Digory Kirke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Digory Kirke |
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| Narnia character | |
Jim Broadbent as the adult Digory Kirke in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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| Race | Human |
| Family | Mr. Kirke and Mrs. Mabel Ketterley-Kirke (parents), Andrew Ketterley (uncle), Letitia Ketterley (aunt) |
| Nationality | British |
Digory Kirke is a special character from C. S. Lewis's amazing fantasy book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. He shows up in three of the seven books. These are The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle.
In the 2005 movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the grown-up Digory is played by Jim Broadbent.
Contents
Digory's Story
Young Digory in The Magician's Nephew
In The Magician's Nephew, Digory is a young boy. He was born in Britain in 1888. In the summer of 1900, he lives in London. He stays with his Uncle Andrew and Aunt Letty. His father is away in India, and his mother is very sick.
Uncle Andrew is an unusual and tricky old man. He has made magic rings. These rings let people travel to other worlds. They go through a special place called the Wood between the Worlds. Uncle Andrew doesn't know much about this place.
Uncle Andrew first tricks Digory's friend Polly Plummer. He gets her to try one of the yellow rings. When Polly disappears, he then convinces Digory to follow her. Digory uses another ring to bring her back. When they meet, they agree to go home. But Digory persuades Polly to try another pool first.
They find themselves in a world called Charn. It is a lifeless place with a red, dying sun. In a big hall, they see many wax figures. They also find a golden bell with a hammer and a message. Polly really doesn't want him to, but Digory rings the bell. This wakes up Queen Jadis. She is the last person alive in Charn.
Jadis tells them she destroyed her world with a single powerful word. Digory and Polly try to escape her. She follows them into the Wood Between the Worlds. Then she comes to their world, Earth. Jadis has lost her magic, but she is still super strong. She plans to take over London.
Digory decides to take her back to Charn. But instead, he accidentally brings her, Uncle Andrew, a cab driver, and his horse to Aslan. This happens just as Aslan is creating Narnia. Jadis runs away when she sees Aslan. She cannot hurt him.
Aslan tells Digory he can make up for bringing evil to Narnia. He must go to a mysterious locked garden. There, he needs to get a special apple. This apple grants wishes to those who eat it. But it brings sadness to those who steal it.
Jadis is already there. She eats one apple to become immortal. She tries to get Digory to eat one too. She also tells him to take an apple to save his sick mother. Digory makes the right choice. He takes the apple to Aslan. Aslan tells him to plant it by the river. It will grow into a tree. This tree's magic will keep Jadis, later known as the White Witch, away for many centuries.
Aslan lets Digory take an apple from this new tree back to his world. It helps cure his mother. With Polly's help, Digory buries all the magic rings. He also buries the apple core behind his house. Over time, a seed from the apple core grows into a new tree. This tree has special fruit, but it is not magical.
Soon after, Digory's father comes home from India. He has inherited money and a big house in the countryside. So, Digory, his parents, and Uncle Andrew move there. Digory and Polly stay friends for their whole lives.
Years later, a storm blows down the mature tree. Digory uses its wood to build a wardrobe. This wardrobe becomes the magical door to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Professor Kirke in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Forty years later, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Digory is now 52 years old. He is known as Professor Kirke. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie stay with him. They are at his country house during the Blitz in London. Professor Kirke lives alone with his housekeeper, Mrs. Macready.
The four children find Narnia through the wardrobe. This wardrobe was made from the wood of the tree. This tree grew from the apple Digory brought back for his mother. After Lucy visits Narnia for the first time, her siblings don't believe her. Professor Kirke talks to them wisely. He shows them that Lucy is probably telling the truth. He explains that a child Lucy's age wouldn't make up a whole other world with its own time. At the end of the story, he tells the children they will return to Narnia one day. In this book, he is only called the Professor.
Professor Kirke in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, it is mentioned that Professor Kirke has lost some of his money. He has moved to a smaller house with only one extra bedroom. This is why Edmund and Lucy have to stay with their cousin Eustace Scrubb. Their parents and Susan go abroad. Only Peter can stay with the professor to study for his university exams.
Lord Digory in The Last Battle
In The Last Battle, Digory is brought to Narnia after an accident. He is with other main characters. Digory and Polly are now 60 and 61 years old. But they become young once more in Narnia. They are dressed like royalty. They are called Lord Digory and Lady Polly. They are allowed to live forever in New Narnia.
The Last Battle also shares that before these events, Digory, Polly, the Pevensie siblings (except Susan), Eustace, and Jill Pole would sometimes meet. They called themselves "friends of Narnia." They would remember their many adventures together.
Who Played Digory?
Michael Aldridge played Digory in the 1988 BBC miniseries. Jim Broadbent played the character in the 2005 film.
See also
In Spanish: Digory Kirke para niños
