Frederick the Great, discussion post 14

[cahn]

Check out the opera clips at Rheinsberg!

(both the real-life place, which selenak found out hosts a festival for young opera singers! and the community rheinsberg)

Also! our fandom has been producing lovely fic at a rapid clip (okay, well, selenak has):

Sibling dysfunction: Promises to Keep and My Brother Narcissus

Sibling dysfunction PLUS sibling M/M love triangle: The moon flies face to face with me

VOLTAIRE! Between the hour and the age

Comments

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[mildred_of_midgard]

Slightly younger Katte, mid-1730: Can I talk Fritz out of escaping?
Slightly older Katte, November 1730: No. He'll go with you or without you.
Younger Katte: Will I regret having helped him?
Older Katte: No.
Younger Katte: That's all I needed to know.

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[cahn]

:( <333333

...oh. ouch. That makes his last words that much more poignant. Both "I die for you with a thousand joys" and "if I had a thousand lives I would sacrifice them for you."

:((((((((

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[mildred_of_midgard]

:(((((

</3333

But the best part is that you know these quotes and are able to relate them to my imagined scene! Look how far you've come. :D (You also laughed at a chronology joke once, that was awesome. :P)

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[mildred_of_midgard]

Oh, and speaking of Katte's last words, something occurred to me last night.

We've spilled quite a bit of ink on the unanswerable question of whether Katte's extremely outspoken piety at the end was genuine. We've seen that his last letter to Fritz reads like it was dictated by FW, down to the Absalom reference and the concern with predestination, and that's made me even more suspicious of Katte's sincerity.

But in addition to all the other possible motives we've adduced for Katte putting on a performance and keeping his true opinions to himself, it occurs to me that a repentant and religious Katte just plain puts FW into a better mood.

Even after a pardon for Katte is off the table, even as he's kneeling in the sand and calling on Lord Jesus as the sword swings, there is one person who potentially benefits from an FW who's in a better mood, one person for whom it might still make a difference.

So in addition to possibly hoping for a pardon, wanting to make his family/father feel better, wanting to set a good example for Fritz on doing whatever it takes to appease FW, wanting to make a good end, wanting to keep his own fears at bay and find some inner calm...Katte might just be trying to tip the royal balance in Fritz's favor.

And it might have helped. Imagine FW hearing that Fritz's BFF/boyfriend was defiant and atheist to the end. Imagine how much *more* suspicious FW would have been of Fritz and the company he kept.

So there's that.

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[selenak]

There is indeed that, and I think it's utterly a plausible Katte motive. Mind you, remember that according to Guy Dickens FW being impressed by Katte's piety and bravery at his death took the form of telling everyone in the winter months of 1730 that Katte had been a promising young man, his family must be heartbroken,and it was utterly Fritz' fault that he died.

(Simultanously, also according to Dickens:
FW: Protestant Pastors, I as a father can marry my daughter to who I tell her to marry regardless to her wishes, right? Pastors: Not so much. Marriage is a sacrament the two participants spend each other. She must be willing.
FW: Fuck that. Wilhelmine, if you ever want your brother to get better conditions and for Sonsine not to end up in the workhouse like that Ritter girl did, you better marry whom I say you marry!)

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[mildred_of_midgard]

Indeed, but this is typical FW! Even so, he might have been in a better mood, even subconsciously, because someone appeased him (and he got to kill someone), and it might have influenced his behavior toward Fritz. Compared to the alternative.

IOW, it may be that this *is* FW in a good(-as-it-gets) mood! :P

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[cahn]

FW: Fuck that.

GAAAAAAH FW! I mean, I guess it's not exactly uncommon to pick and choose from religion to suit one's interests, but, like, FW, EVERYONE AGREES YOU ARE HORRIBLE EXCEPT YOU.

Re: Me, Myself and I: The Time Travel Edition

[cahn]

:( Yeah. Katte: the best :((((