| The Mouse King | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
The Mouse King |
|
First Appearance |
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) |
|
Created by |
E. T. A. Hoffman |
Origin[]
The Mouse King is the villain in Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. He is responsible for casting the spell on the Prince that changed him into the Nutcracker in the first place. The Nutcracker must kill the Mouse King in battle so the enchantment can be broken. He does so on Christmas Eve night with the help of Clara, the heroine of the ballet, after the toys come to life at midnight (in most productions, this is all part of Clara's dream after the Christmas party, but in some versions of it, it really happens).
In E.T.A. Hoffmann's original tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, on which the ballet is based, the Nutcracker does not turn back into a Prince after he kills the Mouse King. He only does so after Marie (Clara in the ballet) declares that she will always love the Nutcracker even though he is ugly.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Literature:
- The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
- The Tale of the Nutcracker
Stage:
- The Nutcracker
Notes[]
- In the original story, the character had multiple heads (seven, to be exact), like a true rat king. In the original ballet, he only had one.