The climax of Dune

[Mahdi]

One of the biggest complaints about Dune is that the climax isn't very exciting, seeng as Paul is now almost a god, and Feyd is just, well, human.    Personally, while I agree that that part isn't incredibly exciting, I don't agree that that is the climax.  I beleive that the actual climax is the battle of wills between Shaddam and Fenring, for if Shaddam won, then Paul would ahve died.  What do you think?

[exatreide]

I think that there is no real climax in dune. Lets see the Hark atack on dune could have been considered a climax. When Paul took the water of life could have been considered a climax. and the Freman atack on The saudukar could have been a climax. There are many more examples of climaxs

[Mahdi]

Those were way to early to be climax's, they merely set-up the plot.

[dportela]

Mahdi, remember that Paul's "godlike" abilities were pretty much shut down for everything that was happening in that place. It was a nexus with so many decisions and alternatives that he couldn't predict what would happen. So that wouldn't really give him an advantage over Feyd in the fight.  ;)

[cccp7x]

Obviously the climax of the plot was during the Fremen assault on Arrakeen.

[Mahdi]

Not true, like I said, most people believe the climax to be the one-on-one combat between Paul and Feyd.

And while Pauls god-like powers may ahve been limited because of all the anvigators, etc. it is still said that the only person who could kill Paul is Fenring before the fight.

[nemafakei]

One of the climaxes (that is how the plural goes) is the revelation to Mohiam that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach. But 'the' climax is the culmination of the book with Paul as Emperor.

[cccp7x]

The climax of the novels is the point were the novel could go either way. Did any of you doubt the fact that Paul would truimph over Feyd?

[Mahdi]

No,a nd the only point in the novel where things could go either way is the battle of wills between Shaddam and Fenrign, which is why I beleive that is the climax.

[Vanguard3000]

Premier Haueisen:  Using that logic, very few novels would have climaxes.

Personally, I think that the climax could have been that whole scene, including both the Paul/Feyd fight and the Shaddam/Fenrig thing.

[cccp7x]

The climax of a novel is where the action reached its highest point. In Dune that action climaxed during the attack on Arrakeen. Everything else was resolving that action. Sure, you could argue that there were minor climax points during the conclusion of the book but they all happened during the resolving action.

[Timsvs]

i agree

[Vanguard3000]

That's true, but when you say this...

The climax of the novels is the point were the novel could go either way. Did any of you doubt the fact that Paul would truimph over Feyd?

...You're not quite being accurate.  I've never read a book that I could not predict the ending to, at least on a small scale (i.e. fights).  I mean, have you ever been unsure that, say, the Ninja Turtles would kick Shredders metal keester in every episode of the cartoon, but that he would always escape?

But I do agree with you're last post.

[cccp7x]

Fine, ignore my first point...It didn't come out the way I wanted it to...

[nemafakei]

It all depends on your individual interpretation of how it happened and your own mental picture.

[quoudam72]

And the train comes to a screeching hault with that statement very tackful Nema.  ;)

[nemafakei]

Sorry. It seemed a good idea at the time...