tweedledee

Tweedledee is a fictional character from the English nursery rhyme "Tweedledee and Tweedledum". He is most famously depicted in Lewis Carroll's 1871 book Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. In Carroll's work, Tweedledee and his inseparable brother, Tweedledum, are portrayed as stout, identical twins who live in a forest beyond the Looking-Glass. They are known for their nonsensical conversations, their love of fighting, and their predictable, circular arguments.

The nursery rhyme itself, which predates Carroll's book, describes the two characters preparing for a battle. The rhyme states, "Tweedledee and Tweedledum / Agreed to have a battle; / For Tweedledee said Tweedledum / Had spoiled his nice new rattle." The rhyme concludes with a flock of crows scaring them away before the fight can begin. This theme of impending, yet ultimately unresolved, conflict is a hallmark of the characters.

In Through the Looking-Glass, Alice encounters Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who recite the poem to her and then engage in their promised battle. However, their fight is interrupted by the arrival of a monstrous crow, mirroring the ending of the original nursery rhyme. Their relationship is characterized by a deep, almost symbiotic bond, where they often finish each other's sentences and share identical opinions, despite their stated disagreements. They are often seen as representing childish disputes and the absurdity of conflict.