Inspector Morse: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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[[Detective]] [[Chief Inspector]] '''Endeavour Morse''', [[George Medal|GM]], is the eponymous fictional character in the series of [[detective novel]]s by British author [[Colin Dexter]]. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' (1987–2000), in which [[John Thaw]] played the character, as well as the (2012–2023) [[prequel]] series ''[[Endeavour (TV series)|Endeavour]]'', portrayed by [[Shaun Evans]]. The older Morse is a senior [[Criminal Investigation Department]] (CID) officer with the [[Thames Valley Police]] in [[Oxford, England|Oxford]] in [[England]] and, in the prequel, Morse is a young detective constable rising through the ranks with the [[Oxford City Police]] and, in later series, the Thames Valley Police.

Morse presents, to some, a reasonably sympathetic personality, despite his sullen and snobbish temperament, with a classic [[Jaguar Mark 2]] (a [[Lancia]] in the early novels), a thirst for English [[real ale]], and a love of classical music (especially opera and [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]), poetry, art and cryptic crossword puzzles. In his later career, he is usually assisted by [[Inspector Lewis|Sergeant Robbie Lewis]]. Morse's partnership and formal friendship with Lewis is fundamental to the series.

==Biography==

===Family===

Morse's father was a taxi driver, and Morse likes to explain the origin of his additional private income by saying that he "used to drive the [[Aga Khan]]".<ref>''[[The Dead of Jericho]]'', chapter 21</ref> In the episode of the television adaptation ''[[Cherubim and Seraphim (Inspector Morse episode)|Cherubim and Seraphim]]'', it is revealed that Morse's parents divorced when he was 12. He remained with his mother until her death three years later, upon which he had to return to his father. Morse had a dreadful relationship with his stepmother Gwen. He claims that he only read poetry to annoy her, and that her petty bullying almost drove him to suicide. He has a half-sister named Joyce with whom he is on better terms. Morse was devastated when Joyce's daughter Marilyn took her own life.

Morse prefers to use only his surname, and is generally evasive when asked about his first name, sometimes joking that it is ''Inspector''. In ''The Dead of Jericho'' and ''The Wench Is Dead'' it is noted that his initial is E.<ref>''[[The Dead of Jericho]]'', chapter 7.</ref><ref>''[[The Wench Is Dead]]'', chapter 1.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/books/colin-dexter-dead-creator-of-inspector-morse.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/books/colin-dexter-dead-creator-of-inspector-morse.html |archive-date=2022-01-03 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Colin Dexter, 86, Dies; Creator of Inspector Morse, a Sleuth on Page and Screen|newspaper=The New York Times|date=22 March 2017|access-date=15 November 2018|last1=Grimes|first1=William}}{{cbignore}}</ref> At the end of ''[[Death Is Now My Neighbour]]'', his name is revealed to be Endeavour.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/colin-dexter-obituary-inspector-morse-oxford-whodunit-crime-writer-a7642411.html|title=Colin Dexter obituary: Inspector Morse creator and one of the great whodunit men|date=21 March 2017|website=The Independent|access-date=26 July 2019}}</ref> Two-thirds of the way through the television episode based on the book, he gives the cryptic clue "My whole life's effort has revolved around Eve, nine letters".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0611637/|title=Death Is Now My Neighbour|date=19 November 1997|via=IMDb}}</ref> In the series, it is noted that Morse's reluctance to use his Christian name led to his receiving the nickname ''Pagan'' while at [[Stamford School]] (which [[Colin Dexter]], the author of the Morse novels, attended).<ref name="auto"/> In the novels, Morse's first name came from the vessel [[HMS Endeavour|HMS ''Endeavour'']]; his mother was a member of the Religious Society of Friends ([[Quakers]]) who have a tradition of "[[virtue name]]s", and his father admired [[James Cook|Captain James Cook]].<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/26/tv/behind-morse-the-dour-dignified-detective.html|title=Behind Morse, the Dour, Dignified Detective|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 January 1997|last1=Gussow|first1=Mel}}</ref>

Dexter was a fan of cryptic crosswords and named Morse after champion setter [[Jeremy Morse]], one of Dexter's arch-rivals in writing crossword clues.<ref>Colin Dexter in ''Super Sleuths: Inspector Morse''. Director: Katie Kinnaird</ref> Dexter used to walk along the bank of the [[River Thames]] at Oxford, opposite the boathouse belonging to 22nd Oxford Sea Scout Group; the building is named ''[[Training ship|T.S.]] Endeavour''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies... and lots and lots of pubs |date=18 August 2018 |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/theatre-film-music/oxford-inspector-morse-dreaming-spires-dead-bodies-lots-lots-pubs-182670}}</ref>

===Education===

Although details of Morse's education are deliberately kept vague, it is hinted that he won a scholarship to study at [[St John's College, Oxford]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dexter|first1=Colin|title=The Riddle of the Third Mile|publisher=St Martins Press|page=Chapter 7|edition=1983}}</ref> He lost the scholarship as the result of poor academic performance stemming from a failed love affair, which is mentioned in the second episode of the third series, "The Last Enemy", and recounted in detail in the novel ''[[The Riddle of the Third Mile]]'', Chapter 7. Further details are revealed piece-by-piece in the prequel series. He often reflects on such renowned scholars as [[Alfred Edward Housman|A. E. Housman]] who, like himself, failed to get an academic degree from Oxford.

===Career===

After university, he entered the army on [[National Service]]. This included serving in [[West Germany]] with the [[Royal Corps of Signals]] as a [[cipher]] clerk. Upon leaving, he joined the police<ref name="nytimes.com"/> at Carshall-Newtown, before being posted to Oxford with the [[Oxford City Police]]. He was awarded the [[George Medal]] in the last episode of ''[[Endeavour (TV series)|Endeavour]]'' Series 4. DespiteHe beingis assigned to a uniformed position in Series 6 anddespite having his opinions and observations disregarded by CID,. heHe does not wear his GM ribbon, leaving his uniform breast bare.

===Habits and personality===

Morse is ostensibly the embodiment of middle-class Englishness, with a set of prejudices and assumptions to match, although his background, being the son of a taxi driver, might be considered working class. As a result, he may{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} be considered an example of the [[gentleman detective]], a staple of British [[Detective fiction#Famous fictional detectives|detective fiction]]. This is in sharp contrast to the working-class lifestyle of his assistant [[Inspector Lewis|Lewis]] (named after another rival clue-writer, Mrs.&nbsp;B. Lewis{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}); in the novels, Lewis is [[Welsh people|Welsh]], but in the TV series this is altered to a [[Tyneside]] ([[Geordie]]) background, appropriately for the actor [[Kevin Whately]]. Morse is in his forties at the start of the books (''Service of all the Dead'', Chapter Six: "… a bachelor still, forty-seven years old …"), and Lewis slightly younger (e.g. ''The Secret of Annexe 3'', Chapter Twenty-Six: "a slightly younger man – another policeman, and one also in plain clothes"). John Thaw was 45 at the beginning of shooting the TV series and Kevin Whately was 36.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Morse's relationships with authority, the establishment, bastions of power and the status quo, are markedly ambiguous, as are some of his relations with women. He is frequently portrayed as patronising female characters, and once stereotyped the female sex as not naturally prone to crime, being caring and non-violent, but also often empathises with women. He is not shy to show his liking for attractive women and often dates those involved in cases. Indeed, a woman he falls in love with sometimes turns out to be the culprit.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Morse is highly intelligent. He is a [[crossword]] addict<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2012/aug/09/top-10-crosswords-fiction-inspector-morse|title=Top 10 crosswords in fiction, no 3: Inspector Morse|first=Alan|last=Connor|date=9 August 2012|website=The Guardian|access-date=15 November 2018}}</ref> and dislikes grammatical and spelling errors; in every personal or private document that he receives, he manages to point out at least one mistake. He claims that his approach to crime-solving is deductive, and one of his key tenets is that "there is a 50 per cent chance that the person who finds the body is the murderer". Morse uses immense intuition and his fantastic memory to apprehend the perpetrator.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

Among Morse's conservative tastes are that he likes to drink [[real ale]] and [[whisky]], and in the early novels, drives a [[Lancia]].<ref name="auto"/> In the television and radio productions (and reprints of the novels), this is altered to a suitably British classic [[Jaguar Mark 2]]. His favourite music is opera, which is echoed in the soundtracks to the television series,. along withThe original music is by [[Barrington Pheloung]].

His dying words, said to Jim Strange, are "Thank Lewis for me."<ref>"The Remorseful Day"</ref>

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====''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000)====

The Inspector Morse novels were made into a [[TV series]] (also called ''Inspector Morse'') for the British commercial TV network [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]. The series was made by [[Zenith Productions]] for [[Central Independent Television|Central]] (a company later acquired by [[Carlton Television|Carlton]]) and comprisescomprised 33&nbsp;two-hour episodes (100&nbsp;minutes excluding commercials)—20&nbsp;more episodes than there are novels—produced between 6 January 1987 and 15 November 2000. The last episode was adapted from the final novel ''The Remorseful Day'', in which Morse dies from a heart attack. inMorse thewas played by [[John Thaw]] and Lewis by [[Kevin Whately|Kevin endWhateley]].

====''Lewis'' (2006–2015)====

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[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1975]]

[[Category:Characters in British novels of the 20th century]]

[[Category:BBC Radio dramas]]