EDMUND PEVENSIE

'Edmund Pevensie' (1930 - 1949) is a major character in C. S. Lewis's ''Chronicles of Narnia''. He is a principal character in three of the seven books (''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', ''Prince Caspian'', and ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader''), and a lesser character in two others (''The Horse and His Boy'', and ''The Last Battle'').
Although he betrays his siblings to the White Witch while under her influence, as the story goes on he accepts the error of his ways. He is redeemed with the intervention of Aslan and joins the fight against the witch. Fulfilling an ancient prophecy, he became King Edmund the Just, King of Narnia and co-ruler with the other Pevensies.

Contents

Name

Biography

''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe''

''Prince Caspian''

''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader''

''The Horse and His Boy''

''The Last Battle''

Christian elements

Portrayals

Quotations

References

Name

'Edmund' (from Anglo-Saxon, 'Eadmund', derived from words meaning "wealth" and "protection") is a male given name.
'Pevensey', on the southeast coast of England, is the site of a medieval castle that figures importantly in British history at several points. In Rudyard Kipling's ''Puck of Pook's Hill'' (1907) at least one of the characters refers to Pevensey as "England's Gate", which the celebrated wardrobe in Lewis's books quite literally becomes. The surname "Pevensie" does not actually appear in the Chronicles until the third published book, ''The Voyage of the ''Dawn Treader.

Biography

''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe''

In ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', Edmund is one of the main characters, and the character who develops the most over the course of story.
It is implied in the book that Edmund started life as a likeable person, but then changed for the worse and began to act meanly after attending a new school (although in the 2005 film adaptation of the book, it is implied that he is upset that their father was forced to serve in the war and that they are sent away from home as a result). Edmund is cruelly dismissive to Lucy when she first finds the entrance to Narnia through the wardrobe, and is the second of the Pevensie children to go to Narnia, after following Lucy to tease her. While there, he meets the White Witch and eats some enchanted Turkish Delight, which causes an addiction in the person who eats it. As a result, he promises the Witch that he will bring his siblings to her house, not knowing that she intends to kill them all to prevent the fulfillment of a Narnian prophecy.
Upon returning, he denies having been in Narnia, even though Lucy has seen him there, but later accidentally lets slip in a remark to Peter that Lucy's story had in fact been true. Later, when all four of the Pevensie children go through the wardrobe, he sneaks away to the White Witch's castle, where he expects to be made a prince and later a king. However, his opinion of the Witch changes dramatically when they encounters a group of creatures enjoying a feast provided by Father Christmas. When the creatures refuse to deny to the Witch that the benefactor has entered the land, a clear sign of her waning power; she turns them to stone over the protests of Edmund. In the 2005 film after Maugrim catches the fox which helped the beavers and the other three Pevensies elude him, the witch turns the fox to stone and hits Edmund for withholding information about Aslan and his army. Now realizing to his horror the evil with which he has allied himself, he is quickly relegated as the Witch's prisoner. The Witch prepares to put him to death, as is her right and duty to do to traitors; she ties Edmund to a tree and lunges her knife at Edmund's neck, aiming to slit his throat, but a rescue party sent by Aslan arrives, frees him and brings him to his siblings and the rest of Aslan's army. Edmund becomes fully reformed after a long conversation with Aslan. The next day, the Witch reiterates her claim to Edmund's life. She and Aslan work out an agreement that Aslan will die in Edmund's place, but unknown to her, the magical nature of this contract allows Aslan to be brought back to life.
While Aslan and Edmund's sisters race to free the cursed prisoners in the Witch's castle, Edmund consolidates his reformation by aligning himself with Peter's army in battle, where he plays a critical role in neutralizing the White Witch's most dangerous advantage, her wand, and is gravely wounded in the attempt. However, he is saved from death by the timely arrival of reinforcements led by Aslan (who defeats the Queen), and by Lucy, who gives Edmund a dose of a magic cordial which can quickly heal any injury. Eventually Edmund Pevensie, completely reformed, becomes King Edmund the Just, co-ruler of Narnia with Queen Lucy, Queen Susan and High King Peter, and is knighted as Duke of Lantern Waste, Count of the Western March, and Knight of the Noble Order of the Table.

''Prince Caspian''

He and his siblings returned to Narnia to aid Caspian against King Miraz the Usurper. He convinced Trumpkin the dwarf, that they were the Kings and Queens from the legend by defeating him in a sparring practice. He later helped Peter and Trumpkin fight against Nikabrik from harming Caspian in Aslan's How. And he was there to witness Peter's duel against Miraz.
He was also the first person who believed Lucy when she said she saw Aslan clearly, when the rest of them could not. Edmund is shown in a more positive light in this book than in the last. His demeanor is more cooperative and loyal, even under the guidance of Peter.

''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader''

Edmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace ended up in the ocean of Narnia and were reunited with King Caspian in his ship, the Dawn Treader, in a quest to search for the missing Lords that his uncle banished years before. This book was to be Edmund and Lucy's last adventure in Narnia.

''The Horse and His Boy''

King Edmund, Queen Susan and Tumnus the Faun were unwilling visitors in the country of Calormene, where the prince Rabadash wants to force Susan to marry him. Mistaking Shasta for Prince Corin of Archenland, Narnia's ally, Edmund scolded the young boy for running off and making everyone worry. The Narnians managed to escape by Tumnus' clever idea, which led Rabadash to convince his father that they should take Narnia by invading Archenland.
Shasta managed to warn Archenland in time, and met King Edmund once again, this time with his sister Queen Lucy, in Anvard (Peter was in the North fighting off the giants from the border, Susan was left in charge in Cair Paravel). He led the fight against the Calormene army and defeated them.

''The Last Battle''

After seeing Tirian's form pleading for their help in England, Peter and Edmund took it upon themselves to go to the Ketterley's old home in London to dig up the magic rings that Professor Kirke buried in the yard as a boy in ''The Magician's Nephew'' to be used by Eustace and Jill to reach Narnia. They were waiting for the others at the train platform when the accident happened.
Edmund accompanies everyone, except Susan, into Aslan's country. Like his brother and younger sister, he dies on the train crash and is transferred to Aslan's country, where they all live forever.

Christian elements

In a Christian sense, Edmund's actions are a reflection upon the sinful nature of man as redeemed by the vicarious atonement of Christ.

Portrayals

Jonathan R. Scott played Edmund in the 1988 BBC production. As an adult, he is played by Charles Ponting.
In the 2005 film '', young Edmund is portrayed by Skandar Keynes while Mark Wells plays Edmund as an adult. Keynes will return for the sequel, '', scheduled for a 2008 release.

Quotations

"Girls...They never carry a map in their heads." -- ''Prince Caspian''
"Bother! I've left my new torch in Narnia!" -- ''Prince Caspian''

References