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this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
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It is the full story of Paul Atreides, following the Classic story arc.
I always point to the parallels between Dune and the Classic play Oedipus Rex.
Oedipus was born of a family that had sinned and was punished for it by the gods. That was why Apollo issued that prophecy. Oedipus then spends the first part of his story grappling with the questions of Fate vs Free Will.
Oedipus had his rise, and then his fall, and at that fall, he blinded himself and wandered into the wilderness.
Paul and Oedipus. They both were bound by prophecy, and both had very little say in it.
Oedipus' fall was engineered from the day he was born. Paul's... was slightly more complex.
Then Oedipus' son turned into a worm and ruled for 3000 years.
See also the Matrix films.
I'd not really link the Matrix films to Classic Greek story structure, especially not Oedipus Rex.
I mean, Neo dies, but it's the noble sacrifice. They sort of thing is rare in Greek story structure. Rare in the Tragedies.
It fits some of the Heroic epics.
Dune is a Tragedy in three parts. The Tragedy of Paul Atreides.
Thinking specifically about how both Neo and Paul are blinded at the end.
I had forgotten that, mainly because it played such a minor role in the story.
Paul and Oedipus both accept their blindness as an indication that they had always been blind. They did not see that which they should have.
Not seeing was a major part of their fall. When they return to the story later, it's as a blind man who finally sees, and one who offers words of advice to their child who is about to make the same mistake that they did.
Then much later, Paul comes back as a ghola, but that part was written by Brian Hubert, who is not the best author.