Murtagh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Inheritance Trilogy character | |
 Garrett Hedlund as Murtagh in the film Eragon |
|
| Murtagh | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair colour | Dark Brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| House | House of Morzan |
| Allegiance | Galbatorix and Eragon (Forced to be loyal to Galbatorix via Ancient Language) |
| Film portrayer | Garrett Hedlund |
| First appearance | Inheritance Chapters |
Murtagh is a major supporting character in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy and the son of Morzan and the brother of Eragon.
Contents |
[edit] History
Murtagh is a highborn child into the elite ruling class of the Broddring Kingdom, one of two known children of the Forsworn. His father was Morzan, the powerful leader of the Forsworn and the King's most loyal and dangerous Dragon Rider. His mother was a peasant woman, Selena, the unfortunate companion and lover of Morzan. His brother is Eragon, but it is not mentioned in Eragon .
Murtagh explains parts of his past to Eragon in Eragon and Eldest. As the child of the dangerous and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. He was born to Selena, a common woman who desired to receive Morzan's love, whom Morzan used as a spy against the other Forsworn. For his own safety from the twelve other Forsworn, the estate was protected by magic so that the boy was never seen, except by a few chosen servants. Outside of this, only King Galbatorix knew of the boy's existence. Murtagh was often physically abused by his father. The long scar on his back bears testament to this; at the age of three, Murtagh received the wound when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at him in a drunken fit of anger. The sword tore into the child's back and nearly killed him, but he was miraculously saved by skilled healers.
When Morzan was killed by Brom, Selena mysteriously disappeared. She returned after many months and died, leaving the boy an orphan with only a few of Morzan's trusted servants as his guardians. By this time all the Forsworn were dead. The king brought Murtagh to the royal palace at Urû'baen. There Murtagh was educated and taught swordsmanship by Tornac, a man loyal to Murtagh. Murtagh avoided the courts as much as possible during his years at the palace, although he kept himself informed of the power struggles and politics that went on among the nobles. When he was around eighteen, the king called Murtagh to have a private dinner with him. Unable to refuse, Murtagh agreed; the ensuing meal was almost completely silent as Murtagh's attempts to make polite conversation failed, and the king watched him intently and speculatively.
After dinner the king asked Murtagh if he would serve him and fight for him as his father Morzan had. Murtagh knew the terrible power of Galbatorix and privately disapproved of some of the king's actions, yet when Galbatorix began to speak of his vision for the Empire and its people, Murtagh found himself seduced by the power of Galbatorix's words, and his sweet persuasive voice. By the end of the king's speech, Murtagh was intrigued and moved by the idea Galbatorix had painted, and immediately and eagerly agreed to serve him. Months after that meeting, the king summoned Murtagh in a terrible rage, and ordered him to lead an army to crush a rebellion in a certain province. When Murtagh asked whether he should imprison the civilians, Galbatorix answered that everyone, rebels and civilians alike, should be killed, and the area destroyed. The veil was lifted from Murtagh's eyes, and he was disgusted by the king's mad passions, irrational cruelty and clear lack of foresight. Murtagh could tell that a king who could not control his own passions had no hope of controlling a kingdom, much less a great empire; he decided that it would be folly to serve Galbatorix.
That very night, Murtagh and Tornac fled the palace on their horses. The king seemed to have anticipated it, for soldiers waylaid them. Although they fought bravely and bested the soldiers, Tornac was killed. Murtagh escaped on his horse, a swift grey stallion named Tornac in honor of his friend. (It is quite possible that the horse was already named Tornac, as he had been gifted to Murtagh as a foal).
Filled with grief, Murtagh escaped to an old friend's estate, where he was sheltered. While in hiding at the estate, Murtagh kept track of the king's movements and began to plan out his future. He then heard rumors that the king's elite dragon hunters, the Ra'zac, were searching for someone, and he remembered the king's plans for the Riders. Murtagh therefore set out to track the Ra'zac, in the hope that they would come across a Dragon Rider. He then came across Eragon.
[edit] Role in Eragon
Eragon first meets Murtagh when he, Brom and Saphira are ambushed by the Ra'zac. Murtagh had been able to drive the Ra'zac away with his arrows, but not before Brom is fatally wounded. Murtagh explains how he had been hunting for the Ra'zac in hopes of meeting the new Dragon Rider, Eragon, who had been stirring up so much trouble for the king. When the two young men meet, Murtagh is tracking the Ra'zac. Eragon wonders who he is, for Murtagh has an air of authority, is dressed and armed like a prince, and rides a noble horse. Eragon can't think what he is, speculating that Murtagh is either a thief or "accustomed to money - and lots of it". Murtagh is cagey about his past at first. Much later, when the two of them spar, they are found to be equally excellent swordsmen. Murtagh wields a hand-and-a-half sword.
Brom dies during this time; Eragon, Murtagh, and Saphira continue fleeing the Ra'zac. They travel to Gil'ead together in hopes of coming in contact with the Varden. During this time, Eragon and Murtagh become very good friends, although they continue to keep their pasts hidden from one another. When Eragon is captured at Gil'ead, Murtagh saves him from captivity by paying a steep bribe to enter the prison by stealth, and then kills the guards before rescuing Eragon and signalling to Saphira to come and fly them away. Meanwhile, Eragon breaks out of his cell with magic and is assaulted by prison guards, who are shot down by Murtagh. As they escape, Durza the Shade appears and is temporarily disembodied after being shot between the eyes by Murtagh. This secures their getaway; Murtagh, Eragon, Saphira, and Arya (a captive elf whom Eragon insisted on rescuing) safely depart the city.
Murtagh somewhat reluctantly agrees to accompany them on their quest to find the Varden; though as they approach the fortress of Farthen Dûr, the Varden's stronghold, Murtagh becomes increasingly uneasy and makes it clear that it was against his will to come there. Eragon is curious as to why, but Murtagh will say no more. They are imprisoned for a time, though Arya is recognized as the dragon-egg courier, and therefore taken for healing. Eragon demands to know why Murtagh does not wish to stay with the Varden. Grudgingly, Murtagh reveals that he is the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. Although Murtagh has proven himself to be trustworthy and genuine, he faces distrust and scrutiny because of his heritage, and is imprisoned by Ajihad when he, Eragon, and Saphira finally arrive at Tronjheim. Rather than treat him harshly, Ajihad gives him a comfortable room, lavish meals, and his choice of reading material. When Eragon comes, Murtagh continually talks about Nasuada, hinting that he likes her.
In the Battle of Tronjheim, Murtagh is allowed to join in the fight, and he defends the dwarven city valiantly. The dwarves are heartened by his skill and courage. In the scouring of the dwarf tunnels immediately following the battle (the scouring is shown in Eldest) Ajihad allows Murtagh to accompany him. He is captured by Urgals, along with the Twins.
[edit] Role in Eldest
In the beginning,Murtagh helps Ajihad find any remaining Urugals in Farthen Dur, to continue to earn the Varden's trust. However, upon the arrival a group of Urugals come up from behind, killing Ajihad and capturing Murtagh- who is later assumed dead. It is later discovered by Eragon that the trap was planned by the Twins to capture Murtagh and kill Ajihad. They used magic to torture Murtagh until they reached Uru'Baen. The emperor Galbatorix, a Dragon Rider and an extremely powerful magic user, tortures Murtagh severely because he ran away from the palace, and then uses magic to forcibly extract everything Murtagh knows about Eragon, Saphira and the Varden. The Twins betrayed the Varden by killing the leader, then kidnapping Murtagh, and took him to Galbatorix. The ruby dragon Thorn hatches for Murtagh. Galbatorix wants another Rider to work for him, and so forces both Thorn and Murtagh to swear allegiance to him in the Ancient Language, creating a binding magical oath. In addition, Galbatorix discovers Murtagh and Thorn's true names; this makes him their lord, in that knowledge of a being's true name grants a person absolute control over another. Galbatorix's knowledge of Thorn and Murtagh's true names allows him to control them regardless of their intent. Thus enslaved, Murtagh becomes a Rider for the Empire. From Galbatorix, Murtagh learns dark secrets of magic that allow him to best the weary Eragon towards the end of the Battle of the Burning Plains. After defeating him, Murtagh takes Eragon's blade, Zar'roc, and claims that the sword is rightfully his. He then reveals that Morzan was Eragon's father, as well as his own. When Eragon doesn't believe him, Murtagh repeats the statement in the Ancient Language, which confirms it as truth because it is impossible to tell a complete lie in the Ancient Language, unless it is spoken with visceral conviction. Galbatorix had ordered Murtagh to try to capture Eragon and Saphira and bring them to Urû'baen, since Saphira is the last female dragon in existence and Galbatorix wants to use her to rebuild the Riders. At Eragon's pleading, Murtagh spares him, circumventing his magical oath by saying that he tried to capture them, but couldn't.
[edit] Personality
Murtagh is perhaps the most controversial character in the Inheritance series, and probably the most popular. He has a thinly veiled distaste for the Varden, asserting that although the king is mad, the system of government is itself sound, and therefore feels that the radical politics of the Varden is flawed. When he flees the king, he joins the Varden out of loyalty towards Eragon, and a hatred for Galbatorix. He is later forced by Galbatorix to fight for the Empire and to capture and kill his friends; speculation is rife as to which side his loyalties really lie.
Murtagh is extremely intelligent and ambitious, a logical, sharp-minded and hard young man who can often understand and gauge a situation more clearly than the main protagonist, Eragon, can. Accustomed to being in danger from the day he was born, Murtagh is constantly on edge, wary of strangers and even friends and reluctant to trust anyone. When he beheads a slaver who was trying to capture them, Eragon grows hysterical. An argument escalates between them, until Murtagh explodes at Eragon:
"Do you think I enjoy this? My life has been threatened from the day I was born! All of my waking hours have been spent avoiding danger in one form or another. And sleep never comes easily because I always worry if I'll live to see the dawn. If there ever was a time I felt secure, it must have been in my mother's womb, though I wasn't safe even there! You don't understand - if you lived with this fear, you would have learned the same lesson I did: Do not take chances".
Later he tells Eragon, "You must be willing to protect yourself and what you cherish, no matter what the cost".
Murtagh is cool and ruthless, with a very high level of emotional maturity - this is shown often in the books, with Murtagh staying calm and controlled even in the most trying circumstances, although Eragon's childish behavior does sometimes make him lose his temper. His ambition leads to a love of power, and he revels in the dark magic Galbatorix teaches him, and scorns Eragon for fearing it. He is intensely private and strong willed. In Tronjheim, Lord Ajihad of the Varden told him that he would be imprisoned if he didn't allow Ajihad's Twin magicians to magically search his mindfor his motives. Despite being in an extremely dangerous situation, Murtagh replied, "My mind is the one sanctuary that has not been stolen from me. Men have tried to breach it before, but I have learned to defend it vigorously, for I am only safe with my innermost thoughts. You have asked me for the one thing I can not give. ... Do with me what you wish, but know this: death will take me before I expose myself to their probing."
Murtagh is also a loyal comrade and, despite his hardness, a very compassionate person. He has inner strength, greater even than Eragon's, that enables him to survive the countless hardships he faces in his life. When he becomes a Rider, he rises from being Eragon's sidekick to being Eragon's powerful adversary; in Eldest, his virtual imprisonment by the King leads to Murtagh's cold anger and destructive power surfacing, suppressing his better qualities. However, he does retain some of his friendship for Eragon; when reminded of it, Murtagh finds a loophole in his orders and lets Eragon go.
Nasuada shows regret (in the beginning of the second novel) that Murtagh seems to have died and (later in the same novel) that Murtagh has turned traitor.Later when Eragon tells her and Arya of Murtagh's forced betrayal, she is deeply moved by compassion and sadness. In the first book, Murtagh mentions to Eragon that Nasuada visited him in his prison, and goes to great extents to praise her. These facts might be a possible hint of a romantic relationship, but it is not certain at the moment.
[edit] Abilities
In Eragon, Murtagh proved to be an exceptional fighter, with sword and bow. He is Eragon's equal in swordplay. However, Murtagh was not as powerful as Eragon simply because he lacked magic.
Later, in Eldest, Eragon and Saphira were trained by the ancient Dragon Rider Oromis and his dragon, Glaedr. Around the same time, Murtagh and his mount Thorn were trained by King Galbatorix and the king's black dragon, Shruikan. Eragon is given by the dragons strength and agility that exceeds that of all other humans, ie the abilities of an elf, but the enigmatic magical power within Murtagh beats Eragon (who was tired from the fighting before Murtagh appeared) at the Battle of the Burning Plains. Murtagh seemed to be more powerful than Eragon even though he had less time in which to hone his skills; he is able to levitate Saphira, heal Thorn, and shield himself without apparent exertion, perhaps due to his training with Galbatorix.
[edit] Thorn
| Inheritance Trilogy character | |
| Image:Inheritance Thorn.jpg Thorn as painted by John Jude Palencar on the cover of Eldest |
|
| Thorn | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair colour | none |
| Eye colour | Red |
| House | Unknown |
| Allegiance | Murtagh |
| Film portrayer | None |
| First appearance | Eldest |
Thorn is a dragon from Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. He is bound to the Dragon Rider, Murtagh.
[edit] Appearance and Personality
Thorn is a red male dragon, smaller than Saphira, but wider in the legs and shoulders. Like all dragons, Thorn's eyes match his sparkling ruby hide, and his talons, teeth and neck spikes are snow white. Thorn is trained by the king's dragon Shruikan (perhaps the reason why he is so skilled) in the Riders' arts, and although he is younger than Saphira he is extremely skilled at aerial combat and is more than a match for her in the air, even when he is severely injured. Murtagh is unwillingly under Galbatorix's control, but is unclear how Thorn feels about their predicament. In Eldest it is implied that Murtagh and Thorn argued over letting Eragon escape at the Battle of the Burning Plains. Otherwise, Thorn has not spoken.
Thorn is much (1-2 yrs) younger than Saphira, however he is only slightly smaller than her and just as, if not more, skilled. This has confused many fans, and Paolini frequently brushes the question aside by simply saying that it will be explained in Book 3.
[edit] History
After the events in Eragon, Murtagh was captured by the Empire. Murtagh was brought to Galbatorix, and it turned out that one of the dragon eggs that Galbatorix was keeping hatched for Murtagh. The dragon was named Thorn. It is unclear how Thorn matured to rival Saphira despite their age difference, but Christopher Paolini has stated that it will be revealed in the third book of the trilogy.[1] It is most likely that Galbatorix has given Murtagh some hidden secret. Perhaps the one that allows him to grow in strength as days pass.
Both Thorn and Murtagh were forced to make an unbreakable magical vow in the Ancient Language to King Galbatorix to serve him. Galbatorix knows their true names-- the names which the Ancient Language has for them-- and is therefore able to completely control them, unless he chooses to release them. Thorn and Murtagh have no free will, and Galbatorix binds them further by continually forcing them to make further oaths to him in the ancient language.
"He knows our true names, Eragon...we are his slaves forever." - Murtagh
Eragon and Murtagh are brothers (their father is Morzan) as discovered in Eldest. Apparently, Thorn will be given a much bigger part in the third and final book of the Inheritance Trilogy.
[edit] Trivia
- In a poll on Inheritance Forums, Murtagh was voted the most popular character and Thorn was voted the second most popular dragon after Saphira, beating Glaedr and Shruikan, even though he has only made one appearance in the trilogy so far. [2]
- Thorn is on the cover of Eldest but doesn't appear until the end, which has been criticized by readers.
- Murtagh in the film, Eragon, is played by Garrett Hedlund, who also was in Troy, Four Brothers, Friday Nights and upcoming Georgia Rule and Death Sentence.
[edit] Film Portrayal
In the film adaptation of Eragon, Murtagh is portrayed by the actor Garrett Hedlund.
[edit] External links
| Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy | |
|---|---|
| Books | Eragon | Eldest | Book 3 |
| Films | Eragon |
| Games | Eragon |
| Main Characters | Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Durza | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more... |
| Places | Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Teirm | Inheritance Trilogy locations | more... |
| Events | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Battle under Farthen Dûr | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
