Edmund Pevensie
|
Edmund Pevensie 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, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), and a lesser character in two others (The Horse and His Boy, and The Last Battle).
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Edmund is one of the main characters. The narrator, who is sympathetic to Edmund, notes that he began to act meanly after attending a new school. He was cruel to Lucy when she first found the entrance to Narnia through the wardrobe, and was the second of the Pevensie children to go to Narnia, after following Lucy to tease her. While there he met the White Witch and ate some enchanted Turkish Delight, which caused an addiction in the person who ate it. As a result he promised the Witch that he would bring his siblings to her house, not knowing that she intended to kill them all to prevent the fulfilment of a Narnian prophecy.
Upon returning he denied having been in Narnia, even though Lucy had seen him there. Later, when all four of the Pevensie children went through the wardrobe, he sneaked away to the White Witch's castle, where he expected to be made a prince but found himself a prisoner. He was saved from death at the Witch's hands by a rescue party sent by Aslan, and becomes reformed. Later, the Witch lays claim to Edmund's life because he had been a traitor. 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. Eventually he becames King Edmund the Just, co-ruler of Narnia with Queen Lucy, Queen Susan and High King Peter.
In a Christian sense, Edmund represents the sinful nature of man as redeemed by the vicarious atonement of Christ. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Peter being absent, Edmund takes on the role of the mature leader, and is a foil to his cousin Eustace Scrubb.
The Chronicles of Narnia C. S. Lewis | ||
Peter | Susan | Edmund | Lucy | Eustace | Jill | Digory Kirke | Caspian Aslan | Reepicheep | Tash | Tisroc | Mr. Tumnus | White Witch | Puddleglum | ||
Books | Characters | Places |