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Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Monday Musings: Overview of Spartacus—Character studies

I just finished watching the final Spartacus series. One thing that struck me was how many coldhearted characters were on each side, but I think the Romans scored more in this department, starting with the House of Batiatus and ending with Marcus Crassus.

If only Spartacus had been able to forgive for what happened to his wife then maybe he could have escaped and lived out his life. I have to wonder if this lack of forgiveness has something to do with serving gods that don’t preach forgiveness. But despite this, Spartacus, a slave and a murderer, ended up having the kindest heart in my opinion. He gave his life so that other slaves could escape to freedom.

I was surprised that the two remaining warriors from Spartacus’s army were the two gay lovers. But after thinking it over, I realized their love was the truest of them all. Spartacus couldn’t find love after losing his first wife; Gannicus couldn’t find peace after losing Melita who really belonged to his best friend; Crixus couldn’t be satisfied unless he was avenging what happened to his love and she(Naevia) couldn’t rest until all the Romans were dead.

The one that bothered me the most was the coldhearted Marcus Crassus and the way he treated his slave, a slave I thought he loved but then realized she was only a possession to him. But to crucify her—that beat all the rest. Even though she did join the rebellion for a time, it was for a good reason. And yeah, she killed his son, but his son brutally raped her. He couldn’t forgive her? No. He could only see in black and white.

With so much treachery going on, it’s hard to find a kind-hearted character in this bunch. Even the ones who started out as innocent ended up with ice around their hearts. And despite all of this, I couldn’t hate any of these characters because they were so complex in their cruelty. We should hate them but instead we are drawn to them and even feel sorry for them in a way. That’s great writing.

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

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