Lymond, Robin Stewart and 'That' Death Scene

Overview and Issues

This two-part Article discusses why there appears to be so much sympathy for Robin Stewart, an admitted assassin and traitor and so much blame attributed to Lymond for his "failed relationship" with Robin Stewart and lack of leadership skills.

WG151 Pt 1: 'Point-of-View and Subliminal Persuasion'. Robin Stewart's death scene is written in such a way that it both overtly and subliminally evokes unwarranted sympathy for Robin and undeserved criticism of Lymond. This sympathy results in moral accountabilities and leadership deficiencies being incorrectly attributed to Lymond, based solely on his interactions with Robin Stewart. Whilst the pathos of Robin’s final moments is acknowledged, sympathy should not erase or ignore his treasonous character and his complete lack of any regret for his past actions. Nor should it ascribe non-existent accountabilities to Lymond, which fail to acknowledge that Lymond had no leadership, mentoring or nurturing obligations towards Robin Stewart, who was (at best) an amoral spy, assassin and traitor to at least two countries.

WG152 Pt 2: Lymond & Leadership Obligations. It is not uncommon to read of the ‘tragic failure of Lymond’s relationship with Robin Stewart’. Lymond is accused of lacking leadership skills, abusing them or knowingly failing to exercise them with Robin Stewart. Lymond’s purported failure as a leader is therefore based on a false premise: that he had a duty both to develop his leadership skills and to exercise them on Robin’s behalf. No part of Lymond’s brief in France requires him to take responsibility for anyone’s well-being apart from the young Queen’s. He gains personal insights into his weaknesses and their power to seduce him into a dangerous albeit highly creative path. There is little, however, that he learns in relation to leadership skills from this episode.

WG151 Pt 1:
Robin Stewart, Archer of the Royal Scottish Guards
Mary de Guise, Queen Mother of Scotland, mother to Princess Mary and widow of James V of Scotland
Mary Queen of Scots, daughter of Mary de Guise

WG152 Pt 2: All the real characters in WG151 Pt 1 above PLUS
John Stewart, Lord d’Aubigny, former captain of the Royal Guard of Scottish Archers in France, and brother to the Earl of Lennox.
Thomas Erskine, Master of Erskine, Chief Privy Councillor and Special Ambassador.
Margaret Erskine, née Fleming, Tom Erskine's wife.
Anne de Montmorency, Marshal, Grand Master, and Constable of France.
Nicholas Durand de Villegagnon, Knight of the Order of St John of Malta.
Leone Strozzi, Prior of Capua and Commander of the King of France’s Mediterranean fleet.

WG151 & WG152: Soldier protecting his head with a shield, study for the painting of Charlemagne Crossing the Alps, Paul Delaroche, C.1847 copyright The Trustees of the British Museum

WG151 - Pt 1.
DDS: Philadelphia 2000. The Red Herrings of Dorothy Dunnett. (30:30 secs). [[1]]

DDS: Philadelphia 2000. The Red Herrings of Dorothy Dunnett. (30:30 secs). [[4]]