White King (Through the Looking-Glass) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White King |
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| Alice character | |
1871 illustration by John Tenniel
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| First appearance | Through the Looking-Glass |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll |
| Portrayed by | Michael Socha (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland) |
| Information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | King |
| Spouse(s) | White Queen |
| Children | Lily (a pawn) |
| Nationality | Looking-Glass Land |
The White King is a character from Lewis Carroll's fantasy book Through the Looking-Glass, published in 1871. He is a fictional character who acts like a real king in a game of chess. In the story, Alice becomes a pawn on his side of the chessboard. Even though he doesn't talk to Alice as much as the White Queen, he is very important for the chess game in the book. He is not the same as the King of Hearts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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Meeting the White King
When Alice first steps through the looking glass, she sees the White King. At first, he is the size of a normal chess piece. He cannot hear or see Alice. Alice picks him and the White Queen up from the floor. She places them on a table. They think a volcano blew them there!
Alice then has some fun. She secretly moves the King's hand while he writes in his notebook. This makes him write silly things, like "the White Knight is sliding down the poker. He balances very badly." Soon, Alice leaves him alone when she finds a book with the poem "Jabberwocky" in it.
The King During the Chess Game
Later in the story, Alice sees the White King again. Now, he is the size of a normal adult. Humpty Dumpty has fallen, which means he is "taken" in the chess game. The White King arrives with his soldiers, hoping to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
The King and Alice start talking in a funny way, typical of Wonderland. They use word play, like when Alice says "I beg your pardon" and the King thinks she is begging for something. He says, "it isn't respectable to beg."
The King's Messengers
The King also talks about his two messengers, Hatta and Haigha. He says he needs "one to come and one to go... one to fetch and one to carry." When Haigha arrives, he seriously claims, "nothing like eating hay when you're feeling faint." He then eats two ham sandwiches and some hay very casually.
The Lion and the Unicorn
The White King has mixed feelings about the Lion and the Unicorn. He finds it amusing that they are "fighting for the crown," even though it's his own crown! But he also gets nervous when these "two great creatures" stand on either side of him. However, as chess pieces, they are protecting him. So, there is "nothing to be done about it."
The King and His Queen
The King's role as a king in a game of Chess is clear. He admits he can never catch up with his wife, the White Queen. This is because, like all chess-queens, she moves too fast. She can move many squares ahead of him, so he cannot overtake her. This is similar to the Red King who sleeps through the whole story. Meanwhile, the Red Queen runs her famous race.
The End of the Game
We do not see the White King again in person. However, he is put into check by the Red Knight. The Red Knight is then defeated by the clumsy White Knight.
Later, the White Queen makes a pointless move. Then, Alice "takes" the Red Queen. This leads to a checkmate for the sleeping Red King. With the game over, any danger is gone, and Alice's dream ends.
The White King in Other Stories
- In the anime and manga series Pandora Hearts, the White King is a character with a special connection to the "abyss."
- In the 1985 TV movie Alice in Wonderland, Harvey Korman plays the White King. He and one of his messengers sing the story of The Lion and the Unicorn to Alice.
- The White King also appears in the video games American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns.
- In the TV show Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Alice says that the Knave and the Red Queen get married and become the White King and Queen.
