Everything about the March Hare totally explained
The
March Hare, often called the Mad March Hare, is a character most famous for appearing in the the
tea party scene in
Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The main character,
Alice, hypothesises,
» "The March Hare will be much the most interesting, and perhaps as this is May it won't be raving mad -- at least not so mad as it was in March."
"
Mad as a March hare" was a common phrase in Carroll's time, and appears in
John Heywood's collection of proverbs published in
1546. It is reported in
The Annotated Alice by
Martin Gardner that this proverb is based on popular belief about
hares' behaviour at the beginning of the long breeding season, which lasts from February to September in Britain. Early in the season, unreceptive females often use their forelegs to repel overenthusiastic males. It used to be incorrectly believed that these bouts were between males fighting for breeding supremacy.
Like the character's famous friend, the
Mad Hatter, the March Hare feels compelled to always behave as though it's tea-time because the Hatter supposedly "murdered the time" whilst singing for the
Queen of Hearts. He is briefly shown to live in a house where all the furniture and clocks are shown to be shaped like the head of a hare, which leads Alice to believe that he's indeed "raving mad".
Sir John Tenniel's illustration also shows him with straw on his head, a common way to depict madness in Victorian times. The March Hare later appears at the trial for the
Knave of Hearts, and for a final time as "
Haigha" (which Carroll tells us is pronounced as "mayor"), the personal messenger to the
White King in
Through the Looking Glass.
Disney's Alice in Wonderland, an animated film, depicted the March Hare at the tea party as being deliriously confused. He repeatedly offers Alice a cup of tea, but distractedly pulls the cup out of her reach or takes it from her hands just as she's about to drink.
Disney's March Hare appears as one of the guests in
House of Mouse.
Cultural references
In the game
American McGee's Alice, the March Hare is portrayed as a victim of the Mad Hatter's insane experimentation. Both the Hare and the Dormouse have become clockwork
cyborgs.
Further Information
Get more info on 'March Hare'.
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