Edmund Pevensie



Edmund "Ed" 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, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), and a lesser character in two others (The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle).

In the live-action films, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Edmund is portrayed by actor Skandar Keynes. Actor Mark Wells portrays an older Edmund at the end of the first film.

In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund betrays his siblings to the White Witch while under her influence, but 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 becomes King Edmund the Just, King of Narnia and, with sisters Susan and Lucy, co-ruler under 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.

Prior story
Edmund was born in 1930 in Finchley, England, (according to the film series) and he is 10 years old when he appears in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. By The Last Battle he is 19 years old.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund is one of the main characters, at the age of 10 years old, 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. However, 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. In the 1988 BBC version, the reason for his change in behavior is not mentioned.

Edmund makes cruel and hurtful comments 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 during a game of hide and seek.

He walks some distance into the forest, convinced that he will find Lucy, but instead he meets the White Witch (who introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia) 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. Lucy did mention the White Witch in a subsequent conversation and Edmund realised that the witch was none other than the "Queen of Narnia", but the magic of the Turkish Delight was so strong that he was determined to go back to her for more.

Upon returning, he denies having been in Narnia, not wishing to admit that Lucy's story had been true.

It is when all four of the Pevensie children later go through the wardrobe that he lets slip that he has been in Narnia before. He and the other three children are taken under protection of Mr and Mrs Beaver, but while the others are having an in-depth conversation about the arrival of Aslan, Edmund 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 she berates him for coming alone, and even more so when on their journey to the Stone Table, they encounter a group of creatures enjoying a feast provided by Father Christmas. When the creatures continue to affirm that Father Christmas is their benefactor and 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. In the 1988 BBC version, the same scenario is shown as in the book.)

He now realizes to his horror the evil with which he has allied himself, and would give anything to be with the others. The sledge eventually stalls as the snow melts (another sign of the witch's crumbling power), so they have to continue their journey on foot. They eventually stop in a wooded valley, where the Witch prepares to put him to death as a traitor. She ties Edmund to a tree and draws her knife, 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 who afterward commands the Pevensies to consider the matter of their brother's misdeeds resolved.

The next day, the Witch arrives and reiterates her claim to Edmund's life. She and Aslan work out an agreement that Aslan will die in Edmund's place (though the other Narnians do not know this), but unknown to her, the magical nature of this contract allows Aslan to be brought back to life. Susan and Lucy witnessed Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection.

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 inbattle, where he plays a critical role in neutralizing the White Witch's most dangerous advantage, her wand, and is gravely wounded in the attempt. This sees the Witch's army vastly outnumbered very quickly, and she is soon killed by Aslan, while the remnants of the enemy either give themselves up or take to flight.

However, he is saved from death by the timely arrival of reinforcements led by Aslan, and by Lucy, who gives Edmund a dose of a magic cordial which can quickly heal any injury.

Eventually, a completed reformed Edmund Pevensie is crowned to the Great Western Wood by Aslan as 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.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">After fifteen years in Narnia, he and his siblings return to England, where they all magically appear as children again.

Prince Caspian
<p style="line-height: 1.5em;">Edmund and his siblings return to Narnia to aid Caspian, rightful King of Narnia, against King Miraz the Usurper. He convinces Trumpkin the dwarf that they are the Kings and Queens from the legend by defeating him in a sparring practice. He later helps Peter and Trumpkin defend Caspian against Nikabrik, the hag, and the werewolf, which Edmund kills. Edmund is also there to witness Peter's duel against Miraz. In the book Edmund is around 11 years old at the time of their return, but in the movie he is probably between 13 and 15 years of age.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">He has since become more caring and protective of Lucy, and is the first person to believe her when she sees Aslan, supporting her against the disbelief of Trumpkin and her other siblings. Edmund is shown in a more positive light in this book than in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. His demeanor is more cooperative and loyal, even under the guidance of Peter, who is unprepared for the new Narnia and its current status. He rarely stands up to Peter openly but often subtly takes charge.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">In the movie, Edmund proves to be much more mature than Peter and Caspian both, but he stays out of their arguments. Edmund is indispensable in all the battles, to Peter especially; sneaking into Miraz's castle ahead of the army to signal that it was safe to enter, and presenting Peter's proposition for a duel to Miraz and goading him into accepting, thereby buying them time. Also in the movie, he is able to stop the White Witch from being brought back from the dead by forcing his sword into the ice wall she is stuck in, smashing it. Peter continually robs Edmund of the credit he deserves by insisting, "I had it sorted." This does not appear to bother Edmund until halfway through the movie when, after preventing the White Witch's return, he says to Peter, "I know. You had it sorted," before walking away.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">Edmund, along with Trumpkin, Reepicheep, and others, provides some comedic relief throughout the story.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">In destroying the White Witch once again, it can be thought that Edmund has at last overcome his dark past with her, which seemingly everyone but him has long since forgotten. It can also be thought that Edmund's repeated heroism and nobility is an attempt at compensating for betraying his siblings, regardless of whether or not they still hold it against him.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

<p style="line-height: 1.5em;">Edmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace enter the world of Narnia through a magic painting, and end up in the ocean. They are rescued and brought on board the Dawn Treader, where they are reunited with King Caspian, who is on a quest to search for the missing Lords that his uncle had sent to explore other lands some years before. This is Edmund and Lucy's last adventure in the world of Narnia since Aslan told them they were getting too old to come back. By this point Edmund's character has matured a great deal which can be seen in the way he deals with his cousin Eustace and in the power struggle with Caspian. Edmund and Lucy are noticeably close in this installment, as can be seen in the way they defend each other against Eustace. When Eustace changes his behavior after being changed back from a dragon, Edmund mentions his own betrayal and says that Eustace was not worse than he was.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">In the book Edmund is around 12 or 13 at the time of their return, but in the movie he appears to be between 15–17 years of age.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">In the 2010 film, Edmund is haunted by a green mist in the form of the White Witch and becomes jealous of Caspian's status as the current Narnian king (being overruled by him). He and Caspian become violent at one point, over the enchanted pool that turns everything submerged in it to gold, which Lucy quickly breaks up and reprimands them both for. After this, Edmund no longer appears to be bothered by Caspian's status as king. He is also greatly distressed when the Dufflepuds appear to have taken Lucy, and when he believes Eustace to have been eaten by a dragon, which shows the deep affection and sense of protection he has for his family. He is also the person who imagines and defeats the sea serpent, and helps Caspian to rescue the slaves from Lord Bern's island.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">At the end of the film Edmund is more composed than Lucy when it is revealed they will not be returning, and consoles her, saying that it may be time anyway; while he is obviously deeply moved and distressed, it is clear that he suspected this would be the case. In the very last scene, back in England, he looks back and grins knowingly at Eustace, which suggests a comraderie between the two that had not been there before.

The Horse and His Boy
<p style="line-height: 1.5em;">King Edmund, Queen Susan and Tumnus the Faun are visitors in the country of Calormen, where Prince Rabadash wants to force Susan to marry him. Mistaking Shasta for the missing Prince Corin of Archenland, Narnia's ally, Edmund scolds the young boy for running off and making everyone worry. The Narnians manage to escape thanks to Mr. Tumnus' clever plan, which leads Rabadash to convince his father that they should take Narnia by invading Archenland.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">Shasta meets King Edmund once again in Anvard. Edmund gently reminds Shasta that he should not eavesdrop, but is clear that all is well. Edmund and King Lune of Archenland lead the fight against the Calormene army and defeat them.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">Edmund's own redemption lends him perspective during the judgment of Rabadash; despite the fact that Rabadash has acted treacherously, Edmund argues against killing him, saying "Even a traitor may mend. I have known one who did."

The Last Battle
<p style="line-height: 1.5em;">After seeing a vision of King Tirian of Narnia pleading for their help in England, Peter and Edmund go to the Ketterleys' 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 are waiting for the others at the train platform when the accident happens.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">When King Tirian sees the Seven Friends of Narnia in his dream/vision, he thinks that, as with Peter, that Edmund 'had already the face of a King and a warrior'.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em;">Edmund accompanies everyone, except Susan, into Aslan's country. Like his brother and younger sister, he is killed in the train crash and is transferred to Aslan's country, where they all live forever.