Tweedledee and Tweedledum played by Matt Lucas
Tweedledee and Tweedledum are a pair of fictional characters from the novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll. They are based upon a traditional nursery rhyme of the same name. Matt Lucas plays the Tweedles in the 2010 movie.
Nursery Rhyme
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened our heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
Origin of the Phrase
According to Brewer's Dictionary of Pharse and Fable, the names Tweedledum and Tweedledee can be traced back to an 18th century epigram satirizing a feud between the composers, Handel and Bonocini.
“Some say compared to Bononcini
That mynheer Handel’s but a ninny;
Others aver that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a candle.
Strange all this difference should be
’Twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”
- John Byrom [1]
Description
Illustration by Sir John Tenniel.
Upon meeting the two little fat men, Alice quotes the nursery rhyme, which the two brothers then go on to enact. They agree to have a battle, but never have one. When they see the White Queen's shawl carried by the wind, they mistake it for the Crow and take to their heels. The Tweedle brothers never contradict each other, even when one of them, according to the rhyme, "agrees to have a battle". Rather, they complement each other's words and this fact has led Tenniel to assume that they are twins also in physical appearance. According to the dramatis personae for Through the Looking-Glass, Tweedledee is the White Queen's rook and Tweedledum is the White King's rook.[2]
Other Appearances
- Pat O'Malley voices the Tweedles in the 1951 animated film.
- Tweedledee and Tweedledum will appear in the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie. They'll be portrayed by Matt Lucas.
- In the novel series "The Looking Glass Wars", they are re-imagined as General Doppelganger, the commander of the Royal army, made up of equal parts General Doppel and General Ganger.
- In the video game "American McGee's Alice", they work for the mad hatter. Tweedledee is larger than Tweedledum.
- In Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland game, Tweedledee and Tweedledum appears as a supporting character. They give quest to the player-which must be completed, because they block the path. After the player succeed, they will leave and give a nice reward.
- In the TV miniseries "Alice", They appear as Doctors Dee and Dum.
- In the otome game "Heart no Kuni no Alice, they appear as twin guards for the hatter mansion owned by Blood Dupre and one of the few characters who fall in love with Alice. The blue one who wields his ax left-handed is Tweedledee while the red one who wields his ax right-handed is Tweedledum.
- In the erotic anime "Miyuki-chan in Wonderland", twins named Cho Lee and To Lee attend to fight Miyuki and strip her of her uniform.