped at Tronjheim, and the horse's whereabouts are unknown. It is likely that Tornac is stabled with Eragon's horse, Snowfire, in Tronjheim.
• Zar'roc, a red Rider blade that was his father's sword.
• His ruby-red dragon, Thorn - although Thorn is actually his friend and partner, not possession.
• A hand-and-half sword, which was discarded at the Burning Plains when Murtagh finally acquired his rightful inheritance, Zar'roc.
• Finely crafted steel armor, from King Galbatorix's armory.
• It is presumed that, on coming of age between 16 and 18 (the traditions of Alagaesia regarding this are unclear, but it is probably 16), Murtagh inherited his father's castle and lands north of Uru'baen. This is never addressed in the books, however.
• A yew bow
• A Elven dagger named Drac'ner

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, [[Shruikanin 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 dragons, 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 also claimed 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.

There is also a small amount of foreshadowing. When Murtagh tells Eragon of his meeting with Nasuada, Eragon grows uneasy at the warmth of Murtagh's praise, and senses that there is something more to his admiration. Eragon's intuition is uncanny and he is able to predict other events in the trilogy, and he feels a clear sense of "foreboding" when he considers Murtagh's feelings. Earlier in Eragon, Eragon insists on knowing why Murtagh refuses to go to the Varden. In exasperation he asks, "Did you kill someone important or bed the wrong woman?" This line is suggestive when one takes into consideration that Murtagh later kills King Hrothgar, one on the leaders of the Resistance and who fought with the Varden for decades. Nasuada, the current Varden chief, would certainly be considered "the wrong woman" for Murtagh, simply because she is a rebel leader and he is a traitor.

Critical Reaction

Among the numerous critics who dislike The Inheritance Trilogy, Murtagh is perhaps the one character who is praised for having a depth in his personality when the other characters - according to critics - are one dimensional cardboard cutouts. As one critical site, Arya's Eyebrows, says:

"I make it sound as if Murtagh is a passable character. In any other book he would probably make the cut as the crazy half brother with an affinity for pointy things; in Inheritance he is (to a much lesser degree than it sounds) Eragon’s co-star. He’s the one who doesn’t run off crying at a pin drop or go into regular seizures, even though he also has a “debilitating scar”. He’s the better half in the sibling rivalry, and the half that everyone secretly (or not-so-secretly, depending) sides with and roots for. It’s too bad that Paolini didn’t see this and insisted on making him the pack mule of Eragon and the not-so-mysteriously-kidnapped-civilian-whos- brother-doesn’t-even-care of Eldest (though he did get the title role in the latter, which is kind of nice).

"Unfortunately, even Murtagh has huge flaws, which were no doubt created by Paolini's negligence. Murtagh's character, which had so much promise, slowly fell apart as he submitted to all of Eragon's desires just because the author said to. By the end of Eldest he was slipping away into mindless clone land to join the rest of the party."

Film Portrayal

In the upcoming film version of Eragon, Murtagh will be portrayed by Garrett Hedlund. Fans and critics of the trilogy alike applaud the decision based on what can be seen from the posters released so far.

External links

• Fanfiction.net - The Online Murtagh Forums at Fanfiction.net, for fans of Murtagh
• Inheritance Forums - The Official Murtagh Fan Thread at Inheritance Forums.
• Misery and Thorn - The Murtagh Fanlisting.