| Sorcerer | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
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First Appearance |
Unknown |
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Original Publisher |
Middle Eastern & Chinese Folklore |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
The sorcerer in "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" is a cunning and malevolent character who serves as the main antagonist. He is a powerful magician from a distant land (often portrayed as North Africa) and seeks to obtain the magical oil lamp, which contains an all-powerful genie or jinn. Lacking the ability to retrieve the lamp himself due to the magical cave's requirements, he deceives Aladdin, a poor young man living in China, into entering the cave to fetch it.
The sorcerer initially poses as Aladdin's benevolent uncle, ingratiating himself with the boy and his family to gain their trust. However, his true nature is revealed when Aladdin retrieves the lamp and the sorcerer selfishly attempts to trap him inside the cave to prevent him from keeping the treasure.
When his plan fails, the sorcerer becomes obsessed with reclaiming the lamp. His relentless pursuit leads him to later disguise himself and exploit Aladdin's wife, Badroulbadour, tricking her into giving him the lamp. Though he wields great magical power and intelligence, the sorcerer ultimately underestimates Aladdin's resourcefulness and is defeated.
Skills and Abilities[]
Being a skilled magician, the sorcerer is capable of casting spells and summoning forces to achieve his goals. He was also in possession of a magic ring which he gave to Aladdin to ensure his safety in retrieving the lamp.
Public Domain Appearances[]
The Evil Wazzir from Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp (1939)
All published appearances of Aladdin from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
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The African Wizard from The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
- One Thousand and One Nights (1710)
- Aladdin (verse play), by Adam Oehlenschläger, 1805 (original, in Danish), 1808 (expanded version, in German). English translation Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp: A Dramatic Poem—in Two Parts, translated by Theodore Martin, 1863.
- Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp; Zein ul Asnam and the King of the Jinn: Two Stories Done into English from the Recently Discovered Arabic Text by John Payne, 1901.
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Fairy Tale Parade #4: The original tale.
- Dell Junior Treasury #2: The original tale.
- Flip #1
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Aladdin and his Wonder Lamp (1906)
- Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1917)
Public Domain Animated Appearances[]
- The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
- Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1934): In this iteration, the sorcerer is an actual oil lamp tradesman.
- Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp (1939)
- Mel-O-Toons: Aladdin (1959)
Notes[]
- The character's name was never mentioned in the original tale. The 1992 Disney film named him after Jafar, the main villain from the 1940 fantasy film The Thief of Bagdad (remake of 1924 film).
- Some of the more famous adaptations of the story merge the character with the sultan's grand vizier for simplifying the story.