Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)
Q: Did Lucy Lawless give Andy Whitfield any advice about carrying a whole TV show like Spartacus: Blood and Sand? — MAGPIE, Toronto, Canada
A: “I never realized I was carrying it until about half-through,” Andy tells the Oracle. “I just always assumed it was an ensemble thing. I was on the poster, but I guess I was in a little bit of denial. I came to acting late, only a few years ago. It’s not something I ever wanted to be, to be in the middle of everything. So I guess I’ve overcome that by enjoying the process and the work. Obviously, Lucy’s been through it before. I need a few ‘asks’ from her right now.”
Q: What ever happened to Andre the Giant, who played Fezzik in The Princess Bride? — Tom, Shoreline, WA
A: Sadly, Andre, the professional-wrestler-turned-actor who stood seven feet, four inches, died in 1993 at age 46 as a result of a heart attack — probably brought on because of the disease of acromegaly, a malfunction in the pituitary gland which was responsible for Andre’s massive size, but which also can negatively affect the heart.
For the record, Andre also played Bigfoot on The Six Million Dollar Man and the Dagoth, the Horned God, in Conan the Destroyer, but considered The Princess Bride’s gentle giant his favorite role.
Andre is sometimes confused with Richard Kiel, the seven-foot-one-inch actor who played Jaws in several James Bond movies, though Kiel, who also has acromegaly, is still living.
Q: How come crystal balls and the like in movies and books always predict what “might” happen? What good is that? I could predict something that might happen! — Em, St. Louis, MO
A: Em, the Oracle could. Not. Agree. More.
In fact, I consider it a cheat when a book or movie has a “prophecy” that, through “courage” or mere stubbornness on the part of the hero, doesn’t ever come true. I think it’s one of the (many) flaws in The Return of the Jedi: Darth Vadar, the Emperor, and even Yoda spend half the movie confidently talking about how that’s it, it’s over, Luke’s going to give into the Dark Side of the Force — only to have it turn out that, nope, that was just the Emperor’s wishful thinking!
Either the story is set in a world where prophecies are “true” — or it isn’t. If a prophecy is there and “real” enough that all the wise characters believe in it, I think it has to be like a gun in a play: if it shows up in the first act, it must go off in the third.
The key, of course, is finding a way for the prophecy to come true … but in a way that no one, especially the villain, expects. The prophecy is “fulfilled” — at least in terms of the letter of the law. But the hero wins anyway, because he or she is able to create an interpretation of the prophecy that no one expected.
Rowling does this throughout Harry Potter (with varying degrees of success). Likewise, when the key prophecy in The Chroncles of Prydain is first read, some of the words are not quite visible, resulting it to be read as, “Draw Dyrnwyn, only thou of noble birth, to rule with justice, to strike down evil. Who wields it in good cause shall slay even the Lord of Death.”
Read that way, our hero is screwed, because he’s not of royal birth, and he can’t use the sword. But when the rune is finally read correctly, the words “noble birth” turn out to really read “noble worth,” meaning our hero, Taran, can definitely save the day.
Finally, sometimes prophecies do come completely true — as when Alti’s vision of Xena and Gabrielle’s crucifixion comes true at the end of the fourth season of Xena: Warrior Princess — but even then, it doesn’t end up where the villain (or we) thought it would.
Anyway, if a prophecy is done right, it can be an extremely satisfying story-ending.
So what’s the deal with Galadriel’s Mirror and the like? Those aren’t “prophecies” per se — as you say, even Galadriel admits it’s only a “possible” future. A prophecy such as that is merely a dramatic device added to increase tension: this is what will happen if our hero fails in his or her quest.
The Oracle admits that this kind of prophecy has become an over-used cliche, but is giving The Lord of the Rings a pass, because it’s pretty much where all fantasy cliches come from.
Looking to buy something mentioned in this column (or any other media)? Support TheTorchOnline.com by purchasing it through this link.
Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)
