Question time

[selenak]

Because I haven't done this in a while, if ever.

Ask my characters a question. I make you no promises they'll tell the truth, however...

"My characters" for the purpose of this meme meaning characters I've written prominently in fanfiction, from any fandom.

Comments

[zahrawithaz.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Which is to say: this is awesome! Painful--I mean, ouch--but perfectly capturing both Uther's unbelievable faith in his children and his complete self-delusion.

There's something particularly telling in the fact that having been more honest with Arthur than Morgana he has a more realistic sense of his son than his daughter, and also a better sense of what he needs, though no idea about how to provide it.

I wonder a little bit too about his frantic need to ensure Morgana's safety--if that has some connection to the subliminal sense that he doesn't know what she needs.

[selenak]

There could be a connection, not that he can ever get out of his self delusion enough to admit it.

Katie McGrath says in one of the s2 audio commentaries - The Witch's Quickening I think - i.e. before Uther's paternity was revealed that she believes he loves Morgana more than Arthur. My take on it is that he loves them both equally, but before the show starts and early on (this changes later in the show) he has an easier time showing it towards Morgana than towards Arthur. For gender reasons (for the male Pendragons to cradle and kiss each other, one of them has to be dying, be in danger of same or has to have tried to kill the other), but also because Arthur is always not just his son but also his heir, whereas Morgana is something of an illicit free gift. But what he never considers, never allows himself to consider is that Morgana from the get go has an insecure emotional background with him. He knows she's his daughter, but she doesn't know whether he is her father Gorlois' friend or enemy or both, her guardian or her father's death or both, her future father in law or not, and so forth, and so never really trusts his affection for her. Wheras Arthur has doubts whether he'll live up to his father's expectations and later doubts start to creep in whether his father's expectations are the right ones to live up to, but he doesn't have that "who am I to you?" problem Morgana has with Uther. His big Uther crisis is related to what Uther did to Ygraine and whether or not that makes Uther's stand on magic and the value system to gave Arthur a complete lie, not "does Uther really love me?"

...I think there's also a tangential connection as to why Arthur is ready to believe that Agrivaine loves him as "all that is left of my sister" whereas Morgana while ready to use Agrivaine never seems to actually trust him. Obvious irony is obvious.