Fairy tales almost have a set structure. Boy or girl start with a simple life, set off on a supernatural adventure, and end up royalty. Cinderella, Snow White… they all follow the same trend. CS Lewis’ “The Horse and His Boy” is no different. Shasta, a boy of humble beginnings who dreams of the unattainable north, rises up with the help of a talking horse, and a magical lion, to claim his throne. But is royalty really something worth achieving? This essay will set out to explore CS Lewis’ concept of why this goal, addressed by so many children’s tales in the past, is not worth attaining.

The negative way in which Lewis portrays the Calormen aristocracy in this novel is a major contributor to this thesis;

“..in Tashbaan, there is only one traffic regulation, which is that everyone who is less important has to get out of the way for everyone who is more important, unless you want a cut from a whip or a punch from the butt end of a sword,” (pg.59)

From the moment that Shasta and his horse companion, Bree leave Calormen, until they reach Tashbaan, they are under the control of the aristocracy. Whether in hiding from those who might recognize them, o

r running in fear of the repercussions they might suffer if found, those more powerful are ever-present. The Tisroc, “ ‘I say’ put in Shasta in a rather shocked voice, “oughtn’t you say ‘May he live forever’?” (12) had been held to a degree of extremely high esteem by the southerners, but Aravis and Lasaraleen, two women who were taught since childhood to respect him, soon discover that he is no more than a shrewd old man, who would sooner send his own son to his death, than lose his throne. They also discover that the Grand Vizier Ashosta, is truly no more than “A hideous groveling slave who flatters when he’s kicked, but treasures it all up and hopes to get his own back by egging on that horrible Tisroc to plot his own sons death.” (133)

While berating the aristocracy is one way that Lewis has chosen to reinforce his dislike of the idea of royalty, he also glorifies those who are born into simplicity for the same purpose. Shasta and the Hermit are portrayed as the symbols of philanthropy. Shasta, a mere fisherman’s slave ends up saving Archenland from the Prince Rabadash without even knowing that he is the heir to the throne. Weary from the journey as he was, when the Hermit told him there was still hope to save Archenland from Rabadash by informing King Lune, he answered simply with; “Where is the king?” (156) Although just a small boy, he understood that, while the request seemed unfair, it needed to be done. His swiftness proved successful, and Archenland was saved. His rescue of Aravis and her horse Hwin,

Some topics in this essay:
Hwin Aravis, King Lune, CS Lewis’, Writing Children”, Vizier Ashosta, Boy” Shasta, Aravis Lasaraleen, CS Lewis, Villains Fairy, Prince Rabadash, war horse, ideal becoming, boy girl, cs lewis’, “the horse,