Replaying DA2, I have noticed a few things about Knight-Commander Meredith that I find problematic, and I think her problematic character presents a few bad themes and messages to the narrative that could have been avoided.
Meredith represents the Alpha B*tch trope. The character is also presented as a psychopath via the Artifact of Doom trope but the player is unaware of her possession of the Red Lyrium Idol until the game’s end. This is problematic as unnoted for the majority of the game it perpetuates a common stereotype of psychopathic female authority figures using their power to abuse innocent men.
The male Orsino is subordinate to this CRAZY WOMAN THAT SHOULD HAVE NO AUTHORITY!!! Meredith’s male Knight-Captain is presented as the upstanding mentally balanced Templar despite his breakdown at Kinloch Hold in contrast.
The game also uses a variant of The Cuckoolander Was Right trope. Surprise! She’s not Hysterical. This manifests where there is a marginalized character acting irrational and the audience is sympathetic to the more privileged character that points out the flaws in the marginalized character’s rationale only to have the plot twist to where the marginalized character was actually right! This revelation doesn’t lead to more respect for the marginalized character, however, because they are still portrayed as irrational. Its more like, “Hey, isn’t it weird that they turned out to be correct despite being totally silly?”
Meredith believes Orsino and a group of Circle mages and misguided Templars are plotting against the Templar Order. She believes this group is sneaking out at night to perform blood magic rituals and asks the Champion to investigate on her behalf. The party will mock Meredith’s unsubstantiated belief and investigative skills before venturing forth. However, when Hawke confronts the group of mages and Templars it is revealed that the mages are indeed homicidal blood mages and that Templar trust in them was misplaced.
Meredith turns out to be correct but has no reason to be. A disrespect is paid to her investigative abilities and her irrational beliefs compound in the quest’s finishing conversation. Meredith is presented as the root of baseless tension between the Templars and the Circle rather than as a competent Knight-Commander. This is in contrast to the Templar Emeric in The First Sacrifice who has nothing but a FEELING that the murders of Ninette and Mharen are connected but can be respected throughout the quest and is completely respected by the end of the quest arc in Prime Suspect.
EDIT: Meredith as the root of tension between the Templars and Mages is a legitimate viewpoint and I do not mean to imply otherwise. But IMO it should have been left to the player to decide that Meredith was an incompetent leader based on her policies and reasoning for them rather than accept the played up narrative that Meredith is an incompetent leader because she is being plainly presented as irrational and psychopathic. This could be accomplished by talking to her about her policies in Act I. I think that would have avoided the issues I have with her character.
Meredith’s suspicions of Orsino are treated similarly. In the end she was correct about Orsino being a blood mage and being involved in some sort of illegal or questionable activity outside the Circle but again she has no good reason to be and is presented still as the irrational psychopathic big bad.
The player is never able to talk to Meredith prior to Act III. No direct insight into her policies and reputation is provided. Rumors and heresay are instead provided to form an opinion on the Knight-Commander. Her interaction with the player in Act III is compromised by the Lyrium Idol. Under its influence she is progressively psychopathic. Interaction with Meredith in the beginning of the game could have resolved this issue IMO.
Thoughts?
Modifié par lil yonce, 31 mars 2014 - 02:13 .
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