'''Clara''' is the protagonist of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Nutcracker, based off E. T. A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The entirety of events are seen through her eyes.

Clara receives the Nutcracker as a Christmas gift from her godfather, Drosselmeyer. At midnight, the toys come to life and fight an army of invading mice and, with Clara's help, the Nutcracker kills the Mouse King and is then transformed into a handsome prince with whom, in some versions, Clara falls instantly in love (in others, such as the original 1892 production, where the couple was played by two children, they are simply very good friends). The Prince had been under an evil spell placed upon him by the Mouse King, and only the love of a girl could break it. In gratitude for doing so, the Prince takes Clara to the Kingdom of Sweets where everyone celebrates in her honour.

In some productions, Clara marries the Prince. In some versions, the ending is melancholy, with the fairy tale characters (including the Prince), fading away, and Clara returning to reality, finding herself back at home, and gazing out the window at the falling snow; her adventures with the Nutcracker being a dream.

*No explanation has ever been given as to why her name was changed from Marie to Clara.

*[http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012247/ IMDB]
Category:1892 Debuts
Category:Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Creator
Category:Female Characters
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