Mei wrote an essay!Two kings, alike in temper if not in kingdom, are the leading roles in Neil Gaiman’s "Sandman" and Jim Henson’s "Labyrinth". Dream, Morpheus, the sandman, is the Lord of Dreams and Prince of Stories. Jareth, the Goblin King, has his own story. However, incarnations of such ideas as dreams often have facets, and with a touch of imagination, one can see Jareth as one such facet of the Dream lord.
Both dream and Jareth are kings of their respective realms, and neither has a queen. However, Dream has had no shortage of women in his lifetime. Ultimately, all of his relationships have ended badly. A most heartbreaking account is of Nada, an ancient queen who fell in love with Dream, and he with her, without knowing he was one of the Endless, who are not gods but the embodiment of the aspects they represent. Learning this, she was frightened, but Dream pursued her and eventually they became lovers for a single night. But the sun, upon seeing the forbidden union, sent a fireball to destroy her kingdom. Dream asked her to be his queen, and Nada refused, three times she refused him, saying that mortals do not marry his kind. For this, he condemned her to Hell, where she spent 10,000 years in an oubliette, burning by day and freezing by night, as punishment. But Morpheus’ tragic romances are far from complete, he father Orpheus on the muse Calliope, who he quickly grew distant from, and by the time of the death of Eurydice, the relationship was little more than a few words. The Dream lord could fill a library with his relationships, but all eventually waned in interest and became nothing more than a memory.
Jareth, on the other hand, has one woman in his life, a young girl by the name of Sarah. When she wished away her baby brother, Toby, Jareth came to collect him. Sarah was outraged and demanded her brother back, declining his proffered gift of a crystal that would show her dreams. To win back her baby brother, she fought her way through his kingdom, a labyrinth with dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. Jareth did not make it easy for her, forcing her to solve a knights and knaves puzzle, dropping her into an oubliette, and, when all else failed, using an tainted peach to bring her into a ballroom illusions where he sang to her, promising her love. Despite Jareth’s considerable effort to seduce her, including an offer to be her slave should she give up her quest, Sarah soundly defeated him, and won back her baby brother.
Both kings have an interesting conflict involving a stolen child. As related above, Sarah’s brother was wished away to Jareth, and rescued by the girl in a quest which left Jareth defeated, his power broken. Daniel Hall, a child who, by convoluted events, came to gestate in dreams, was stolen by Loki and the puck. His mother, Hippolyta ‘Lyta’ Hall, having been warned that one day Dream would come to claim Daniel, assumed Morpheus had stolen, and, misled by the tricksters, killed, her child. She invoked the Eumenides, that is to say, the Furies, and went on a quest of revenge that eventually led to Dream’s passing on.
Both Dream and Jareth showed an interest in making the stolen child their heir, but where Sarah saved her brother by denying her heart, Daniel had his mortality burned away and took up the mantle of the dream lord upon the death of Morpheus, caused as it was by his vengeful mother.
When speaking of a monarch, it is always important to consider how he treats his subjects. Dream, while mostly a brooding and selfish figure that leaves his dreams and nightmares to their own devices, is ever aware of their actions. Each dream creature is given his respect as underlings, but should they lose it, be it though disobedience or failure, they can find themselves simply un-made, or subjected to a darkness so terrifying that the nightmares themselves beg for forgiveness.
Jareth, being the goblin king, has a kingdom primarily filled with simple creatures, easily amused and easily frightened into obedience. However, the more intelligent folk that reside in his labyrinth might need more persuasion to carry out his orders and sabotage any attempts to navigate the labyrinth to reach the castle at the centre. For this, he has the Bog of Eternal Stench. Simply mentioning it can cause those with a delicate sense of smell to shudder n revulsion. Imagine the worst smells you’ve ever smelled, dirty diapers, vomit, rotten food, skunks, sewage, all rolled together and squared, and manifested in a marsh that burps and farts out this scent at regular intervals. That is the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Despite these harsh methods of dealing with unruly subjects, Morpheus and Jareth enjoy the respect and obedience of their people, with some small exceptions. Jareth even entertains his goblins and any children in his custody, something he seems to enjoy just as much. Dream more often broods on duty, and leaves the dreams and nightmares to do as the will in his realm; but they are far more mature than goblins, and this suits them.
Of course, when comparing any two individuals, physical appearance will inevitably come up. Both Jareth and Dream, being created in the 80’s, can be seen to sport mullets. Morpheus, existing in all times, can be found in any style of hair or clothing, but seems to favour unkempt hair and black robes. His eyes are pools of night, not at all like a human's. Jareth, on the other hand, dresses regally in a cloak and poets shirt, coupled with high boots and obscenely tight pants. His hair is blonde and unruly, and his eyes are blue, with one permanently dilated, a feature that comes from the portrayal of the character by David Bowie in the original movie.
Jareth shares many characteristics with the dream lord. However, the shared qualities are but a single aspect of his person. Dream can be described as the manifestation of Dreams and stories. Jareth is part of his own complex story and dream, and as such could be seen as a part of Morpheus.
Pleased
Repulsed
Stuck
Crazy
