| "Tweedledum and Tweedledee" Roud #19800 |
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 John Tenniel's illustration, from Through the Looking-Glass (1871), chapter 4 |
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| Written by | Traditional |
|---|---|
| Published | 1805 |
| Written | England |
| Language | English |
| Form | Nursery rhyme |
Tweedledum and Tweedledee are fictional characters in an English language nursery rhyme and in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. Their names may have originally come from an epigram written by poet John Byrom. The nursery rhyme has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19800.
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Common versions of the nursery rhyme include:
The words "Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee" make their first appearance in print in "one of the most celebrated and most frequently quoted (and sometimes misquoted) epigrams", satirising the disagreements between George Frideric Handel and Giovanni Battista Bononcini, written by John Byrom (1692–1763):[2]
Although Byrom is clearly the author of the epigram, the last two lines have also been attributed to Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope.[1] Although the rhyme in its familiar form was not printed until around 1805, when it appeared in Original Ditties for the Nursery, it is possible that Byrom was drawing on an existing rhyme.[4]
The characters are perhaps best known from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice Found There. Carroll, having introduced two fat little men named Tweedledum and Tweedledee, 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 a monstrous black crow swooping down, they 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. This fact has led Tenniel to assume that they are twins also physically, and Gardner goes so far as to claim that Carroll intended them to be enantiomorphs, i.e., three-dimensional mirror images. Evidence for these assumptions cannot be found in any of Lewis Carroll's writings.[4]
The two characters appeared in Disney's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland despite the fact that the movie was mostly based on the first book.[5] They are often represented by actors in Disney theme Parks. The Disney versions of the characters later made frequent appearances in the Disney television series House of Mouse and can also be spotted during the final scene of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.[6]
| Tweedledum and Tweedledee | |
|---|---|
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| Created by | Lewis Caroll |
| Portrayed by | J. Pat O'Malley (original film) Corey Burton (House of Mouse) Matt Lucas (2010 film) |
In the 1951 version of Alice in Wonderland, Tweedledum & Tweedledee are portrayed almost exactly as they appear in the book. Both appear identical, except for the stitching on their shirts with their names.
As Alice follows the white rabbit, she gets lost. Tweedledum & Tweedledee stumble upon her as they lurk out of the shadows. Alice greets them but states she must be on her way. Tweedledee and Tweedledum want to play, suggesting numerous games. When she declines they ask her why, and she replies "Because I'm curious".
Tweedledee & Tweedledum begin to weep, whispering "The oysters were curious too...". After Alice persists that she wants to know, (and as they smile to each other menacingly) they narrate the tale of the The Walrus and the Carpenter to Alice. After they're done, they want to play again. They begin playing with each other as Alice slips away unnoticed by the two.
The two appear identical in every way. They finish each other's sentences and make very odd movements with their bodies; such as jumping extremely high in the air and wobbling their legs as if they were noodles. They seem as if they have a devious motive because they smile menacingly to each other a few times throughout the course of the scene they appear in.
In the 2010 version, Tweedledum and Tweedledee are portrayed by Matt Lucas. His face has been digitally added to the bodies of both Tweedledum and Tweedledee.[7] In the film, Tweedledum and Tweedledee are seen walking with Alice in the wilderness of Wonderland; they are also seen being taken away by the Jubjub Bird, a bird that has made an appearance in Jabberwocky a poem also written by Lewis Carrol. They are also shown hitting each other like in the original Disney film.
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   | Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum - Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum | Bob Dylan |
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