And interesting about ASOIAF, I've only ever heard about the Wars of the Roses as inspiration.
Yes, exactly, that's all I ever see anyone talk about. But beyond Simon Fraser/Walder Frey, I swear Viserys is straight out of the Stuarts in exile. And the anecdote about "Late Lord Frey" hanging out and watching the battle and only declaring which side he was on once it was clear who had won has echoes in Rob Roy at Sheriffmuir.
Now Peter I. might be an obvious reference, since not only was he a contemporary but the Prussian Royals had actually met him in person, but naming Philipp II as an example to FW as to why he shouldn't kill his son is rare synergy, wouldn't you say?
You keep anticipating items in my notes of things to talk about! I was going to mention that one of Fritz's biographers says that FW must have had both Peter and Philip in mind when thinking about killing his son. I had forgotten he was mentioned in that speech in Wilhelmine's memoirs, though. Presumably because when I read it, I was unaware of Schiller. It all makes sense to me--a modern European monarch killing or accused of killing his heir must have been a pretty rare thing.
re: Schiller being named after Friedrich II - well, his father was an army doctor. And a fan.
Well, yeah, I imagine a million people were being named after him at the time, not to mention all those taverns. ;)
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Yes, exactly, that's all I ever see anyone talk about. But beyond Simon Fraser/Walder Frey, I swear Viserys is straight out of the Stuarts in exile. And the anecdote about "Late Lord Frey" hanging out and watching the battle and only declaring which side he was on once it was clear who had won has echoes in Rob Roy at Sheriffmuir.
Now Peter I. might be an obvious reference, since not only was he a contemporary but the Prussian Royals had actually met him in person, but naming Philipp II as an example to FW as to why he shouldn't kill his son is rare synergy, wouldn't you say?
You keep anticipating items in my notes of things to talk about! I was going to mention that one of Fritz's biographers says that FW must have had both Peter and Philip in mind when thinking about killing his son. I had forgotten he was mentioned in that speech in Wilhelmine's memoirs, though. Presumably because when I read it, I was unaware of Schiller. It all makes sense to me--a modern European monarch killing or accused of killing his heir must have been a pretty rare thing.
re: Schiller being named after Friedrich II - well, his father was an army doctor. And a fan.
Well, yeah, I imagine a million people were being named after him at the time, not to mention all those taverns. ;)