brave in battle and wise in council. The story is told in her old age, as an accusation against gods and their inscrutable cruelty, and covers Orual’s life from childhood. Visions and dreams cause the book to end in understanding and acceptance of the paradox of divinity as Orual dies.

Istra

Istra, or Psyche (SI-kee), the youngest princess of Glome, the lovely child of the king’s second wife. She fills Orual’s hungry heart but is too beautiful for a mortal; she is sacrificed to the “Shadow Beast,” a manifestation of the son of Glome’s patron goddess, Ungit. Ungit is understood as a cultural alternate form of Aphrodite (Venus), and her son is the Glome Eros (Cupid). Thus Istra/Psyche and Ungit’s son tie this tale to the Cupid-Psyche myth of antiquity. The princess’ sacrifice is also a wedding, and Psyche lives in an invisible palace with a divine husband whom she must never see. When Orual forces a betrayal of the god-bridegroom, Psyche is doomed to lose her love and home and to wander weeping through the world. Before her own death, Orual encounters a shrine where Istra/Psyche is worshiped as a goddess of spring and renewal.

Lysias

Lysias, the “Fox,” a Greek slave bought as a status symbol to teach the children of the king. He stands as an affectionate father to Orual and Istra, teaching them the intellectual ideals of Greek philosophy, yet he is unable to fathom the nature of divinity manifested in Ungit. He renounces his hope of a return to Greece so that he can stay with Orual as a councillor when she frees him.

Trom

Trom, the brutal, selfish king of Glome, who rejects his daughters in the hope of having a son, railing against the gods and fate in his misfortunes of war, famine, and disease. He uses Orual’s intellectual gifts but dies in terror of her, realizing in his last illness the growth of her power in his own decline.

Bardia

Bardia, the captain of the king’s guards and councillor to Orual. He teaches her military arts and accompanies her on her first search for the body of the sacrificed Istra. Devoted to martial virtues and common sense, Bardia never sees Orual as a woman or realizes that she loves him. His widow accuses Orual of working her devoted servant to death.

Redival

Redival, the middle princess, beautiful in mortal terms, hungry for love, and jealous of Orual’s tie to Istra. She is a flirt and a gossip whose indiscretions help lead to Istra’s sacrifice. Orual marries her to a neighboring king and adopts her second son as heir to the throne of Glome.

Priest of Ungit

Priest of Ungit, the immensely old and inscrutable representative of the abuses and mystery surrounding the worship of the goddess Ungit. It is he who demands the sacrifice of Princess Istra. He dies, after a long illness, at the same time as does Trom.

Arnom

Arnom, the successor to the old priest of Ungit. He understands his goddess as a Hellenized and abstract deity, an Aphrodite represented by a Greek statue that displaces Ungit’s shapeless, faceless stone. Arnom is a skilled politician, alert to the interests of the temple. His establishment as chief priest is contemporary with Orual’s accession to the throne, and they work as allies. He ends the novel with praise of the dead queen.

Readers are introduced to the protagonist, Orual, as an elderly woman preparing for death, declaring her intention to document her grievances against the gods. As the narrative unfolds, one becomes thoroughly immersed in her words and perspective. Lewis effectively convinces readers of her reality through her consistent portrayal: she is the unattractive girl who matures into an unattractive woman; simultaneously, she is kinder than she perceives and more self-centered than she acknowledges. The story traces her life over roughly forty years, which she recounts while accusing the gods in the initial five-sixths of the book. Her bravery, her disdain for the bloodthirsty Ungit, her renunciation of Orual to become increasingly the Queen of Glome, and her enduring sorrow for Psyche, her cherished sister whose misfortune she caused, evoke a sense of understanding for a troubled woman disconnected by time and culture from readers, yet united with them in her humanity. Lewis has her directly address the reader about the numerous tales that may have emerged about her, asserting that most are untrue. Her honesty in this regard enhances her believability and credibility, fostering sympathy towards her grievances against the gods that dominate the first section.

In the initial part, readers perceive Orual exclusively through her resentful perspective, and likewise view other characters. Her sister Redival is depicted as a golden-haired, younger, promiscuous, and jealous troublemaker, whose animosity and hatred towards Psyche are inexplicable to Orual. Psyche is not only beautiful but also noble, brave, loving, wise, and capable of anger when necessary. Psyche's perfection is credible, primarily because Orual provides the perspective on Psyche, and because Psyche is not the main character.

Other noble yet flawed characters include the Greek rationalist slave, the Fox (referred to as Lysias only once in the novel), whose affection for Psyche and Orual endures throughout the story. His love and rationalistic philosophy significantly shape Orual's character, and his remarks in the first part offer insightful readers hints about the gods' eventual response. In his well-motivated actions, Lewis crafts a character whose disbelief in the supernatural does not hinder him from ultimately recognizing the inadequacy of that view and accepting his responsibility for not providing Orual with a broader perspective. The second major sympathetic character is Bardia, the military and diplomatic advisor to the Queen. His bravery, loyalty, simplicity, and inherent goodness support Orual in her endeavors. He unknowingly becomes the object of her affection, a love as profound for him as it is for the Fox and Psyche.

Orual's father, King Trom; her former nurse, Batta; the old Priest; and his successor, the young Priest, Arnom, all contribute to the barbaric nature of Glome. To Orual, each of these figures embodies the enigmatic world of Ungit. Trom and Batta are driven by violence and instinct, and Orual does not perceive them as sources of enlightenment, tranquility, or happiness. The old Priest's steadfast belief in Ungit earns Orual's reluctant respect, while the young Priest's efforts to blend the Fox's Greek logic with the deep, enigmatic nature of Ungit ultimately fall short for her. However, all four characters are intricately developed, memorable, and transcend mere symbolism.

The final sixth of the novel, part two, reveals the gods' response to Orual's accusations. This section transforms one's perspective on most of the characters. Redival's plight is clearly depicted, making it both convincing and surprising. The Fox acknowledges his limitations, and Orual finally recognizes them. Trom is not the monstrous villain he was once perceived to be, and Batta is shown to have some redeeming traits. Most importantly, readers, along with Orual, come to realize that her love has been stifling, destructive, and possessive. Simultaneously, there is an increased awareness of her inherent goodness, her growth in beauty, and her lifelong atonement for a transgression she committed with more intention than she would like to admit: her denial of joy, both for herself and for Psyche.

These characters are not mere symbols or allegories; they are fully fleshed-out human beings with imperfections and weaknesses, dreams and anxieties, virtues and love. Nonetheless, Orual's central role remains indisputable throughout the narrative.