Confused about The Silver Chair

[Queen_of_Underland]

Ok, so I'm just now reading the Narnia books for the first time and I am almost through with The Silver Chair. I was a bit confused about the purpose of it...
Here's what I understood:
Ok, so Prince Rillian has been captured by the Witch, or the Queen of Underland, and she takes him to live underground with her. She puts a spell on him and for 10 years, he has been under this spell until Jill, Eustace and Puddlegum come to his rescue. There is a moment at night when Prince Rillian is changed, that is, when he is himself again. In order for the Witch to prevent that, she binds him to the silver chair. My question is...Does he actually get turned into a serpent or is the silver chair's only purpose to prevent him from becoming his true self again because the Witch is afraid that when he does, he'll escape and try to kill her.

[Kitanna]

I think she says that because SHE turns into the serpent. It's probably one of those things she fed to him when he was under her spell. "You're tied to this chair to keep you from killing me and becoming the serpent you once were when you were under the spell." The Lady uses her soothing words and enchantments to make everyone believe what she says, why should the prince be any different?

[DeplorableWord]

Ya, I agree with Kitanna. He doesn't really turn into a serpant, she's just decieving him so that (while he's under her spell,) he'll be happier to be bound up because then he'de think that the Witch has legitimate grounds for tieing him up; he won't be as bitter about it, if that makes sense.

[Phlebas]

I wonder if Prince Rillian's original enchantment is the same as the one the Witch attempts with the green powder and the mandolin. If it is, would the Witch have to bind Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum in their own silver chairs each night, had she been successful in her attempt to enchant them?

[PrinceOfTheWest]

It's hard to say whether the green powder was the initial enchantment that first ensnared Rilian. It many not need have been - remember, he was already somewhat "enchanted" by her beauty.

As far as if the enchantment had succeeded, I doubt if the Emerald Witch would have bothered with doing something ongoing with the three travelers. She probably would have just killed them. Remember, she was only doing it to Rilian because she needed him to take Narnia. Had she succeeded at that, he might not have survived long as her "king".

[pavender]

The hour during which Rilian is tied to the chair is the one hour of the day when he is "out of" the spell. The other 23 hours he is under her enchantment, to the point that he thinks his one truly sane hour is his "crazy hour". :) Whereas the reverse is true. He actually says to Jill and Eustace that he should not release him from his bonds during that hour no matter how hard he begs - they believe him, that is until he asks that they release him in the name of Aslan, which is of course the last of the four signs.