I have seen this oddly pervasive idea in the Cult of the Lamb fandom that Marchosias is "A good guy" or in the right… I would like to take the time to express my thoughts on why I do not agree with this sentiment in the slightest. Originally this was going to be a reblog on a comic I saw saying he was "the good guy here", but I decided it'd seem rude and targeted to put it there when it applies to the fandom so broadly rather than that artist specifically. Actual analysis under the cut, and a fair warning that this is not presented academically (Which is to say, no sources other than my memory) as this is Tumblr and not an academic paper. As consequence, it is also stupid and dumb and one should keep in mind that this is fairly tangential and I sort of just end up talking about Hagar for a bit. Also sorry if none of this is of real substance or is insensitive, this is Tumblr, I'm evil, and it's 11 pm.
!! Content warnings for mentions of abuse, genocide, cults, exploitation, etc.
You know, canon typical topics for Cult of The Lamb.
The idea that Marchosias is "in the right" or "a good person" is quite simply just incorrect and if you believe this to be the case, you are exactly the type of person Marchosias would have abused. Marchosias purposely starved Abas to keep them violent, and also was building a fucking dog ethnostate. The entire point of his character is that he's a hypocrite and also the kind of person that will abuse others and indoctrinate them into a cult with sentiments like "Everyone else is evil and out to get people like us." He ISN'T the good guy and that he's just perpetuating the cycle of abuse. That's what like ALL OF WOOLHAVEN IS ABOUT. The ghosts are trying to genocide others while claiming they're justified because they were victims of genocide, Marchosias is exploiting others claiming he is justified because he was exploited. The game practically fucking spells this out to you with Hagar where the obvious option the game pushes you to do is spare her because she is ALSO a victim while simultaneously making it clear that she doesn't have to be forgiven for anything, just that YOU don't have to uphold the cycle and inflict harm on someone who was already harmed by the same people who harmed you.
Note that the game makes a point to show she has been harmed, repeatedly, no matter what she does. This is NOT the same as going "oh you have to forgive the person who willingly killed your people because it was their job", as she was permanently disabled and harmed for not following orders and she (very reasonably) feared for her life. She was unwilling to do it but was forced to anyway. You can make the argument that she should have just let them kill her, and I won't dispute you on that, but I will also point out that even if she died the Bishops would have just replaced her. The only thing that changes there is that she's dead, and living beings generally are wired to be afraid of dying. Which, mind you, is the exact reasoning Narinder making that fear obsolete was the reason the masses flocked to him in the first place so I think it's worth considering here before providing your answer within the context of this game, seeing as the topic of the fear of dying is something Cult of The Lamb itself brings up.
I am not saying Marchosias is malicious, mind you. I think that, like many abusers, Marchosias does not even realize he is being abusive, because he thinks he is actually justified. If he didn't genuinely hold these beliefs he espouses and they were just a means of gaining control to him, he wouldn't stick so staunchly to such ideas and literally kill himself rather than give up his freedom again. I believe that either Marchosias does not realise that he is functionally the same as the Bishops that abused him, or he believes that the suffering he inflicts on others is "for the greater good." The latter is an awfully common line of thinking and justification for any "bad" action, and it's simple to understand why… People don't like to admit when they're wrong, so even when they are doing something wrong, they will try and justify it by telling themselves that "this is different, I'm not doing the wrong thing." And I am sure I don't have to tell you that this "justification" is employed more by people who themselves ahve had "the wrong thing" done to them. This may be somewhat controversial to bring up in relation to a videogame but I would like you to consider this idea of self-justification in relation to perpetrators of real genocides, if you haven't already for whatever reason. I bring this up not to necessarily compare a fictional "bad guy" to real world atrocities, but instead because I believe understanding the real world is necessary to understand fiction, and I believe fiction is a helpful tool to understand the real world… It is why art is so important, after all. Especially the political kind, and Woolhaven is very much a political artwork. I have faith that you've got the smarts necessary to figure out why a story about abuse and genocide is political, surely. More specifically, Woolhaven is one that specifically discusses genocide, hence why I bring that up… Feel free to draw your own conclusions on what I mean with "self-justification" in relation to perpetrators of genocide and perhaps current events, i won't say which ones so as to maintain SOME sense of sensitivity, this is discussion about a videogame after all. Though maybe I've already crossed that line, sorry if so, I'm not good at these sorts of things.
Now, moving away from such sensitive matters and admittedly wildly off topic vaguely political rants… None of this is to say the Lamb isn't also bad, as Marchosias is correct in his assessment that The Lamb is another god exploiting their followers and that being a God in this universe is inherently exploitative*, just that you can call out a moral failing not only while not being "a good person", but also while being guilty of such things yourself.
*This is not a correction, but rather me begging you once again to PLEASE consider this in relation to real "leaders" of masses if you have not already. There is no ethical way to lord over others!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway posting this is certainly a really terrible horrible no good idea, but I do not really care how people on fucking www.tumblr.com perceive me and there is a very high chance no one reads this shit anyway so fuck it. Also if you made it this far then wow you must be really bored or like really into analysis stuff or something. Gives you a cookie or something. Go my student and/or colleague, be free. or fucking argue with me or something, I do not care. Whatever you do though drink water and have fun, the world sucks right now and you deserve a little break.
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