Prince Caspian

As the tyrannical king of Narnia who has murdered many of his competitors, including Prince Caspian’s father, King Miraz is the main villain and antagonist.

Miraz is a flat character whose opposition to the Old Narnians and mistrust of his nephew do not evolve over the course of the story. Lewis often develops Miraz’s character through other characters’ impressions; Prince Caspian and Doctor Cornelius, for example, describe him as cruel and violent. Near the end of the story, King Miraz’s arrogance and rudeness cost him his life when he brashly duels with Peter and insults his own advisors, who later betray him and kill him.

While they have very few interactions in the story, King Miraz provides a foil for Prince Caspian. Where King Miraz is intolerant, selfish, and power-hungry, Caspian is curious, generous, and humble. King Miraz’s villainous traits also recall those of the White Witch, who oppressed Narnian creatures and abused her power, which ultimately led to her downfall. These similarities foreshadow Miraz’s fate and continue to develop themes about the abuse of power and, conversely, The Triumph of Faith and Courage.

Doctor Cornelius is a mentor figure to the young and naive Prince Caspian. Old and wise, Cornelius plays an essential role in the story by revealing the truth about King Miraz and Narnia’s history. While Prince Caspian has good intentions toward the Old Narnians, without Doctor Cornelius’s guidance he couldn’t act on his own beliefs and values. Cornelius serves as a role model for Caspian and helps him assert himself against his uncle by aiding Caspian’s escape from the castle and telling him to find and gather the Old Narnians.

Lewis describes Doctor Cornelius as “the smallest, and also the fattest, man Caspian had ever seen” as well as “ugly” (497). This depiction subverts the common association of ugliness with villainy. However, if Doctor Cornelius is a consistently kind and helpful character, he is also a mysterious one—something his part dwarf origins accentuate. Caspian finds that he seems both “grave” and “merry,” making it difficult to read his mood. Doctor Cornelius also confesses that he can use “simple magic” but never reveals why he has these powers or how he decides to use them. He offers a vague and secretive explanation as to how he acquired Queen Susan’s horn, explaining, “Many terrors I endured, many spells did I utter, to find it, when I was still young” (688). The various mysteries in Doctor Cornelius’s background add a sense of intrigue to the story and suggest that Doctor Cornelius is connected with Narnia’s positive magic and possibly Aslan himself. 

While all four Pevensie children feature in the story, Lucy’s actions play a particularly significant role in advancing the plot. Lucy is the youngest Pevensie sibling and also the most receptive to Narnia and its magic. Before reencountering Aslan, Lucy experiences a “dreamish kind of wakefulness” while her siblings are sound asleep (1268), and she allows her intuition to guide her instead of her senses and rationality. The author emphasizes that magic is working through Lucy in these moments, as she does things without intending to: “‘Oh Trees, Trees, Trees,’ said Lucy (though she had not been intending to speak at all). ‘Oh Trees, Trees, Trees, wake, wake, wake’” (1284).

Lucy is frequently impatient with the closed-mindedness of her older siblings and of characters like Trumpkin, at which points, she expresses herself forcefully and directly. When Trumpkin doubts the children’s abilities and the existence of Aslan, Lucy quickly becomes argumentative: “‘But don’t you yet see who we are?’ shouted Lucy. ‘You are stupid’” (1106). Her frustration reflects her own powerful connection to Aslan and to Narnia’s positive magic, which is essential to the storyline; without it, the children would not have been led to Cair Paravel and Prince Caspian. While all of the children have a certain role to fulfill in Narnia, Lucy’s position as the most “seeing” sibling tasks her with the greatest responsibility: overcoming her status as the youngest child to guide her siblings toward their destinies.

While Lucy can be very verbally assertive, she is humbled by Aslan’s suggestion that she should have left her siblings to follow him. Through Aslan’s gentle chastising, she accepts that she must make sure her actions reflect her beliefs. This interaction helps Lucy mature and become more courageous toward the end of the novel.

Susan Pevensie is the second oldest Pevensie sibling. She is generally cautious and favors predictable or responsible choices. In this, she contrasts with her siblings, who are more spontaneous and adventurous, and assumes a motherly role in the group. For instance, she tells her siblings not to lose their shoes at the beach and reminds them of their father’s advice not to swim in unfamiliar places. Lewis describes her as “practical” and emphasizes her compassion; at one point she fails to shoot a bear because she “hate[s] killing things” (1330).

Like her siblings, Susan is eager to prove herself to Trumpkin and be recognized for her competence and familiarity with Narnia. She uses her bow and arrow skillfully and cooperates with her siblings to solve problems, such as finding their gifts from Father Christmas, saving Trumpkin, and leaving the island. However, Susan’s character has changed from the first novel, as she behaves in what Lucy calls a more “grown-up” way, showing reluctance to believe in things that defy rationality. She doubts Lucy’s story about seeing Aslan, even though she later confesses that she intuitively knew it was true. This suggests that Susan retains faith in Aslan and Narnian magic but that she is repressing these instincts (1694). Susan ultimately admits that her doubts were misplaced, but Aslan’s prediction that she will not return to Narnia again suggests that she does in fact “outgrow” it, choosing “mature” rationality over childish wonder.

As the eldest of the Pevensie siblings and Narnia’s former high king, Peter has more responsibility and authority than his brother and sisters, who were also royalty in Narnia as of the end of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Peter continues to show leadership qualities, including patience and good judgment, in Prince Caspian. He is the first of the Pevensie children to realize that they are in the ruins of Cair Paravel, laying out a detailed argument to persuade his siblings to agree with him. It is his suggestion that each child take their gifts from Father Christmas; the children rely on these items later in the story. Peter also encourages his siblings to prove their competence to Trumpkin rather than become angry with him, saying, “There’s no good losing our tempers” (1118). The other children recognize his authority, with Lucy pointing out, “Hadn’t we better do what Peter says? He is the High King you know” (1128). The climax of the story affirms Peter’s heroic qualities as he collaborates with Prince Caspian and challenges King Miraz to a duel; his willingness to die for the Old Narnians demonstrates his courage and selflessness.

While Peter is generally a very sympathetic character, he does have a lapse in judgment when he rejects Lucy’s claim that she saw Aslan. However, Peter soon realizes and acknowledges his mistake, saying, “I ought to have my head smacked for bringing us this way at all” (1495). Aslan suggests that, like Susan, Peter will not return to Narnia after Prince Caspian’s conclusion.

Edmund is much humbler and more mature in Prince Caspian than he was in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: His experiences in the latter, which included being double-crossed by the White Witch, have made him a kinder and more reflective person. Edmund can still be temperamental and quick to judge, as when he gets angry with Trumpkin for condescending to them and calling Susan a “wet blanket.” However, he is generally positive and cooperates with his siblings throughout their journey. He also demonstrates humility and thoughtfulness when he believes Lucy’s story about Aslan even though he cannot see him himself. He says, “I was the worst of the lot, I know. Yet she was right after all. Wouldn’t it be fair to believe her this time?” (1425), demonstrating that he can learn from his mistakes.