Warning: There will be spoilers in this article about the plot of Dune, including plot points from the second book that will serve as the basis for the as-yet-unfinished third film.
The recently published Dune: Part 2 was a big box office success, just like the first film. Both of these films were based on the first book in the series, and it was confirmed that the second book, Messiah of the dunes, will serve as the basis for a third film. I first read Dune in my early teens and I have reread it several times since. I also re-read the book before watching each of the two most recent films, to maximize my ability to notice and be annoyed by anything the film changes from the book. (Don’t ask me why I do this to myself, I don’t really understand either!) I also recently reread Messiah of the dunes, although the third film won’t arrive for at least a few years. There has also been much discussion online about a key element of the Dune story – Is Paul Atreides the hero of the story or is he a villain?
To summarize briefly, with the secret aid of the Emperor and his fearsome Sardaukar army, House Harkonnen launches a massive attack that nearly wipes out House Atreides. Duke Leto Atreides’ son Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, narrowly escape and are taken in by the Fremen, a civilization that has lived natively on the harsh desert planet of Arrakis for thousands of years. The Bene Gesserit, an all-female religious order to which Lady Jessica belongs, had planted among the Fremen (as well as other civilizations across the galaxy) the seeds of legend and prophecy to help make these populations more susceptible to control. . The Bene Gesserit wing responsible for this process, the Missionaria Protectiva, puts these superstitions in place to ensure that if a member of the Bene Gesserit becomes trapped within these societies, they can take advantage of the implanted beliefs to put themselves in a position to ‘authority. and ensure their own safety. The Fremen come to view Paul as a savior fulfilling one of these fabricated prophecies, and he quickly rises to a position of authority among the Fremen. The Fremen, having spent generations living and surviving in the harshest conditions in the galaxy, become a fighting force that surpasses even the Emperor’s seemingly invincible Sardaukar army. The first book (and the second film) ends with Paul’s ascension to the Imperial throne, deposing the Emperor and bringing about the fall of House Harkonnen. In the second book (and probably the third movie), we learn some of the consequences of Paul’s ascendancy to the throne.
With Paul’s reign, the Fremen set out into the galaxy, determined to spread the religion of Muad’Dib (Paul’s Fremen name). By the time all is said and done, over sixty-one billion people have been killed, ninety planets have been rendered barren and over five hundred more devastated, and the followers of over forty other religions have been completely destroyed. Paul estimates that his reign has caused more destruction than any before or after, and that the galaxy will take a hundred generations to recover. Paul’s regime is despotic, bloodthirsty and causes devastation.
The author, Frank Herbert, considered the story of Paul Atreides (and the Dune series more generally) to be a warning against the idea of messiahs, strong leaders and so-called “great men”. Paul has become a messiah and an icon of devotion, which only precipitates an unprecedented wave of destruction. And some people interpret the story of Paul Atreides as the rise of a villain – perhaps the literary embodiment of Lord Acton’s dictum that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But I interpret things differently.
I don’t see the story of Paul Atreides as an example of a good person corrupted by power. (To be clear, I TO DO I think power corrupts even good people, but that’s not what I remember from the story of Dune.) Instead, I see it as a critique of the idea that power becomes less dangerous if it is wielded by good people. Paul comes to power as a good person and continues to be a good person even after taking power. But nevertheless, he cannot wield this power for good – he discovers, to his despair, that every path he takes leads to tragedy and devastation.
Paul Atreides does not seek to provoke the atrocities that result from his reign. Rather, he desperately wants to stop things from happening the way they do. Paul is a good and noble person, motivated by a strong sense of justice. He was raised with Mentat training, which grants a person superhuman mental abilities similar to those of a living supercomputer. He becomes the first man to fully acquire the powers and abilities of the Bene Gesserit, and gains premonitory abilities allowing him to see how possible futures and timelines unfold. And from the first book, he begins to glimpse the future that awaits him:
Somewhere ahead of him on this path, fanatical hordes have cut a bloody path across the universe in his name. The green and black banner of the Atreides would become a symbol of terror. Savage legions charged into battle shouting their battle cry: “Muad’Dib!” »
This must not be the case, he was thinking. I can’t let this happen.
But he could feel within him the demanding conscience of the race, his own terrible purpose, and he knew that no small thing could deflect the heavyweight. It was gaining weight and momentum. If he died at this moment, the thing would continue through his mother and unborn sister. Nothing short of the death of all the troops gathered here and now – including him and his mother – could stop the thing.
Of course, Paul cannot spontaneously fabricate the death of himself, his mother and an entire Fremen army on the spot. And this is how terror manifests itself.
In some people’s minds, great power can serve great good, provided the power is in the hands of the right kind of person. But in Herbert’s saga, this turns out to be false. Paul Atreides is not corrupted by the power he gains, nor does he aspire to power for its own sake. If ever anyone could be entrusted with absolute power and achieve good results, it would be Paul Atreides. Here we have someone who is sincere, well-intentioned, has a strong sense of justice, and is blessed with superhuman mental abilities and prescient foresight. And yet, in the history of Dune, even someone like Paul Atreides cannot wield absolute power without devastating results. The problem is not that power corrupts good people – the problem is power. himself.
