Dr. Magnus Honey was Jennifer Honey's father and Agatha Trunchbull's stepbrother-in-law and adoptive grandfather of Matilda Wormwood. He might have been killed by Agatha Trunchbull because the Trunchbull could have hated him. Jennifer Honey told Matilda that Magnus Honey had committed suicide.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Magnus Honey was born in the 1920s, and earned a doctrine from medical school. He worked as a doctor and was married to Mrs. Honey, who died a few years after the birth of his daughter Jennifer. Magnus asked his wife's sister (step-sister in the movie) Agatha Trunchbull to come to stay with them and help him look after his daughter and the house. Magnus loved his daughter very much, but he was unaware that Trunchbull was being abusive to her whenever he was out of the house, as the Trunchbull put on a completely different facade when he was around, and Jennifer was too scared to tell him the truth.
Death[]
Magnus died a short time after the terrible Trunchbull moved in. The police ruled his death a suicide because they had no evidence that anything else could have happened. The novel written by Roald Dahl does not give any more information about how he died. In the movie, he’s seen lying over his desk, dead, before his body is then carried away on a covered stretcher to a police car. The horrible Trunchbull made a fake version of his will to ensure she would inherit his property.
Postmortem[]
It‘s strongly implied that Agatha Trunchbull murdered him, possibly just because she wanted his money and property, and was able to destroy any evidence to avoid suspicion/charges. When she sees a message on the blackboard that appears to be written by the ghost of Magnus (but actually by Matilda Wormwood using her telekinetic powers) it ends with a threat that "I will get you like you got me." Trunchbull is terrified when she sees the message. Fearing this 'ghost' will take revenge on her, she returns everything she stole from Jennifer and moves away.
Appearances[]
In the film, Magnus would give his daughter the nickname of "bumblebee." Jennifer later revealed to Matilda a memory of Magnus giving half a big piece of chocolate to her from his chocolate box. After his death the box of chocolates would be counted by Miss Trunchbull so Miss Honey couldn't even sneak one. His only appearance was a large painting of him, that initially hung over the fireplace, but was later hid in the attic after Miss Trunchbull took over the house, and replaced with a painting of Miss Trunchbull in the Olympics. Matilda, while haunting Miss Trunchbull had the Trunchbull painting dropped into the fireplace and destroyed, and the painting of Magnus restored to it's rightful place, allowing Magnus to coldly glare at the horrified Miss Trunchbull.
In the musical, Magnus is a circus performer who gave Jenny a scarf belonging to his late wife. His murder is implied to be caused by a gun due to a banging sound and red lights when Matilda has a vision of his death.
Gallery[]
Matilda the Musical[]
