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Posted by: Dreamteam Oct 30 2008, 08:30 AM

We first meet Prince Caspian as the young nephew of King Miraz, he is very close to his nurse and is fascinated by her stories of "old Narnia", with its talking trees and animals, for which she loses her job when Miraz finds out about them.

Caspian's new tutor, Doctor Cornelius, also knows the stories and continues to teach him the history of Narnia. It is Doctor Cornelius who warns him to flee when Miraz's wife gives birth to a boy who will be the new heir, giving him Susan's magic horn with which to summon help. What is it about the tales of old Narnia that attracts Caspian so much that he goes in search of them when he leaves the castle?

As Caspian travels he is injured and is taken in by two dwarves and a badger - who can talk! The badger, Trufflehunter, and one dwarf, Trumpkin, trust him immediately but the other dwarf, Nikabrik wants to murder him. What is it about Caspian that inspires such immediate trust in Trufflehunter and Trumpkin and yet such hatred in Nikabrik?

What do you think of Caspian's remark that although he admitted hunting beasts for sport they weren't Talking Beasts? Why does he feel their lack of speech makes killing them more acceptable?

Caspian told Aslan that he was unsure about becoming king of Narnia because he was "only a kid". Is this just natural modesty or a weakness? Is Caspian an effective leader of the Narnians? If so what qualities of leadership does he show? If not, then who do you feel is their leader until Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy arrive? How does the Narnian community benefit due to Caspian's presence?


Feel free to discuss all, none or just some of these points and ask further questions. What do you think of Prince Caspian?

Posted by: Hokey-Elf Nov 2 2008, 06:52 AM

About their lack of speech, I suppose it made them less human.

Posted by: chocolate89 Nov 2 2008, 03:04 PM

i agree. I think speech to them was a sign of intelligence, gave them the ability to think for themselves, and made them seem more like caspian than those animals that could not speak.



caspian is different than his uncle, his heart is not so cruel, and he likes the idea of things being more peaceful, of being friends with animals and other creatures. He likes the idea of everyone being somewhat equal, or more so than they are in his narnia.

Posted by: Dreamteam Nov 22 2008, 09:37 AM

Why do you think Caspian is so readily accepted by Trufflehunter and Trumpkin and yet hated so much by Nikabrik? Nikabrik seems to think the Witch had been a force for good in her time and that she helped the dwarves, is this just a perversion of history over the course of time or does he have good reason to believe that her rule was better for his kind?

After meeting up with the old Narnians Prince Caspian becomes King Caspian. How do you think he compares with Miraz, Peter and Edmund as a king?

Aslan explains to Caspian that his ancestors had been pirates, in an argument between them six of them, and their women, had fled to hide in a cave which had an entrance into Telmar. Aslan tells him that he "should have known that [you] could be no true King of Narnia unless, like the Kings of old, [he] were a son of Adam and came from the world of Adam's sons."

Why is no-one else fit to rule Narnia? What qualities do the sons of Adam have over the Talking Beasts? What does he mean when he tells Caspian "You come of the Lord Aslan and the Lady Eve"