Messala (Ben-Hur)

Last updated
Messala
Ben Hur character
First appearance A Tale of the Christ (1880, novel)
Last appearance Ben Hur (2016, film)
Created by Lew Wallace
Portrayed by
Voiced byDuncan Fraser (2003)
Information
GenderMale
OccupationRoman nobleman
Roman military general
Charioteer

Messala is a fictional character from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ , and its film adaptations, where he appears as the main antagonist.

A character is a person or other being in a narrative. The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a "fictional" versus "real" character may be made. Derived from the ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ, the English word dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of "a part played by an actor" developed. Character, particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema, involves "the illusion of being a human person". In literature, characters guide readers through their stories, helping them to understand plots and ponder themes. Since the end of the 18th century, the phrase "in character" has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor. Since the 19th century, the art of creating characters, as practiced by actors or writers, has been called characterisation.

Lew Wallace American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician, and author of Ben Hur

Lewis Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is best known for his historical adventure story, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880), a bestselling novel that has been called "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century."

<i>Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ</i> 1888 novel by Lew Wallace

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace published by Harper and Brothers on November 12, 1880, and considered "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century". It became a best-selling American novel, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) in sales. The book also inspired other novels with biblical settings and was adapted for the stage and motion picture productions. Ben-Hur remained at the top of the US all-time bestseller list until the publication of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (1936). The 1959 MGM film adaptation of Ben-Hur is considered one of the greatest films ever made and was seen by tens of millions, going on to win a record 11 Academy Awards in 1960, after which the book's sales increased and it surpassed Gone with the Wind. It was blessed by Pope Leo XIII, the first novel ever to receive such praise. The success of the novel and its stage and film adaptations also helped it to become a popular cultural icon that was used to promote numerous commercial products.

Contents

About

Messala is a Roman nobleman and the son of a Roman tax collector; [1] he is also Judah Ben-Hur's boyhood friend and turned into his arch-rival after betraying him. [2] When Messala is reunited with Ben-Hur for the first time in five years, their different views and opinions ultimately end their friendship. Later, Messala betrays his former friend when he accuses him of attempting to assassinate Valerius Gratus.

Judah Ben-Hur A fictional character from Lew Wallaces 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Judah Ben-Hur, or just Ben-Hur, is a fictional character, the title character and main protagonist from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The book covers the character's adventures and struggle against the Roman Empire as he tries to restore honour to his family's name after being falsely accused of attacking the Roman governor. Judah encounters Jesus Christ and becomes a Christian.

Valerius Gratus was the Roman Prefect of Iudaea province under Tiberius from 15 to 26 AD. He succeeded Annius Rufus and was replaced by Pontius Pilate. The government of Gratus is chiefly remarkable for the frequent changes he made in the appointment of the high-priesthood. He deposed Ananus, and substituted Ishmael ben Fabus, then Eleazar, son of Arianus, then Simon, son of Camith, and lastly Joseph Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Ananus.

Five years later, Judah, having survived the galleys, seeks revenge on Messala for betraying him and his family. Judah offers to drive Sheik Ilderim's chariot intending to defeat his rival. During the race, Messala's chariot breaks apart and he suffers serious injuries.

In the 1959 movie Massala dies of his injuries from the chariot race. However, in the novel, he continues to plot against Judah long after the chariot race despite being crippled and left in financial difficulty. Messala hires a Northman called Thord to kill Ben-Hur, but Thord allows him to live. Upon returning, Thord lies to Messala about killing Judah. Five years later, his mistress, Iras (daughter of Balthasar) murders him upon learning the true nature of the Romans.

Balthazar (Magus) according to Christian tradition, a king of Arabia and one of the three Magi who visited Jesus and gave the gift of myrrh

Saint Balthazar; also called Balthasar, Balthassar, and Bithisarea, was according to tradition one of the biblical Magi along with Caspar and Melchior who visited the infant Jesus after he was born. Balthazar is traditionally referred to as the King of Arabia and gave the gift of myrrh to Jesus. In the Roman Catholic Church, he is regarded as a saint.

Adaptations

In the 1899 Broadway play. Messala was portrayed by William S. Hart who went on to greater fame starring in western movies.

In the 1925 silent film Messala was portrayed by Francis X. Bushman as an ambitious and ruthless Roman who ceased to care for Ben-Hur long before being reunited with him.

<i>Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ</i> (1925 film) 1925 American epic silent film directed by Fred Niblo and based on General Lew Wallaces 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a 1925 American silent epic adventure-drama film directed by Fred Niblo and written by June Mathis based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by General Lew Wallace. Starring Ramon Novarro as the title character, the film is the first feature-length adaptation of the novel and second overall, following the 1907 short.

Francis X. Bushman American actor, director, writer

Francis Xavier Bushman was an American film actor and director. His career as a matinee idol started in 1911 in the silent film His Friend's Wife. He gained a large female following and was one of the biggest stars of the 1910s and early 1920s.

In the 1959 film Messala was portrayed by Stephen Boyd. [3] In contrast with the book, there is a confrontation between Ben-Hur and Messala when Messala asks him to identify rebels. Messala dies of multiple injuries sustained in the chariot race - when his attempt to destroy Judah's chariot fails. After the chariot race, Judah sees his rival and former friend. In his final moments Messala informs him that his mother and sister are not dead - but are in the Valley of the Lepers. Thinking, due primarily to his childhood memories, that Messala was once a good man who ultimately became corrupted by Rome, Judah comes to forgive him when he says to Pilate the outrageous mistake that his mother and sister's current condition was not Messala's deed - but Rome's. Messala's mistress Iras does not appear in the film, nor is she mentioned.

<i>Ben-Hur</i> (1959 film) 1959 American epic historical drama film by William Wyler

Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic religious drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with a similar title, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tunberg, but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry.

Stephen Boyd American actor

Stephen Boyd was a Northern Irish-American actor. Originally from Glengormley, County Antrim, Boyd appeared in some 60 films, most notably as the villainous Messala in Ben-Hur (1959), a role that earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. He received his second Golden Globe Award nomination for Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962). He also appeared, sometimes as a hero and sometimes as a malefactor, in the major big-screen productions Les bijoutiers du clair de lune (1958), The Bravados (1958), Imperial Venus (1962), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Genghis Khan (1965), Fantastic Voyage (1966) and Shalako (1968).

In contrast with the 1925 version Messala is delighted when he hears that Judah has come to see him and still cares for his childhood friend before falling out over their different beliefs.

In the book, Messala does not tell Judah that his mother and sister are alive. Another difference between the book and the film is that Messala and Gratus taking the Hur wealth is not part of the film's plot.

In the 2003 animated film, Messala was voiced by Duncan Fraser. The character is quite different to the 1959 film. In this version he asks Ben-Hur for forgiveness before witnessing the Crucifixion with Judah and his family.

In the 2010 television miniseries, Messala was played by Stephen Campbell Moore.

<i>Ben Hur</i> (miniseries) 2010 television miniseries

Ben Hur is a TV miniseries that first aired in 2010. Based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, the series was produced by Alchemy Television Group in association with Drimtim Entertainment and Muse Entertainment in Montreal. It aired on Canada's CBC network on April 4, 2010, and aired later in 2010 on ABC in the United States.

Stephen Campbell Moore British actor

Stephen Campbell Moore is an English actor, best known for his roles in the Alan Bennett play The History Boys and its subsequent film.

In the 2016 film adaption, Messala's background is largely changed from his original version. He is a Roman orphan adopted by Ben-Hur's father and raised as his brother and has a romantic interest with Tirzah, Ben-Hur's younger sister. His grandfather was accused of betraying Julius Caesar and crucified. This has given him an urge to earn his own reputation. After becoming a Roman officer, he returns to Jerusalum only to find himself stuck in a dilemma between friendship with Judah and loyalty to the Romans. In the end of film, he reconciles with Ben-Hur. The character was portrayed by Toby Kebbell. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ben Hur</i> (1907 film) 1907 American short film directed by Sidney Olcott

Ben Hur is a 15-minute-long 1907 silent drama film, the first film version of Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, one of the best-selling books at that time.

<i>Ben Hur</i> (2003 film) 2003 animated film based on the Lew Wallaces 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben Hur is a 2003 animated drama film based on the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace. It is the fourth film adaptation of the novel.

Messala or Messalla may refer to:

Tirzah is a Hebrew word meaning "she is my delight". In the Bible, Tirzah is the name of a woman, one of the daughters of Zelophehad, but is also the name of a Canaanite city captured by Joshua.

<i>Ben-Hur</i> (play) play by William W. Young

Ben-Hur was an 1899 theatrical adaption of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) by Lew Wallace. The play was dramatized by William W. Young and produced by Marc Klaw and A. L. Erlanger. Inspired by the success of Wallace's popular novel, the stage production was notable for its elaborate use of spectacle. It had six acts with incidental music written by American composer Edgar Stillman Kelley. The stage production opened at the Broadway Theater in New York City on November 29, 1899, and became a hit Broadway show. Traveling versions of the production, including a national tour that ran for twenty-one years, played in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia. By the end of its run in April 1920, the play had been seen by more than twenty million people and earned over $10 million at the box office. There have been other stage adaptations of Wallace's novel as well as several motion picture versions.

<i>The Charioteer of Delphi</i> book by Caroline Lawrence

The Charioteer of Delphi is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2006. It is the twelfth volume of the Roman Mysteries series. Like several of Lawrence's novels, it explores a particular aspect of daily life in Ancient Rome: in this case, chariot racing.

Ben Hur Live is a 2009 stage adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Produced by Franz Abraham with music and narration by Stewart Copeland, it premièred on 17 September 2009 at the O2 Arena in London, the first date of its European tour.

The term Bible fiction refers to works of fiction which use characters, settings and events taken from the Bible. The degree of fictionalization in these works varies and, although they are often written by Christians or Jews, this is not always the case.

Production of Ben-Hur (1959 film) Production details about the 1959 remake of the 1925 silent film Ben-Hur

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) originally announced a remake of the 1925 silent film Ben-Hur in December 1952, ostensibly as a way to spend its Italian assets. Stewart Granger and Robert Taylor were reported to be in the running for the lead. Nine months later, MGM announced it would make the film in CinemaScope, with shooting beginning in 1954. In November 1953, MGM announced it had assigned producer Sam Zimbalist to the picture and hired screenwriter Karl Tunberg to write it. Zimbalist was chosen because he had produced MGM's Best Picture-nominated Christians-and-lions epic Quo Vadis in 1951. The studio then announced in July 1954 that production would start in March 1955 with 42 speaking parts and 97 sets. MGM said Sidney Franklin would direct, that the script by Tunberg was finished, that shooting would occur in Rome and in Spain, and that Marlon Brando was up for the lead. In September 1955, Zimbalist, who continued to claim that Tunberg's script was complete, announced that a $7 million, six-to-seven month production would begin in April 1956 in either Israel or Egypt in MGM's new 65mm widescreen process. MGM, however, suspended production in early 1956.

<i>Ben-Hur</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Timur Bekmambetov

Ben-Hur is a 2016 American epic historical period drama film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley. It is the fifth film adaptation of the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace following the 1907 silent short film, the 1925 silent film, the Academy Award-winning 1959 film and the 2003 animated film of the same name. It has been termed a "re-adaptation", "reimagining", and "new interpretation" of the novel. The film stars Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman, Toby Kebbell, Nazanin Boniadi, Haluk Bilginer, and Rodrigo Santoro.

Quintus Arrius is a fictional character from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. He is a Roman warship commander whom Judah Ben-Hur saves from drowning. After they are rescued, Arrius is informed that his fleet won the battle, and is lauded for his victory. Arrius subsequently adopts Judah as his son, making him a freedman, a Roman citizen, and Arrius’s heir.

References

  1. ↑ Wallace, Ben-Hur (1880), p. 81–2.
  2. ↑ Morsberger and Morsberger, p. 301 and 303.
  3. 1 2 McNary, Dave (16 March 2016). "Watch: First Trailer for 'Ben-Hur' Remake". Variety.com . Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.