Classical tragedy is about the downfall of a great man with a fatal weakness. Poul and Karen Anderson's Gaius Valerius Gratillonius, King of Ys, is a great soldier and leader and has a fatal weakness, his inability to believe any evil of his eldest daughter. He expects investigation of Dahut to prove her innocence, not her guilt.
When he is to be absent from Ys for a month, he thinks that the investigation must be delayed for that time and that no further evil can happen in his absence. Why not? The reader knows that Niall can arrive. In any case, Dahut can continue to plot and Gratillonius could find a queue of new challengers awaiting his return. However, like Hamlet, he procastinates.
We have traced several connections or parallels with Shakespeare.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I never thought before of how Gratillonius' foolish reluctance to accept or face hard facts was so neatly analogous to Hamlet's indecisiveness. But it makes sense!
Sean
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