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''Prince Caspian'' (originally published as ''Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia'') is a high fantasy novel for children by
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...
, published by
Geoffrey Bles David Geoffrey Bles (1886–1957) was a British publisher, with a reputation for spotting new talent. He started his eponymous publishing firm in London in 1923 and published the first five books of C.S. Lewis' ''Narnia'' series. Early life Ble ...
in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in '' The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956), and Lewis had finished writing it in 1949, before the first book was out. It is volume four in recent editions of the series, sequenced according to the internal chronology of the books. Like the others, it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes and her work has been retained in many later editions. ''Prince Caspian'' features a "return to Narnia" by the four Pevensie children of the first novel, about a year later in England but 1300 years later in Narnia. It is the only book of ''The Chronicles'' with men dominating Narnia. The talking animals and mythical beings are oppressed, and some may be endangered. The English siblings, legendary , are magically recalled, once again children, by the refugee Prince Caspian.
Macmillan US Macmillan Inc. is a defunct American book publishing company. Originally established as the American division of the British Macmillan Publishers, the two were later separated and acquired by other companies, with the remnants of the original Am ...
published an American edition within the calendar year. ''Prince Caspian'' has been adapted and filmed as two episodes of BBC television series in 1989 and as a feature film in 2008.


Plot summary

Peter,
Susan Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...
,
Edmund Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and ...
, and Lucy Pevensie are magically whisked away from a British railway station to a beach near an old and ruined castle. They determine the ruin is Cair Paravel, where they once ruled as the kings and queens of Narnia. They discover the treasure vault where Peter's sword and shield, Susan's bow and arrows, and Lucy's dagger and bottle of magical cordial are stored. Susan's horn for summoning help is missing, as she left it in the woods the day they returned to England after their prior visit to Narnia. Although only a year has passed in England, 1300 years have passed in Narnia. The children rescue Trumpkin the
dwarf Dwarf or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore * Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
from soldiers who are about to drown him. Trumpkin tells the children Narnia's history since their disappearance:
Telmar The Telmarines are a people in the fictional world of Narnia created by the British author C. S. Lewis for his series ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. Hailing from Telmar, the Telmarines are prominent in the book ''Prince Caspian'', the second book ...
ines conquered Narnia, which is now ruled by King
Miraz 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 protagonist. Miraz killed his brother, Caspian IX, allowing ...
and his wife, Queen
Prunaprismia This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
. Miraz usurped the throne by killing his brother,
King Caspian IX This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
, the father of Prince Caspian. Miraz tolerated the rightful heir, Prince Caspian, until his own son was born. Caspian escaped from Miraz's castle with the aid of his tutor
Doctor Cornelius This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
, who schooled him in the lore of Old Narnia, and gave him Queen Susan's horn. Caspian fled into the forest but was knocked unconscious when his horse bolted. He awoke in the den of a
talking Talking may refer to: * Speech, the product of the action of ''to talk'' * Communication by spoken words; conversation or discussion Other uses * "Talking" (The Rifles song), 2007 * "Talking" (A Flock of Seagulls song), 1983 * "Talking", a song ...
badger,
Trufflehunter This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
, and two dwarfs, Nikabrik and Trumpkin, who accepted Caspian as their king. The badger and dwarves took Caspian to meet many creatures of Old Narnia. During a midnight council, Doctor Cornelius arrived to warn them of the approach of King Miraz and his army; he urged them to flee to
Aslan's How In C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel series the ''Chronicles of Narnia'', the hill of the Stone Table, or Aslan's How, is a high mound or cairn, located south of the Great River in Narnia next to the Great Woods. The How was built over the hill of the ...
in the great woods near Cair Paravel. The Telmarines followed the Narnians to the How, and after several skirmishes the Narnians appeared close to defeat. At a second war council, they decided to wind Queen Susan's horn in the hopes that it would bring help. Trumpkin and the Pevensies make their way to Caspian. The trek proves difficult, but Aslan appears to Lucy and instructs her to guide the others behind him. Aslan sends Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin ahead to Aslan's How to deal with treachery brewing there, and follows with Susan and Lucy. Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin arrive and drive out or kill the creatures threatening Caspian. Peter challenges Miraz to single combat: the army of the victor in this duel would be considered the victor in the war. Miraz accepts the challenge, goaded by lords
Glozelle This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
and
Sopespian This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called '' The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser ...
. Miraz loses the combat, but Glozelle and Sopespian declare that the Narnians have cheated. The lords command the Telmarine army to attack, and in the commotion that follows, Glozelle stabs Miraz in the back. Aslan, accompanied by Lucy and Susan, summons the gods
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
and Silenus, and with their help brings the woods to life. The gods and awakened trees turn the tide of battle and send the Telmarines fleeing. Discovering themselves trapped at the Great River, where their bridge has been destroyed by Bacchus, the Telmarines surrender. Aslan gives the Telmarines a choice of staying in Narnia under Caspian or returning to Earth, their original home. After one volunteer disappears through the magic door created by Aslan, the Pevensies go through to reassure the other Telmarines, though Peter and Susan reveal to Edmund and Lucy that they are too old to return to Narnia. The Pevensies find themselves back at the railway station.


Characters

* Lucy Pevensie, the youngest Pevensie child, is the first to see Aslan again. * Edmund Pevensie is the third Pevensie child. Unlike his older siblings, he trusts Lucy's sighting of Aslan, pointing out that in their first adventure she turned out to be right and he ended up looking silly. * Peter Pevensie, the oldest of the Pevensie siblings, is High-King of Narnia. *
Susan Pevensie Susan Pevensie is a fictional character in C. S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' series. Susan is the elder sister and the second eldest Pevensie child. She appears in three of the seven books—as a child in '' The Lion, the Witch and the ...
is the second oldest of the Pevensie children. She uses a bow and arrow. * Prince Caspian, the rightful Telmarine King, who becomes King of Narnia. He reappears in the next two books in the series: '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' and '' The Silver Chair'', and makes a brief appearance in the end of '' The Last Battle''. * Aslan, the Great Lion, who created Narnia. *
Miraz 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 protagonist. Miraz killed his brother, Caspian IX, allowing ...
, Caspian's uncle, usurped the throne of the Telmarines. So long as Miraz has no son, he tolerates Caspian as heir, but when a son is born he moves to eliminate Caspian. He fights the Old Narnians, who support Caspian, and accepts a challenge to single combat with Peter to settle the matter; but he is killed treacherously by Lord Glozelle after the duel. * Trumpkin, a Red Dwarf who helps Caspian defeat Miraz. When he is captured by Miraz's soldiers and taken to Cair Paravel to be drowned, he is freed by the Pevensie children and leads them to Caspian. At the beginning of the novel he is entirely sceptical about the existence of Aslan and the ancient Kings and Queens, but learns better in the course of the story. *Doctor Cornelius, half-dwarf and half-human, is tutor to Caspian and aids in the Narnians' defeat of the Telmarines. * Reepicheep, a Talking
Mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
(descended from the non-talking mice who freed Aslan from his bonds in the previous book, and were thus given the gift of speech), is a fearless swordsman and a staunch supporter of Aslan and Caspian. * Nikabrik, a Black Dwarf in Caspian's army, resists fighting alongside Caspian. Together with a Hag and a Wer-Wolf, he plots to resurrect the White Witch against the Telmarines through black magic, but all three are killed by Caspian and his allies. *
Trufflehunter This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
, a Talking Badger, holds faith with Aslan and Old Narnia, and aids Prince Caspian in his struggle against Miraz. *
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
and Silenus, Narnian forest gods (borrowed from Ancient Greece). * Lord
Sopespian This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called '' The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser ...
and Lord
Glozelle This is a list of characters in the series of fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis called ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. See also a list of portrayals. A *Ahoshta: a 60-year-old Tarkaan of Calormen who later becomes the Grand Vizier, chief adviser to ...
, lords of Telmar. After being insulted by Miraz they manipulate him into accepting Peter's challenge. They cry treachery when Miraz falls, and Glozelle secretly stabs him in the back. Sopespian is beheaded by Peter as the all-out battle begins, but Lewis does not mention the fate of Glozelle.


Themes

The two major themes of the story are courage and chivalry and, as Lewis himself said in a letter to an American girl, "the restoration of the true religion after a corruption". The Telmarine conquest of Narnia, as depicted in the book, is in many ways similar to the historical
Norman Conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...
. Though there is no precise parallel in actual English history to the specific events of this book, the end result – "Old Narnians" and Telmarines becoming a single people and living together in harmony – is similar to the historical process of Saxons and Normans eventually fusing into a single English people.


Adaptations

The BBC adapted '' Prince Caspian'' in two episodes of the 1989 series of '' The Chronicles of Narnia''. The second in the series of films from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, titled '' The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'', was released in the US on 16 May 2008. The UK release date was 26 June 2008. The book was the inspiration for a song of the same name on the
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...
album '' Billy Breathes''. The script for a stage adaptation was written by Erina Caradus and first performed in 2007.Narnia Productions
narniaproductions.co.nz ( Dunedin, New Zealand). Retrieved 10 December 2012. The homepage now promotes the last of four productions, ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' (2008). Information about the four numbers varies.


See also


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links

* * —immediately, the full-colour C. S. Lewis centenary edition * {{DEFAULTSORT:Prince Caspian 1951 fantasy novels 1951 British novels 1951 children's books British novels adapted into films British novels adapted into plays High fantasy novels Novels about orphans British novels adapted into television shows The Chronicles of Narnia books Fratricide in fiction Fiction about regicide Dwarves in popular culture Children's fantasy novels Geoffrey Bles books