All the discussion lately got me thinking:
Everybody agrees upon how much Casca has suffered and how she ought to hate Griffith for it (she did go mad to escape the pain). But what about Griffith? He was tortured for over a year, got his tongue cut off (I've heard rumours of other things as well), his face flayed, tendons cut so he became a cripple... and those are just the things which left physical marks on him. Hell knows what he went through psychologically. Granted, the man is stubborn and focused to the max, but still... I am suprised he is as sane as he is (if he is).
He would have every right to hate Midland for the things which was done to him. So... when he gets his kingdom, will he be the just ruler I once thought he would be? Or has his experiences twisted him enough to make his reign, a reign of terror instead? I have no clue!
Also... I think that his sacrifice of the Hawks, and the rape of Casca was partly motivated by his sense of being abandoned. I mean, he was alone down there for over a year with no sign of anyone even caring what happened to him. Even if he still loved them (and he must have, otherwise the sacrifice would not have been any good) he still must have felt both hurt and abandoned. Especially abandoned by Gatts, and later as he saw how he and Casca had become lovers, by Casca as well. Hence his act of revenge on both of them... (of course he might have been planning the demon child too, but still... the look in his eyes as he watches Gatts during the act)
Then being transformed into Femto (or at least part of his conscious self was, the hurt and angry part, the other 'good' part might have been left behind as the Hawk of Light) and being a God Hand for several years... that is bound to be a freakish experience. Especially as the way I think about the God Hand is that all their emotions are the 'dark' variant of a normal humans emotions. Lust instead of Love etc... so his sense of betrayal and pain probably grew... if he even was very aware of what he was himself.
Then... suddenly reborn in the flesh. What a shock.. I mean imagine. No matter how controlled and ruthless Griffith might seem, he had a lot of emotions underneath that cool facade. For example his grief over the young boy who wanted to be a knight. He refuses to feel guilty over it, rationalising the whole experience, but one can see that he still suffers. And he makes the decision to take as much pain upon himself as that his followers have to take, going to bed with the old man to speed up things. And even though he tries to rationalise that part as well, in the river afterwards, he looks as if he'd rather fall apart at the seams with disgust, scratching his arms until they bled. So... he might act cool, but he's too damn sensetive undernath.
And now... back among the living he has to come to terms with the fact that he sacrificed his followers and loyal supporters, he raped Casca, his right hand and Gatts love. Now... he probably rationalises that part too, after all the Band of the Hawk were willing to die in battle for his dream, was this very different? They sacrificed themselves... And he needed to twist the foetus so that he could use it to be reborn, hence the rape of Casca (if he knew that, otherwise he will have even more regrets).
But the result is still there to haunt him. Gatts hates him and tries to kill him, Casca is insane... even though he might try to act aloof and cool, sooner or later he will crack. He has already realised he had a heartbeat and thus is still alive, and once that sinks in he can't even hide behind his own inhumanity anymore. He is human. He betrayed the people that believed in him. He hurt those that he loved and made them loathe him. All this was for a cause, and I guess he will be even more determine to achieve his Dream because of it. But will his dream be twisted and dark, instead of bright?
I think that unless Griffith has a breakdown and starts to deal with what has been done to him, and what he has done to others, things will get worse. Not even he is capable of shutting everything away for all time.
It will be interesting to see if this happens, and when the first cracks in Griffith's perfect armour will begin to show...
Gah! I got carried away I know, but damnit, he's the most itneresting guy in the story. Such a complex bastard. So... what do you people think?
Everybody agrees upon how much Casca has suffered and how she ought to hate Griffith for it (she did go mad to escape the pain). But what about Griffith? He was tortured for over a year, got his tongue cut off (I've heard rumours of other things as well), his face flayed, tendons cut so he became a cripple... and those are just the things which left physical marks on him. Hell knows what he went through psychologically. Granted, the man is stubborn and focused to the max, but still... I am suprised he is as sane as he is (if he is).
He would have every right to hate Midland for the things which was done to him. So... when he gets his kingdom, will he be the just ruler I once thought he would be? Or has his experiences twisted him enough to make his reign, a reign of terror instead? I have no clue!
Also... I think that his sacrifice of the Hawks, and the rape of Casca was partly motivated by his sense of being abandoned. I mean, he was alone down there for over a year with no sign of anyone even caring what happened to him. Even if he still loved them (and he must have, otherwise the sacrifice would not have been any good) he still must have felt both hurt and abandoned. Especially abandoned by Gatts, and later as he saw how he and Casca had become lovers, by Casca as well. Hence his act of revenge on both of them... (of course he might have been planning the demon child too, but still... the look in his eyes as he watches Gatts during the act)
Then being transformed into Femto (or at least part of his conscious self was, the hurt and angry part, the other 'good' part might have been left behind as the Hawk of Light) and being a God Hand for several years... that is bound to be a freakish experience. Especially as the way I think about the God Hand is that all their emotions are the 'dark' variant of a normal humans emotions. Lust instead of Love etc... so his sense of betrayal and pain probably grew... if he even was very aware of what he was himself.
Then... suddenly reborn in the flesh. What a shock.. I mean imagine. No matter how controlled and ruthless Griffith might seem, he had a lot of emotions underneath that cool facade. For example his grief over the young boy who wanted to be a knight. He refuses to feel guilty over it, rationalising the whole experience, but one can see that he still suffers. And he makes the decision to take as much pain upon himself as that his followers have to take, going to bed with the old man to speed up things. And even though he tries to rationalise that part as well, in the river afterwards, he looks as if he'd rather fall apart at the seams with disgust, scratching his arms until they bled. So... he might act cool, but he's too damn sensetive undernath.
And now... back among the living he has to come to terms with the fact that he sacrificed his followers and loyal supporters, he raped Casca, his right hand and Gatts love. Now... he probably rationalises that part too, after all the Band of the Hawk were willing to die in battle for his dream, was this very different? They sacrificed themselves... And he needed to twist the foetus so that he could use it to be reborn, hence the rape of Casca (if he knew that, otherwise he will have even more regrets).
But the result is still there to haunt him. Gatts hates him and tries to kill him, Casca is insane... even though he might try to act aloof and cool, sooner or later he will crack. He has already realised he had a heartbeat and thus is still alive, and once that sinks in he can't even hide behind his own inhumanity anymore. He is human. He betrayed the people that believed in him. He hurt those that he loved and made them loathe him. All this was for a cause, and I guess he will be even more determine to achieve his Dream because of it. But will his dream be twisted and dark, instead of bright?
I think that unless Griffith has a breakdown and starts to deal with what has been done to him, and what he has done to others, things will get worse. Not even he is capable of shutting everything away for all time.
It will be interesting to see if this happens, and when the first cracks in Griffith's perfect armour will begin to show...
Gah! I got carried away I know, but damnit, he's the most itneresting guy in the story. Such a complex bastard. So... what do you people think?