Magic depicted in fictional stories
Magic in fiction
is the endowment of
characters
or objects in works of
fiction
or
fantasy
with powers that do not naturally occur in the real world.
Magic
often serves as a
plot device
and has long been a component of fiction,
since writing was invented
.
Historical beliefs
[
edit
]
Historically, witches such as the
Weird Sisters
in
William Shakespeare
's
Macbeth
,
wizards such as
Prospero
in
The Tempest
or characters like
Doctor Faustus
in
Christopher Marlowe
's
play
of the same name were widely considered to be real.
[1]
: 1027
Contemporary authors tend to treat magic as an imaginary idea, opting to
build their worlds
with a
blank slate
where the laws of reality do not carry as much weight.
[1]
: 1027
Function
[
edit
]
Within a work of fantasy, magic can help to advance the
plot
, often providing power to heroes or to their opponents. The use of magic frequently manifests itself in a
transformation
of a character, if not the transformation of the fictional world.
[2]
: 143
For magic to carry out its functions, it often comes at a price equal to its value.
[3]
[
need quotation to verify
]
: 143
Fictional magic may or may not include a detailed
magic system
, but it is not uncommon for authors to omit details or explanations of certain limitations, ostensibly for
pacing
or other purposes; in these cases, it is possible that magic serves more as a convenience to the author rather than as a device for the character.
[
citation needed
]
In nearly any given fantasy magical system, magical ability is limited. Limitations can add conflict to the story and prevent characters from becoming all-powerful with magic, although characters with unlimited power (such as
deities
or transcendental beings) are not unheard of in fiction.
[1]
: 616
Fantasy writers use a variety of techniques to limit the magic in their stories,
[4]
such as limiting the number of
spells
a character has or may cast before needing rest,
[4]
restricting a character's magic to the use of a specific object,
[4]
limiting magic to the use of certain rare materials,
[5]
or restricting the magic a character can use through its negative consequences.
[4]
Some works feature magic that is performed through the use of certain words or incantations to cast spells.
[
citation needed
]
While many works use this method without offering an explanation for it, others do offer an explanation.
[2]
: 134
[3]
: 167?168
Hard magic
is a magic system with specific rules and regulations; a
soft magic system
is usually much more vague and undefined with a mysterious aspect to it.
Acquisition
[
edit
]
Authors introduce magic into their stories, and to their characters, in varying ways. Although there is great variation in how spontaneously magic occurs, how difficult it is to wield, and how the guidelines to the magic are implemented, there are a handful of methods for introducing magic found in many fictional works. In many
[
quantify
]
fantasy works, writers depict magic as an innate talent, equivalent for example to
perfect pitch
.
[1]
: 616
Magic may also be gained through a
pact with a devil
or with other spirits, a characteristic common in folklore.
[6]
Items
[
edit
]
In some works, such as
fairy tales
,
magic items
either endow the main characters with magical powers or have magical powers themselves. Writers often use them as plot devices or
MacGuffins
to drive the plot of a story.
[7]
[
page needed
]
Wands
and staves often feature in fantasy works in the hands of wizards.
[8]
Italian fairy tales had put wands into the hands of the powerful fairies by the late Middle Ages.
[
citation needed
]
Talismans
such as
rings
or
amulets
may exert magical influence.
[9]
Seven-league boots
and
invisibility cloaks
have also proven popular.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Clute, John; Grant, John; Ashley, Mike; Hartwell, David G.; Westfahl, Gary (1999).
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
(1st ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin.
ISBN
0312198698
.
- ^
a
b
Martin, Philip (2002).
The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest: How to Write Fantasy Stories of Lasting Value
(1st ed.). Waukesha, Wisconsin: Writer Books.
ISBN
0871161958
.
- ^
a
b
Attebery, Brian (1980).
The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin
. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
ISBN
0253356652
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"The Limits of Magic"
.
The Victorian Web
. Archived from
the original
on 2004-08-23
. Retrieved
2013-10-16
.
- ^
Card, Orson Scott (1990).
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy
(1st ed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books. pp.
47?49
.
ISBN
0898794161
.
- ^
Briggs, Katharine (1976).
An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures
(1st ed.). New York: Pantheon Books. p.
279
.
ISBN
039473467X
.
- ^
Thompson, Stith (1977).
The Folktale
. Berkeley: University of California Press.
ISBN
9780520035379
.
- ^
Frye, Northrop (1971).
Anatomy of Criticism; Four Essays
(2nd ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press. p.
152
.
ISBN
0691012989
.
- ^
Note
Tolkien's legendarium
, for example, or
The Story of the Amulet
.
External links
[
edit
]