Why their are kings is pretty obvious. The stories are very old. Putting a king in charge was a very common thing to do in those days. In fact, it is not so much a stretch for us even today. We'd do the very same thing today if we could find a good reason to. Human beings generally want someone in charge to prevent chaos among the people. Put 300 people on a island, and, chances are, a king will pop up from among them within a year. It's what we do.
Looking at fairy tales from a much more structured point of view, I often see the king as, not so much a person, but a set of rules to keep the story in a state of balance. He represents laws that should or should not be broken by the hero. Not very often is the king the protagonist in these stories, and if they are, the connotations are massive. We'll get back to the latter point in a moment.
The king in most fairy tales (esp. Grimm), not only makes the laws, but abides by them to an extremely reliable degree. They will murder their own son or daughter on a wager if it comes down to it. Some might call this noble. Some may call it a reason some laws should be broken. Kings in old stories generally come across as an invincible barrier that can only be overcome by supernatural forces.
In many cases the king himself feels supernatural. So absolutely bound by a strict, sometimes nonsensical, set of rules that he is willing to take down, not only himself, but his entire kingdom based on that rule-set. He doesn't always feel malicious in this way, but just so staggeringly sociopathic that I cannot really gauge any humanity within him. He seems more like the living, breathing manifestation of a set of rules, and there is absolutely nothing he will not do to make those laws a reality, even at his own expense... even if what he has to do is a very sad thing.
The hero or heroin has to accomplish their task under the reign of this king and the laws that he has set down. It is a bending aspect of many of these stories and forces the protagonist into action. Some will play along with these rules, and others will willingly be sacrificed by them.
Now, a king who is the protagonist, as I said earlier, carries with it hefty connotations. Every action they take speaks for the people they rule over. This is no small thing. It has the potential to be world changing. Kings can be shown as genuine and bold, and they can also be shown as corrupt and foolish. Whatever the case may be, their lives reflect down to those they rule over.
I know I haven't cited anything specific in this blog... other than the usual Grimm general call outs. Let's be honest: Grimm stories have a basic formula to them. But I really do want to point out the concept of a king being the protagonist as shown in the 2016 video game Final Fantasy XV. This game is what I think about when I fantasize what it means to be a king and have the very weight of the universe upon my shoulders.
Final Fantasy XV made the king the protagonist. He was a teenager that starts off just not getting it, but as the story goes on, you begin to realize that... every decision you make is also for the people under you. They are all counting on you to be mature and wise so that they know how to best serve you. It wasn't about living in a castle and solving minor disputes. This game takes place during a terrible war after all. No. This was about a king living out the most important moments of his life as the leader of his kingdom, and it was damn well presented.
A game that started off feeling like a "whatever game" ends up turning into something so powerful so gradually that I was left a bit startled when it finally hit a crescendo. I had not just become a king; I had become the kingdom. Any thought or action taken simply for pleasure suddenly felt... incredibly selfish. I had no time for fun anymore. I didn't deserve fun. I had a kingdom to save. They were all looking to me for answers, and I... I was honestly afraid to give any. But in the end, I had to because... I was king, and once matured... I knew what I had to do... and it was the hardest thing imaginable.
Kudos to Square-Enix for making one hell of a powerful game.
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Yes, the greatest king is the one who washes the feet of his subjects. He is the all-servant and serves faithfully. Power and authority are not his toys to be played with but rather the responsibilities he takes seriously. He lives for them. He is willing to die for them. The robotic see these responsibilities as rules. The good king does not care about rules. He is motivated by love.
ReplyDeleteHeck, yeah! I was getting a powerful Jesus vibe while playing the game. It's true that he is suppose to be a servant to the good of his kingdom.
DeleteA good king knows that the crown is a heavy burden that is meant to be taken with the utmost care and consideration. A king's power and authority should always be used in the betterment of his kingdom and never for pride. FF XV seems to understand what makes a truly just king, the crown should never be for personal glory but as salvation of others.
ReplyDeleteThey kind of did and it was surprising when you consider how absolutely mad these games tend to be when it comes to plot.
DeleteSo many people crave power, but not the responsibility that comes with it. You cannot have one without the other. It must be an incredibly heavy burden to bear.
ReplyDeleteTo come, it might be too heavy. Some have died for it.
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