Similar to Hamlet?

Deep_Magic

Deep_Magic

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I don't know if this is just a coincidence but Prince Caspian seems to have a similar storyline to Hamlet in that the rightful Kings are murdered by their brothers who usurp the throne keeping Hamlet Jnr and Prince Caspian from being the true kings. The differences I suppose is that Miraz doesnt marry Caspian the 9th's wife and Prince Caspian doesnt go mad (or end up dead!). If anyone knows anymore into this I would love to know otherwisw I would suppose it to be a coincidence! thanks!
 
Well, given that Dr. Lewis was a scholar of medieval and Renaissance literature, one would expect he'd be very acquainted with and appreciative of Shakespeare's works. Interestingly, in Silver Chair when the children and Puddleglum meet Prince Rilian, Lewis comments that he's dressed like Hamlet. That might be a more interesting parallel to pursue, though it's doubtful that Lewis meant either character to be a strong parallel.
 
That is interesting! I can't recall that comment I will have to go off and read it again! Yes, I would love to know if the parallels were intentional or not as it has been something I have been pondering over for quite a while now!
 
I doubt if Lewis sat down and thought, "hmm - let's see how much Shakespeare I can disguise in these children's stories". But he would recognize the old axiom that there really are no new stories in the world - just old familiar ones told new ways, and perhaps created from bits and pieces of several other stories. Even Shakespeare didn't create most of the stories he wrote; he just took popular stories and legends and wrote them in slightly new ways. So there are undeniable parallels between Hamlet and Caspian (succession stories are a favorite of the English!), but probably also between many other Shakespeare stories and corners of the Chronicles. For instance, the Emerald Witch's captivity of Rilian bears a passing resemblance to Titania's captivity of Bottom in Midsummer - though there are more differences than similarities. That would be a fun exercise - to see how many parallels you could find.

Oh, speaking of Midsummer, another passing reference is when Lucy is paging through the Magician's book in Dawn Treader. She stumbles across a spell to give a man an asses' head, "like they did to poor Bottom" :)!
 
That is a good reference!! Yer, it is funny how stories can be continued with different authors although they are altered! It would be interesting to look more into that - although you would be there forever!!
I wonder if anyone has/will write a transformation of any of the chronicles - that would be interesting!(unless it was satirical!)
 
I heard that in INKSPELL, the second in Cornelia Funke's INKHEART trilogy, there is a faun from Narnia! I am under a book-buying moratorium now because I spend too much, but I hope to get it soon and find out.
 
Oh yeah -- father murdered, prince in exile, comic relief friends help him come into his own. You're right!
Hakuna Matata ...
 
Chakal said:
I think Prince Caspian was stolen from The Lion King. ;)
Click to expand...

This reminds me of Terry Pratchett relating how he's been told that Equal Rites, what with a young witch going to a wizards' university, is too much like Harry Potter. :rolleyes:

ER was written in about 1987, 'prox ten years before HP.
 
the whole ursupation of brothers is an old storyline thats just way overused. i dont think it was stolen form Hamlet or anything like that, i just think its a normal situation for a story.
 
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