King James Bible, link to the reading online.
Bathsheba Bathing, by Rembrandt.
Source: Pixabay.
Bathsheba is undeveloped as a character. She has no reaction to anything that happens, even when it directly concerns her, except for mourning Uriah's death.
A couple of ironic events occur surrounding Uriah. First, he refuses to go into his house and lie with Bathsheba because he feels that he shouldn't be experiencing such pleasure while his fellow army men endure harsh conditions; meanwhile, David has been sleeping not only with his own women (presumably) but with Uriah's wife Bathsheba. Second, Uriah carries his own death sentence unknowingly. His righteousness leads to his own death: in the first case, because David kills him to cover up the pregnancy since Uriah won't sleep with Bathsheba, and in the second base, because he dutifully brings his own death orders to Joab.
David shows no remorse throughout the story. He tries to convince Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba not because he feels bad and wants him to have his wife back, but because he wants to cover up any possible pregnancy. Then, he has Uriah killed to cover up his own mistakes. He kills Uriah like a coward, by ordering Joab to abandon him in battle.
Two of the most important messages from one character to another occur in letters. Bathsheba sends a letter to David letting him know that she is pregnant, and David sends a letter to Joab ordering him to set Uriah up for death in battle. Both of these letters contribute to Uriah's death.
It's sad that in the end Bathsheba doesn't know she is married to the man who killed her husband. There is a lot of irony in the story: both Uriah and Bathsheba unknowingly hurt themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment