What is the climax of the last battle by C.S. Lewis?

Answer 1

C.S.Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle, takes place during the reign of the last Narnian king, Tirian. The central characters are an ape named Shift and a donkey named Puzzle. Shift finds an old lion's skin and persuades Puzzle to put it on and pretend he is Aslan, returned to Narnia. Puzzle is a simple, honest donkey who believes everything Shift tells him, and willingly goes along with the scheme. Shift manages to convince all the Narnians that he is now Aslan's spokesman. King Tirian, although initially taken in, soon realises the truth: when he confronts Shift, he is taken prisoner. When Tirian seeks help, he has a vision of all the children who have visited Narnia, and then Eustace (The Voyage of the Dawn treader, The Silver Chair) and Jill (The Silver Chair) arrive to help. Eventually a battle ensues, between Tirian, Shift and various groups who are either for Tirian, Shift, or for themselves (such as the dwarfs). During all this, Shift accidentally ventures too far and summons a demonic false god, Tash, who destroys him. Aslan indeed does return, to separate and judge those who are for or against him. Basically, this is the end of the Narnian world - and Lucy, Peter and Edmund, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe also join them, following a fatal train smash in their own world. A whole new perfect Narnia is given to those who followed Aslan - or Christ.

Answer 2

In The Last Battle, Lewis brings The Chronicles of Narnia to an end. The book deals with the end of time in the old Narnia and sums up the series by linking the experience of the human children in Narnia with their lives in their original world.

The story is set during the reign of the last king of Narnia, King Tirian, great-grandson of the great-grandson of Rilian, son of King Caspian X. Narnia has experienced a long period of peace and prosperity begun during the reign of King Caspian X. A centaur, Roonwit, warns Tirian that strange and evil things are happening to Narnia and that the stars portend ominous developments.

An ape named Shift has persuaded a well-meaning but simple donkey called Puzzle to dress in a lion's skin and pretend to be the Great Lion Aslan. Shift, using Puzzle as his pawn, convinces the Narnians that he speaks for Aslan. Once the Narnians are convinced that Aslan has returned, Shift orders the Narnians to work for the Calormenes, and to cut down Talking Trees for lumber. The money will be paid into "Aslan's" treasury, held by Shift, on the pretext that it will be used for the good of the Narnians.

King Tirian and his friend Jewel the Unicorn at first believe the rumors of Aslan's return, but realize the lie when they hear Shift telling the Narnians that Aslan and the Calormene god Tash are one and the same. When Tirian accuses the ape of lying, the Calormenes overpower the king and bind him to a tree. He calls on Aslan for help and receives a vision of Digory Kirke, Polly Plummer, Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Eustace Scrubb, Lucy Pevensie and Jill Pole, though he does not know who they are. The people in the room also see him and, though Tirian can't speak to them, they guess he is a messenger from Narnia. A few minutes later by Narnian time, Jill and Eustace arrive in Narnia. They release the King and rescue Jewel and Puzzle. A band of dwarfs are also rescued, but because their faith in Aslan has been shattered, they refuse to help, claiming "the dwarfs are for the dwarfs." Only one dwarf, Poggin, is faithful to Tirian, Aslan and Narnia. Tirian and his small force prepare to fight the Calormenes.

As the battle progresses, all of the animals are killed (many by the dwarfs, who attack both sides) and Eustace, Jill and Poggin are thrown into the stable where the false Aslan was kept. Tirian, earlier on, had thrown Shift into the stable and Tash, who now haunts the stable, swallowed the ape whole. Tirian, left alone and fighting for his life, drags Rishda Tarkaan, the leader of the Calormenes, into the stable. Much to the Calormen leader's surprise and terror, Tash appears, and snatches him up under an arm. Peter, Edmund, Eustace, Lucy, Jill, Polly, and Digory appear before them, (Susan does not appear in Narnia because she has stopped believing in it, thinking of it only as some silly childhood game) and Peter orders Tash to leave. Aslan appears, and as they watch at the stable door, all of the people and animals, including those who had previously died, gather outside the barn and are judged by Aslan. Those who have been loyal to Aslan or the morality upheld by Narnians join Aslan in Aslan's Country. Those who have opposed or deserted him become ordinary animals and vanish to an unmentioned place.

As the children watch, all the vegetation is eaten by dragons, salamanders, and giant lizards and Father Time calls the stars down from the skies into the sea, which rises to cover Narnia. The Sun expands and draws in the moon. Father Time then puts it out, freezing Narnia. Peter closes the door, and Aslan leads them to his country, telling them to go further up and further in, to a country which is revealed to be a more "real" Narnia of which the one the Narnians had previously inhabited was only a copy. (Digory alludes to Plato whose Allegory of the Cave describes multiple levels of reality.) They move up a waterfall to some gates, and are greeted by the heroic talking mouse Reepicheep and meet the other important good characters from the earlier novels. Here they find they are in a yet realler Narnia from which also they can see a real England. Aslan reveals that the English friends of Narnia and the Pevensie's parents had all died in a train crash in England. (Only Susan is still alive). The series ends with the revelation that for them, it was only the beginning of the true story, "which goes on forever, and in which every chapter is better than the one before."

Answer 3

This sounds like a homework assignment to me, so the first thing I'll suggest is that you really should read the book.

That said, let me give you some hints of events and characters that you might watch for as you read.

First, look at the friendship (?) between the ape Shift and the donkey Puzzle. Is it really healthy?

Study how the ape uses Puzzle to deceive the Narnians. What does this teach us about appearance versus reality and how to tell them apart.

Follow what happens to the main body of the dwarfs. It appears that even in Heaven God cannot make them happy. Why not? What is "the problem"?

What does the dying Centaur say, and what does that teach us?

What happens to Emeth, who has followed the wrong God all his life? Is it "fair"? Does this say that God could find some atheists acceptable to Him?

What relationship does the Real Narnia bear to the one that comes to an end in The Last Battle? Is it possible that our world bears the same relationship to Heaven?

There are others, but this will get you started....

Answer 4

In "The Last Battle" by C.S. Lewis, the climax occurs when everyone discovers that the Calormene ape Shift had deceived them all along, manipulating them to achieve his own selfish goals. This revelation leads to a final confrontation and battle that ultimately determines the fate of Narnia.

Answer 5

The old Narnia is destroyed and all good Narnians and friends of Narnia are brought safely into the new Narnia (Aslan's Country) forever.