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Ged, the Shadow and True Names | ICSE Class 8

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English LiteratureICSE Class 8 · A Wizard of Earthsea

Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names (A Wizard of Earthsea, ICSE Class 8)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) by Ursula K. Le Guin, the talented but proud Ged calls up a spirit to impress a rival and lets loose a shadow that hunts him. At the end he turns, chases it and speaks its true name, which is his own, so accepting his darker self and becoming whole. Magic depends on knowing true names.

Follow the arrows from cause (pride) to effect (the shadow) to cure (facing it and speaking its true name, Ged), since a true name gives power.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names

Status. On the Suggested Reading List for Class VIII; recommended, not prescribed. First of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books, published in 1968. A coming-of-age story in a world of islands where magic works through true names, and wizards keep the world's balance.

Ged's pride. On Gont, the boy Duny (nicknamed Sparrowhawk) weaves a fog to hide his village from raiders. The mage Ogion gives him his true name, Ged, and teaches patience, but Ged wants power. At the school on Roke he makes a rival, Jasper, and a loyal friend, Vetch. Stung by Jasper's mockery, he tries to call a dead spirit; the spell tears open a gap and lets a shadow through. The old Archmage Nemmerle drives it off and dies.

Running, then hunting. Ged binds the dragon of Pendor by guessing its true name, and escapes the Court of Terrenon as a hawk. Ogion tells him that running will not help: he must turn and hunt the shadow. With Vetch, Ged chases it far out to sea and speaks its true name, "Ged". The shadow was a part of himself; by naming and accepting it he becomes whole.

True names. To know a thing's true name is to have power over it. This makes knowledge and language, not strength, the source of magic.

Themes. Pride and its consequences; facing the dark side of oneself; coming of age and responsibility; power through knowledge and words; friendship (Vetch).

Answering well. Link the cause (pride, a challenge from Jasper) to the effect (the shadow), then to the cure (facing it and naming it).

Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names: key facts

The chain of events
  • Pride
  • Challenge from Jasper
  • Forbidden spell
  • Shadow released
  • Flight
  • Hunt
  • Naming
Cause and effect.
Key people
Ogionmaster
Vetchfriend
Jasperrival
NemmerleArchmage
Each shapes Ged's choices.
Themes
  • Pride
  • Facing the dark side
  • Coming of age
  • Power of names
  • Friendship
The shadow bears his own name.

How to answer Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names questions

Use this for the shadow and character questions.

  1. 1State what the shadow is and how it was released.
  2. 2Name the cause: Ged's pride and Jasper's challenge.
  3. 3Trace the middle: flight, then Ogion's advice to hunt it.
  4. 4Give the end: the name "Ged" and wholeness.
  5. 5Link to a theme such as pride or facing oneself.

Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Facing a mistake

Suppose a hypothetical pupil copies in a test to match a rival, feels guilty for weeks, and finally owns up to the teacher.

How is this like Ged and the shadow?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The mistake came from pride.
  2. It haunted the pupil (the shadow followed Ged).
  3. Facing it brought relief (Ged becomes whole).

Answer: Like Ged, the pupil stops running and accepts responsibility, and the guilt stops controlling him.

Memory hook: Name your mistake and it loses its hold.

Tricks to remember Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • PSNW

    Pride, Shadow, Naming, Whole.

    Use it when: The story arc.

  • Run, turn, name

    Ged runs, turns to hunt, then names.

    Use it when: Ending.

Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: What is the shadow? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

At the end of the novel, the shadow turns out to be:
(a) a dragon (b) a part of Ged himself (c) Jasper (d) Nemmerle

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. It bears the name Ged.

Answer: (b) a part of Ged himself.

Example 2: Why does Ged cast the spell? · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why does Ged try to summon the spirit on Roke? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Jasper mocks him (1).
  2. His pride makes him accept the challenge (1).

Answer: Stung by Jasper's mockery, Ged proudly accepts a challenge to call up the spirit of a woman long dead.

Example 3: What the spell causes · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Describe the results of Ged's spell on Roke. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. A gap is torn in the world (1).
  2. The shadow comes through (1).
  3. It attacks Ged and scars his face (1).
  4. Nemmerle drives it away and dies (1).

Answer: The spell tears open a gap in the world and lets the shadow through. It attacks Ged and scars his face. The Archmage Nemmerle drives it away but dies from the effort.

Example 4: Ogion's advice · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain why Ogion tells Ged to hunt the shadow and what Ged learns when he does. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Running will not help (1).
  2. Ged must turn and hunt (1).
  3. He speaks the name Ged (1).
  4. The shadow is part of himself, so he is whole (1).

Answer: Ogion says that running is useless; Ged must turn and hunt the shadow himself. When Ged finally speaks its true name, it is "Ged", so he learns the shadow is a part of himself. By accepting it he becomes whole.

Example 5: Is magic strength or knowledge? · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Does the novel suggest that magic depends on strength or on knowledge? Support your view with two points. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Clear view (1).
  2. Point on true names (1).
  3. Point on Ged's training or Pendor (1).
  4. Conclusion about wisdom (1).

Answer: It suggests knowledge. Magic in Earthsea works through knowing true names, and Ged binds the dragon of Pendor by guessing its name, not by force. Ged's great power without wisdom causes the disaster, so understanding matters more than strength.

Where students lose marks in Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Calling the shadow an outside villain

    It is a part of Ged.

    Wrong working

    The shadow is Jasper.

    Right working

    The shadow carries Ged's name.

    Do this: Explain the name.

    Usually costs: 2 marks

  • Mistake: Forgetting Ogion's advice

    He turns the plot.

    Wrong working

    Ged runs forever.

    Right working

    Ogion tells him to hunt it.

    Do this: Mention it.

    Usually costs: 1 mark

  • Mistake: Retelling without a theme

    Questions want ideas.

    Wrong working

    Only the order of events.

    Right working

    Events linked to pride.

    Do this: Add the lesson.

    Usually costs: 1 mark

Exam tips

  • Explain the name Ged in any ending question.
  • Link pride to cause and effect.
  • Mention true names when asked about magic.
  • Quote only short phrases.

Practice questions on Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    On which island does Ged go to train at the school for wizards?
    (a) Gont (b) Roke (c) Pendor (d) Osskil

    Hint

    It is where he meets Vetch and Jasper.

    Answer

    (b) Roke.

  2. Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

    Name two friends or helpers of Ged and what each does. (2 marks)

    Hint

    Vetch and Ogion.

    Answer

    Vetch is a loyal friend who joins him on the final voyage. Ogion is his master who gives him his name and advises him to hunt the shadow.

  3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    How does Ged deal with the dragon of Pendor? (3 marks)

    Hint

    True name.

    Answer

    He sails to Pendor, guesses the old dragon's true name and uses it to make the dragon promise never to attack the islands.

  4. Q4 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Show how pride is a weakness in Ged, with two events. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Gont and Roke.

    Answer

    Ged is impatient for power under Ogion and reads a dangerous spell to impress a girl, beginning to summon a shadow. On Roke, stung by Jasper, he accepts a challenge and lets the shadow loose. Both events show pride leading him to risk what he does not understand.

  5. Q5 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Why is it important that Ged's enemy has his own name? (4 marks)

    Hint

    Think of the theme.

    Answer

    It shows that the greatest danger comes from inside: his own pride and fear. He cannot destroy it, so he must accept it, and that makes him whole. It also turns the theme of true names into a lesson about knowing oneself.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Who wrote A Wizard of Earthsea?Show answer

    Ursula K. Le Guin.

  2. 2.Year of publication?Show answer

    1968.

  3. 3.Who is Ged's loyal friend?Show answer

    Vetch.

  4. 4.What does the shadow say?Show answer

    The shadow's name is Ged.

  5. 5.Where is the school for wizards?Show answer

    On the island of Roke.

  6. 6.Who is Ged's rival?Show answer

    Jasper.

Ged's Pride, the Shadow and the Power of True Names: frequently asked questions

Is it prescribed?

No, it is suggested reading.

What type of story is it?

A coming-of-age story.

What are true names?

Names that give power over the thing named.