The Role Of Greed In A Medieval Romance By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Greed is an intense and selfish desire for something. Greed is found almost everywhere in most everyone. Many authors use greed in their stories. The short story, “A Medieval Romance” by Mark Twain, is about the daughter of the Lord of Klugenstein named Conrad. When Conrad’s cousin, Constance, was expected she was going to become the Duke of Brandenburgh unless she was a girl; if she had been born a girl, then if her cousin, Conrad, was born a boy he would become Duke. If both were born girls then they would have to prove their stainlessness. So instead of not being able to have their child become the duke, Conrad’s parents transformed him into a man. The characters, Duke of Brandenburg and Lady of Constance greatly affect others by their own greed throughout the story.

In the story, if Conrad was not a son then he would most likely not become Duke; Duke of Brandenburg had so much greed that he made his own daughter a son just so she could become Duke. In the story Conrad says, “Spare me, father, spare your child!”(2- Twain). Duke of Brandenburg then said, “Betake Duke instantly!”(Twain-3). Even though Conrad does not want to be a man his father has so much greed that he still makes him a man. In the story, it also states, “To disprove the charge, he must reveal that he is a woman; and for an uncrowned woman to sit in the ductal chair was to death!” Said the Lord Chief Justice(Twain 8). Since Conrad sat and the throne, and is a girl, he would be persecuted and killed, and even knowing this might happen, The Duke of Brandenburg still made his child a man, just because of his own