Analyzing the Character of The White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Kaela Shelby College

When it comes to works of fiction, it is always most interesting to see where the author draws inspiration for the major characters from and what the underlying message of the story at hand. Disillusioned from faith as a child, C. S. Lewis would find himself re-embracing Christianity in his adult life, which likely played a major role in the not-so-subtle Biblical messages presented throughout The Chronicles of Narnia. Where antagonists can sometimes double as the unsung, misunderstood hero of the story, Lewis uses The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe to bring to life a villain that is evil to the core and equate her to the reality of evil and temptation. In this paper, which will focus on the character of the White Witch in Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I will examine the general qualities and the role of her character with respect to the other characters and the author’s intent in writing her character in the way that he did and how I think it could have been improved.

The White Witch’s role as the primary antagonist of the story divulges her as one of the most blatantly evil, unremorseful villains of any work of fiction. Upon the introduction of her character by Tumnus in chapter...