The Silver Chair

The novel’s titular silver chair is a significant symbol that appears briefly in Chapter 11. While under the witch’s spell, Prince Rilian is forcibly tied to the chair every night for an hour during which he supposedly suffers a momentary absence of lucidity. As he describes it to the children: “For first I become furious and wild and would rush upon my dearest friends to kill them, if I were not bound. And soon after that, I turn into the likeness of a great serpent, hungry, fierce, and deadly” (112). In fact, as the protagonists soon realize, Rilian’s mind is under the witch’s control at all times except during that one hour, when he remembers who he truly is. The silver chair therefore represents a physical embodiment of the witch’s power over him, holding him captive and forcing him to do her bidding. It can also be interpreted as a pale mockery of his rightful throne and a deliberate corruption of Rilian’s true identity, for just as the throne of Narnia signifies his governmental power, the silver chair represents his utter lack of power in this dark realm where everything is the precise opposite of what Aslan as decreed it should be. This dynamic also indirectly echoes Aslan’s fourth sign, the ancient giants’ engraving: “Though under Earth and throneless now I be, / Yet, while I lived, all Earth was under me” (110). Although the verse is not about the prince himself, it hints at his lost power and captivity. In the end, the silver chair is the first thing that Rilian destroys once he is freed, thus breaking the enchantment and regaining his memory.

The Lady of the Green Kirtle, who is revealed to be a witch in the second half of the book, can turn into a “great, shining [serpent] as green as poison” (41). She first kills the Queen while in this serpent form and later seduces Prince Rilian while in her human form, before casting a spell to keep him prisoner.

The symbolism of the green serpent, or the “green worm,” as it is sometimes referred to in the story, characterizes the witch as dangerous and evil. Her double identity highlights her deceptive nature, with her weapons being poison and lies. In this context, the color green can also symbolize envy and temptation, and indeed, the witch covets absolute power so badly that she plots to conquer the entire Overworld through charm and deception. Most importantly, however, the symbol of the Serpent has strong biblical connotations that support the theme of Narnia as a Christian allegory, for just like the primordial serpent that tempts Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, snakes are often viewed as temptation incarnate, representing the danger of being lured away from divine light. This concept is more firmly reinforced by the ostensible beauty of the witch’s human form, for no temptation ever seems like a bad idea at first glance.