Miraz

"Everyone except your Majesty knows that Miraz is a usurper. When he first began to rule he did not even pretend to be King; he called himself Lord Protector But then your royal mother died, the good Queen and the only Telmarine who was ever kind to me. And then, one by one, all the great lords, who had known your father, died or disappeared. not by accident, either, Miraz weeded them out. Belisar and Uvilas were shot with arrows on a hunting party: by chance, it was pretended. All the great house of the Passarids he sent to fight giants on the northen fronteir till one by one they fell. Arlian and Erimon and a dozen more he executed for treason on a false charge. The two brothers of Bevearsdam he shut up as madmen. And finally he persuaded the seven noble lords, who alone among all the telmarines did not fear the sea, to sail away and look for new lands beyond the eastern ocean and, as he intended they never came back. And when there was no one left who could speak a word for you, then his flatterers (as he had instructed them) begged him to become King. And of course he did."

- Cornelius speaking of Miraz

King Miraz (reign: Narnian-years 2290&mdash;2303) was the unrightful ruler of the Kingdom of Narnia, reigning during the revisit of the Pevensie children and the second conquest of Narnia, the conquerors being the Telmarines, who captured the anarchy-ridden land after the disappearence of the Pevensies.

Usurping the Throne
Miraz was the younger brother of Caspian IX, the king of Telmarine-Narnia and father of Caspian X. Miraz murdered his brother to take control of the throne (in the Disney film version, certain dialogue indicates that he killed his brother as he slept). He called himself Lord Protector after Caspian IX died. He let his nephew live because at the time, he had no heir himself.

He had a nurse raise Caspian in his early years, but dismissed her because Caspian unwittingly told him she was telling him stories of Narnia before the Telmarines invaded the country. He had a tutor (or "Professor," as he was named in Disney's movie) named Doctor Cornelius teach Caspian from that point on. What Miraz didn't know was that Cornelius was actually half-dwarf, and was also telling Caspian about the Old days of Narnia.

Narnian Revolution
Miraz's wife, Queen Prunaprismia, eventually gave birth to a son when Caspian was a young man. No longer needing Caspian as an heir, he planned to have him killed. But Caspian had been warned about this by Dr.Cornelius and fled for his life. While on the run, he met with the Old Narnians and promised to lead them in an attempt to overthrow Miraz and the Telmarine dynasty. Miraz learned of this, and sent armies forth to quell his nephew and his army of Old Narnians during their revolution. During this time, the four Pevensies returned to Narnia (due to Caspian blowing Susan's Horn), and they allied with Caspian. Miraz's dueled against Peter Pevensie before the Second Battle of Beruna. During this time, one of his own lords, Glozelle (Sopespian in the movie), stealthily assasinated him and blamed it on the Narnians. The battle that followed resulted in the fall of the Telmarine dynasty.

In the book, he tripped and fell over, and was stabbed to death by Glozelle. In the BBC film, his death is very similar except his falling over is a result of being wounded by Peter. In the Disney film, he is wounded by Peter, who then gives Caspian the opportunity to kill him. Caspian spares his uncle's life, but Sopespian stabs him dead with one of Susan's arrows.

Trivia

 * Miraz is very similar to Claudius from the Shakespearean play, Hamlet. Like Claudius, Miraz killed his brother to become king, and is enemies with his nephew. In addition, the Disney film implies that Miraz killed his brother in his sleep, much like Claudius did.
 * In both films, the one who kills Miraz is also killed. Glozelle is killed by Peter in the BBC film, and in the Disney film, Sopespian is devoured by the river spirit. The book leaves Glozelle's fate unknown.

Personality
Miraz was a proud man, though he was also cruel. He was willing to betray and kill his own brother to take the throne, and was only willing to let Caspian take his place as king as long as he had no other heir.

Behind the Scenes

 * Sergio Castellitto plays Miraz in the Disney and Walden media film of Prince Caspian.
 * Robert Lang played Miraz in the BBC film version of Prince Caspian.