Jᴀᴄᴜʀᴜᴛᴜ - Tʜᴇ Cᴀsᴛ Oᴜᴛ

georgiedenbro wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:Supposedly the Emperor feared House Atreides growing powerful and popular and becoming a rival of the Saurdaukar and for the throne. House Harkonnen was powerful, but backing their attack on the Atreides would deplete their resources so that they wouldn't be much of a threat for a long time.

I can see this, except that House Atreides was described as a fairly low-budget House, as far as it went, and from what we know of Leto I he didn't seem to have grand aspirations beyond taking care of his family and his people. The scene where he daydreams about being able to just run away with Jessica and live a quiet life wouldn't seem to be the thinkings of a man who thirsts to take the throne, especially since when discussing Paul's mentat training he refers to how a mentat would make for a formidable Duke But maybe he did intend to do more than he showed, or trained Paul for that purpose. After all, we only see him at work when his House is suddenly shunted off to Arrakis into a trap.

Could Leto I's popularity with the Landsraad have eventually made him some kind of inter-House leader to challenge the Imeprium? Maybe, since we are told at various times that people are quick to swear fierce loyalty first to Leto and then to Paul; even Jessica, after years of BG training, shifts her loyalties towards Leto and gives him a son. Jessica (I think) was amazed to see how fast Stilgar made an accord with Leto involving both trust and fair exchange. Lynch made up the Atreides 'weirding modules' as an explanation of why Shaddam feared him, but what Leto really had was his sense of honor and loyalty (Leto the Just), and a streak of cunning unpredictability.

georgiedenbro wrote:Yes, if Leto did have Imperial aspirations for Paul then this would be the final step of it. Once Leto were to acquire enough power in the Landsraad he could quietly make a deal with Shaddam to pair Paul with Irulan; I doubt it would ever come to open warfare, for a few reasons.

The funny thing is that the BG were going to place the son of Feyd and Paulette on the throne anyhow (presumably with Irulan), so I'm not sure exactly what Shaddam would accomplish by having Paulette's son on the throne, rather than Paul. Either way it would mean trouble for the Corrino dynasty. To be honest I think the alliance was mostly instigated by the BG and the Guild, and Shaddam sort of just had to go along with it and hope for the best. The Baron was obviously overjoyed at the plan and needed no ulterior reason to go along with it.

Freakzilla wrote:It really doesn't matter if Leto actually had designs on the throne, what matters is that Shaddam thought he did. Of course, all this is what Thufir thought was the reason for the Corrinos backing the Harkonnens.