The Alchemist

The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho

“When you want something,  all the  universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”

The Alchemist is a very inspiring fable full of adventures and mysteries. It is a fable about following ones dream and in doing so, one will encounter a lot of obstacles and challenges. However, these challenges will nurture ones character and are significant to ones maturity to face the world. Life is a journey and a continuous learning experience.

The Characters :

Santiago

The main character is Santiago, a young and adventurous shepherd boy who dreamt of treasure buried in Egypt. He believed in his dream and followed his heart in search of the treasure. In pursuit of this dream, he met some people that made significant changes in his life.

Melchizedek, The Old King

Melchizedek, the King of Salem who appeared as an old man residing in the old Spanish town encouraged Santiago to pursue his dream of finding the treasure near the pyramids in Egypt. He gave him two magical stones that will guide him in his journey, the Urim and Thummim which signifies “Yes” or “No”. He also shared to Santiago his beliefs on Personal Legend, the Soul of the World and Beginner’s Luck. He told the shepherd boy “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Crystal Merchant

The Crystal Merchant is a kind and fair man who took Santiago in after being robbed in Africa. Santiago worked in the crystal shop at the top of the hill in Tangier and although the crystal merchant was afraid of change, he took Santiago’s suggestion about the shop and the business flourished. Unlike the old king, the crystal merchant is not open to pursuing his Personal Legend. He is contented with his conservative life.

The Englishman

The Englishman is a an aspiring alchemist and a well-educated person. Santiago met him on the caravan across the desert. Both men were in pursuit of their own Personal Legend and became good friends. The Englishman relied on his books for knowledge and he thought Santiago the value of learning from the books and the concept of Alchemy. However, personal development and wisdom cannot be gained through books alone but through experiences and interaction with other people.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a 200 years old mysterious man with magical powers and is said to be the wizard at the Al-Fayoum oasis. He possessed the Master Work, considered the ultimate goal of alchemy which consists of the Philosopher’s Stone capable of turning any metal into gold, and the Elixir of Life which can cure all ailments. He became Santiago’s teacher on the Soul of the World. He taught him not to rely on books and verbal instruction but through life experiences.

Fatima

Fatima is a young, beautiful woman that Santiago met in the oasis and he fell in love with her. The woman loved him as well. It was a mutual feeling. Santiago wanted to stay in the oasis to be with her. However, Fatima motivated him to pursue his dream and will wait for his return.

About the Author : Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author who was born on August 24, 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. He worked as a theatre director, actor, lyricist and journalist before going to literature. In 1986, after making the pilgrimare to Santiago de Compostela, he wrote the “The Pilgrimage” followed by “The Alchemist” the following year which became the best selling Brazilian book of all time. He has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and France's Legion d'Honneur.