David - A Literary Perspective Smehra Literary

David - a Literary Perspective smehra

Literary Perspective on David from the Bible

Throughout literary history, authors have created characters that are both enigmatic and treacherous; who by their very nature epitomize all that is evil, as well as all that is good in human nature. Character development is an important part of any story, and for there to be a realization on the reader's behalf, there must be a justifiable, and equally strong character development, or moral change for such a message to get across in the story, or literary work.

Many authors will have a turn of events, as a means to justify this change in personality of a particular character, as seen in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. While others may let their character follow a course of action and in turn, suffer the consequences as a lesson to the reader, as in the case of Antigone.

The Bible is filled with such characters, perhaps not just as an account of religious history, but as a method to exploit human nature to teach others about the virtues and rewards of leading a good life, and the punishment as a result of a sinful, unjust one.

David is one particular character from the Bible, who from a literary perspective, demonstrates the dichotomy of human nature, and in doing so creates for the reader a person that is not only relatable and familiar, but also a moral and ethical lesson in understanding consequences for our actions. In one instance, he is portrayed as manipulative, shrewd and all the things that are despicable in a human being, only to be the contrasted as the complete opposite as a noble, just and well-loved king. While this may appear confusing in other circumstances, the author utilizes human nature, and the development of character in his portrayal of David.

This in turn, makes his character more believable, but the events that conduct his personality changes, are understood not just at face value, but for the effects on his moral character.

David, as a literary character follow a development arc that has him coming from humble beginnings and following a just path until he becomes king.

It is when he is king, does his character turn and he leads a sinful and 'evil' life.

This character arc is seen throughout other literary works, and films.

Just when we lose hope for David, and what he was prior, he has an 'epiphany' and in the twilight of his life, realizes his sins, and comes to terms with not only the consequences of his abuse of power, but also has become a better human being. He has grown in character and moral standing.

He is portrayed as a hero of the people when he slays Goliath, and we see his true nature as a human being. He is personable, kind and brave - virtues that we all try to have in our life. We see that without material wealth or abnormal amounts of power, that the essence of the character of David contains good traits and virtues. These from a Bible perspective are what the author believes we should all be, and from a literary perspective builds up the foundation of our connection to David.

When David is commended by Jonathan for slaying Goliath, David's position in the world improves, as he becomes a permanent fixture in Saul's court.

He once again overcomes a hardship by doing Saul's bidding to receive Michol's hand in marriage. In this circumstance, the reader is able to feel a connection to David for all the righteousness and victories he has achieved in his life so far, despite his beginnings as a poor shepherd.

Through the course of demonstrating is prowess as a warrior, and eventually his reign as king of Israel, we are lead through a series of events that bring us to the climax of David's character development. We are now comfortable with him as a character and an 'extension' of our humanity. We are proud, as he is, of his life and accomplishments so far, but every silver lining has a cloud, and soon we see the bitter and sinful side of David.

With his growth as a person, he has also gained fame, wealth and above all, power.

The author now uses David against our moral judgment. He shows through David's actions what too much fame, wealth and power can do to even the most likeable of characters, and otherwise noble and just of morals. Through his sinful relationship with Bethsabee, and the assassination of her husband, we are shown a side of David that repulses us, and we are given the moral conflict of whether we really want to be like him in all aspects, or if we should have more control of the external influences of our life, such as wealth and power.

Even though David repents a year later for his sins, and is pardoned by God, the author establishes that repenting and forgiveness are usually not enough, even for the most sincere. Once again, the reader empathizes with David for being human, and responding as humans often do to the increase in his stature and abilities. Even while we abhor his actions, we feel sorry for him in the last years of his life when he eventually flees Israel.