In the previous post we saw that the northern part of Narnia at the beginning of The Last Battle is not a land of peace and prosperity, far from it. Northern Narnia had become a land overrun by outlaws and engulfed by a great war. The war was not a clean victory for the Narnians, but one which saw the death of their king and, presumably, friends and neighbors. The young king who has taken the throne is brave and daring in battle, he put the country back together. But he is still immature even rash. The citizenry is, without a doubt, still on edge. Puzzle’s comment to Shift, “isn’t everything right already?” even without oranges and bananas, may be technically true, but if it is, it is only in the recent past that it has become so.
Turning to King Tirian we find his actions in The Last Battle fraught with inconsistency. This causes us to question how much confidence he could have aroused in his people. At first, he is in no rush to determine whether Aslan has returned to Narnia. He then rashly (as Lewis describes it) seeks to avenge the murdered dryad. When this leads him and Jewel to kill two unarmed Calormenes (who unquestionably deserved it) Tirian is suddenly ashamed of his actions.
Turning to King Tirian we find his actions in The Last Battle fraught with inconsistency. This causes us to question how much confidence he could have aroused in his people. At first, he is in no rush to determine whether Aslan has returned to Narnia. He then rashly (as Lewis describes it) seeks to avenge the murdered dryad. When this leads him and Jewel to kill two unarmed Calormenes (who unquestionably deserved it) Tirian is suddenly ashamed of his actions.
King Tirian did win the war after harsh battles in the north, Aslan himself compliments Tirian for his firmness in Narnia’s final hours, yet as a leader Tirian is still immature, doubtfully earning the people's trust, and clearly unprepared for the intrigue of Shift and the Calormenes.
One might compare Tirian to King Saul, the great warrior of ancient Israel who also stood firm in the face of a mortal enemy, but whose actions were inconsistent. This inconsistency is most clearly demonstrated in King Saul’s love-hate relationship with his son-in-law the future King David. But inconsistency in King Saul's actions is constant, especially when considering his periodic willingness to be led by the populous rather than lead the populous.
One might compare Tirian to King Saul, the great warrior of ancient Israel who also stood firm in the face of a mortal enemy, but whose actions were inconsistent. This inconsistency is most clearly demonstrated in King Saul’s love-hate relationship with his son-in-law the future King David. But inconsistency in King Saul's actions is constant, especially when considering his periodic willingness to be led by the populous rather than lead the populous.
King Saul listens to the people and does not wipe out the evil tribe of Amalek (Samuel 1, chapter 15), yet he utterly destroys the priestly city of Nov despite their innocence (Samuel 1, chapter 22). King Saul (Samuel 1, chapter 14) declares a fast after a victory against the Philistines weakening the army and limiting their ability to chase down the retreating enemy. When his son Jonathan eats (he did not know about the declaration), King Saul is ready to kill him. Yet, in this case he is persuaded by the people to spare Jonathan’s life. No one can doubt King Saul's overall fidelity to God, love for his country, and bravery and sacrifice in battle. He centralizes Israel after its disastrous history in the book of Judges. But his inconsistencies make him unacceptable before God and the prophet Samuel, and eventually his kingdom is lost.
With King Tirian the situation is worse. His unwillingness to address "Aslan" quickly, his unwillingness to heed the advice of the centaur, and his rashness in responding to the actions of this "Aslan" destroy all of Narnia.
With this as background we can, perhaps, understand the willingness of the Narnians to be taken in by Shift. Through “Aslan,” Shift provides a stability and consistency not seen in perhaps decades. True the yoke is heavy and the work is hard, but the hardness is welcome because it demonstrates that leadership and the rule of law, missing for so long, has finally returned.
With King Tirian the situation is worse. His unwillingness to address "Aslan" quickly, his unwillingness to heed the advice of the centaur, and his rashness in responding to the actions of this "Aslan" destroy all of Narnia.
With this as background we can, perhaps, understand the willingness of the Narnians to be taken in by Shift. Through “Aslan,” Shift provides a stability and consistency not seen in perhaps decades. True the yoke is heavy and the work is hard, but the hardness is welcome because it demonstrates that leadership and the rule of law, missing for so long, has finally returned.
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