IT IS EASIER TO FORGIVE AN ENEMY THAN TO FORGIVE A FRIEND (William Blake)

WHERE DO BADDIES COME FROM? I’ve always been convinced that those we consider bullies, evil beings, even criminals were not born like that. If they do not suffer from a psychic pathology then they must be the product of a lack of love or the result of a wrong system (family, society, education). Several important intellectuals and thinkers of all ages shared this idea. Just to name two, Jean Jacques Rousseau, with his “good natural man”, and Mary Shelley, with her terrific story of a murderous creature created by the prejudices of an entire society. This does not mean that I do not think that any individual is responsible of his/her own actions or that we do not have to pay if we commit crimes. What I mean is that while more and more people claim for stricter laws and even death penalty, I go on wondering “Why has Man always been fascinated by evil? Why has he developed and progressed in any material field but not grown up spiritually or morally? Why does he always make the same mistakes?”
I am fond of baddies – well depicted ones, not the stereotyped villains – in fiction, poetry, drama, theatre. I prefer Macbeth and Shylock to Benedick and Bassanio, byronic heroes to Walter Scott’s ones, l’Innominato to Renzo Tramaglino, Wickham and Willoughby to Mr Bingley and Colonel Brandon… Guy of Gisborne to Robin Hood. That’s the point. I always try to justify them, to find the reasons of their evil, malevolent acts. There’s always a reason… and, then , I try to imagine the sufference of bearing their great sense of guilt, their haunted nights, their anxiety and desperation, their solitude and sorrow. They are tragic heroes and they move me more than perfection and goodness.
Where does this reflection come from? Last night, Saturday night, I was terribly tired and wanted to relax watching something entertaining, amusing. You’ve seen (in the right column, down under all the rest of my stuff…) that I like watching BBC Robin Hood, too. (Yes, I know it is meant to be for kids but … I like it and I’ve seen the entire first two series on DVD). They are broadcasting RH 3 on BBC 1 in this period but I have to be satisfied with just some clips I can find in the Net (Youtube, for ex.) which have been enough to realize this season is darker and less “romantic” than the others. Anyhow, I decided I could listen to my new audiobook, inspired to
Robin Hood 3, THE WITCHFINDERS. I did it and it was exciting and entertaining but not relaxing at all. I was so involved in Richard Armitage’s skillful, emotional reading that I started writing as soon as it finished , trying to imagine Guy’s tormented, haunted nights. You know, Guy of Gisborne is a Norman ( a French Norman) descending from a noble family, now the Sheriff of Nottingham’s right-hand man. He challenges the Anglo-Saxon Robin of Locksley, then Hood as an outlaw, in more than one field. For instance, he takes Robin’s lands and manor while he is in the Holy Land, he wooes Lady Marian who was promised to Robin and wants to marry her – this happens in the first two series . Marian pretends she accepts Guy’s friendship and uses him and his influence to her advantage. But, finally, she reveals him she is in love with Robin and is going to marry him. The tragic epilogue of series two was the extreme crime of passion: Guy killed Marian.

THIS IS WHAT I WROTE AFTER LISTENING TO THE WITCHFINDERS

HAUNTED NIGHTS

He startled in sweat, breathing heavily, his blood rushed in his veins. His eyes stared at the daylight. Guy realized he had been lying in bed after morning. He never used to be this way before…BeforeMarianne’s death his dreams had been untroubled. Now all he saw every night was the expression in her eyes as she died. The accusation in her eyes: it was unbearable. Sometimes he forced himself to stay awake till sunrise, beyond the point of exhaustion, but as soon as he fell asleep the dream came back again, haunting him. She had betrayed him, mocked him, cheated him and all for Hood! ROBIN HOOD! He was the culprit of her death. Why didn’t she go and haunted him , instead?
Oh, no! He, Guy, deserved that! After all, he reflected, that was the only way to still see her, in his dreams. He couldn’t lie to himself: his sword had stubbed her, his offended pride had made him blind and his fury had destroyed her… he had destroyed everything. Life had turned into hell since then, he couldn’t forgive himself and nothing else mattered to him any longer.
He used to dream of glory, power, position, richness and a happy life with Marian at his side but, without her , he lived in darkness and felt definitely lost. She had seen good where there was none. She had made him about a man. What now? Was there anything worth living for?

If there was something he had always lacked, it was love. Then he had lost his family, his land, his position; he had to strive to survive and to achieve his goals. Nonetheless, what he longed for most was love, someone who loved him.
Since he was a boy, Robin had come along and troubled his life. Their parents had died, all of them: his father and mother, as well as Robin’s father, in the same tragic fire. But they were grown up now. Robin had gone to the Crusades with King Richard and, while he was in the Holy Land, Guy had started getting what he had always wished for: position (he was Sir Guy of Gisborne now), power (everybody feared him, the Sheriff ‘s right - hand man ), land (he was the Lord of Robin’s land now, Locksley), Marian (she had accepted his protection and even his marriage proposal). As Robin got back, everything was spoilt, troubles began, Marian died, the Sheriff humiliated him more and more. He was leading a miserable, nightmarish, guilt-ridden life. He was in Hell.

LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM THE WITCHFINDERS

THIS POST IS ESPECIALLY DEDICATED TO TWO OF MY BLOG MATES:

JENNY KERR

ELSINORE

I hope they will appreciate. And now, to all of you ... a music clip and

a very good night!