The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005): The Fantasy Adaptation That Examines Character Transformation Through Betrayal and Sacrifice

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opens with four siblings being sent away from London during the bombing of World War II, a detail that grounds the fantasy that follows in something real. Once Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter step through the wardrobe in their new home, they find Narnia trapped under the White Witch's endless winter, and a world that has been waiting, in some form, for them to arrive.

Based on C.S. Lewis's novel, the movie follows the siblings as they are drawn into Narnia's struggle against the Witch, guided by the lion Aslan and slowed by Edmund's choice to betray his brother and sisters for the promise of power. The consequences of that choice, and what it takes to set them right, drive the second half of the story toward its central act of sacrifice.

For the classroom, the movie offers a layered entry point into ideas of loyalty, betrayal, and redemption, set against the real historical backdrop of wartime evacuation. The contrast between the ordinary, displaced children at the start and the rulers they become by the end gives students plenty to track across the story.

Watch the Trailer

🚪 A story that begins in the real world. The opening section, set during the WWII evacuation of London, gives the fantasy a grounded starting point. Students see ordinary children dealing with displacement and uncertainty before the story shifts into Narnia.

❄️ A richly imagined fantasy world. Narnia is built from talking animals, mythical creatures, and a landscape locked in permanent winter. The world-building gives students a strong visual and conceptual setting to engage with.

⚔️ A clear arc of betrayal and consequence. Edmund's choice to side with the White Witch, and what it costs both him and Aslan, gives the story its emotional center. The consequences of that choice are not softened or skipped over.

🦁 A central act of sacrifice. Aslan's decision to take Edmund's place is the turning point of the story, carried out without dialogue explaining its meaning in advance. Students are left to piece together its significance as the story continues.

👑 Four siblings who change over the course of the story. Each of the Pevensie children grows into a different role by the end, from displaced evacuees to rulers of Narnia. The movie tracks that transformation without rushing it.

📖 A well-known book brought to the screen. As an adaptation of a novel many students may already know by reputation, the movie gives students a concrete comparison point between a book and its screen version.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• The movie opens with a WWII bombing raid on London, including aircraft and explosions, though without graphic detail.
• Battle sequences feature swords, spears, and creatures in combat, with some characters injured or killed. None of this is graphically depicted.
• The White Witch turns several characters to stone and threatens or harms others, including a scene where a character is bound, taunted, and killed.
• A wolf attacks a character suddenly in more than one scene, which younger students may find startling.
• One character calls a sibling an idiot and selfish during an argument.
• An adult character is shown smoking a pipe in a couple of scenes.
• The movie includes Christian allegory, including a sacrificial death and resurrection, though this is not addressed explicitly within the dialogue.
• No sexual content and no substance use beyond the pipe smoking noted above.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. As a novel adaptation with a clear narrative arc, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe suits ELA classes focused on character development and creative storytelling. The guide supports a wide range of writing, from comprehension and sequencing through to creative and narrative tasks, with differentiated question sets across three levels.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. The guide includes a set of multiple-choice comprehension questions that may also work well for ESL and ELL students, giving them a structured way to follow the story without relying on extended written responses.

🌐 Social Studies Teachers. The movie's opening, set during the WWII evacuation of children from London, connects directly to Social Studies content on the Second World War and the experience of evacuees. The guide does not include Social Studies-specific activities, but the comprehension questions and the diary entry task, which asks students to imagine the night of the bombing and the first day in the countryside, give students a structured way to engage with that history.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. With three differentiated comprehension sets, a storyboard and synopsis task, and a range of creative writing activities, the guide offers enough variety to fill a class period and beyond, making it straightforward for a substitute teacher to manage.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. The guide's mix of comprehension, creative writing, and character study tasks suits home learners working through the movie at their own pace, with the differentiated question sets allowing the work to be adjusted to the student's level.

💙 SEL Teachers. Themes of betrayal, forgiveness, and the responsibility that comes with growing up run through the story, particularly in Edmund's arc. The guide does not include dedicated SEL activities, but the comprehension questions and character profile task encourage students to follow how the characters change and why.

📜 History Teachers. The WWII evacuation setting gives History teachers a way into discussions of the Home Front and the experience of displaced children during the war. The guide does not include History-specific activities, but the comprehension questions and diary entry task provide a structured way for students to engage with that historical context during the viewing.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1: Comprehension Questions
Three differentiated sets of questions in chronological order. The first set contains 40 questions requiring full sentence answers. The second set contains 30 questions requiring full sentence answers, drawn from the first set with 10 questions removed. The third set contains 30 multiple-choice questions with three possible answers each, noted as suitable for ESL and ELL students. Answer keys are included for all three sets.

Part 2: Storyboard and Synopsis
Students create a 9-scene storyboard illustrating pivotal events from the movie, with a short description explaining the main idea of each scene. Using the storyboard as a guide, students then write a synopsis of the movie.

Part 3: Creativity and Essay Writing
Students write two diary entries, one imagining the night of the bombing in the air raid shelter and the other describing their first day's experience arriving in the countryside. They then complete character profiles for each of the four children, including personality traits, a drawing of the character, the gift each receives from Father Christmas and why it suits them (for Edmund, students draw and explain why he receives no gift), and how each child's personality changes while ruling in Narnia. This task is noted as also working well in groups of four. Finally, students choose one of the four children and write a recount of a typical day as a ruler of Narnia.