About Wang So :Did he deserve better?
TRIGGER WARNING IF YOU VEHEMENTLY THINK HE DOES *
Sweet ,serious ,intoxicating Wang So.One never gets enough of him do they ?
We all have our reasons for liking the character.I like him for his duality, whereas others seem to like him for various reason and sympathise with him on a deeper level.
I get that .Wang So was very much, from the beginning to the end of the drama “a political hostage”, only differing in various contexts. He couldn’t do what he wants or be with who truly wants to be because of “the throne”.
He went through abhorrent, extreme amounts of abuse.Both physically, from his hostage clan and emotionally, by loneliness and by being caught between his parents, one who favoured him and one who abandoned him.He was also caught between the feud of two rival clans .
He grew up,learning survival and sharpening his wit.All this is made very clear in the beginning of the drama.
Obviously, he never accepted his fate. Soon, he learned to kill ,hunt and wield his sword and excelled at it. He used his sword to save himself many times and it resulted in building him a savage , scary reputation.But he did not deny it, but instead he thrived of the fear and power it got him.
This is pretty much shown in his opening scene.
There has been hints of his “hunting tendencies” and his cruelty through the first episodes. Whether it’s what he says to Yeonhwa , or what people say about him and his “cruelty” to the members of his clan. He’s obviously very trained and experienced at both hunting and killing.
We see that when he assassinates the monks and sets the temple on fire.
The way he closes his eyes and lets his senses to do the work pretty much shows how skilled and experienced he is.
My points for deliberately emphasising on these aspects of his character is to point out that these are internalised parts of his character that he never loses,but doesn’t exhibit when he no longer has any particular need for it. I believe we tend to overlook it because the drama doesn’t show it much and it strategically begins the storyline from his entry into the palace,making his childhood nothing more than a tragic backstory for the audience to sympathise with.
Now ,enter Hae Soo. A modern woman with a heart of gold ,brute bravely and very modern,and in those times,unorthodox thinking and sensibilities.She has her own pursuit but she keeps butting into his and ruining his plans.
He doesn’t mind even threatening or raising a sword to her neck or going to duel with Wook to put an end to it.He’s very short tempered,emotionally explosive and has his feelings all over the place .
But she keeps going after him. And seeks him out even when he’s at his most deranged.
And even then,she spares him kindness and understanding,giving him exactly what he’s been craving for : Acceptance.
He takes his time,but he eventually understands and acknowledges his feelings and admits it to her.
She rejects him,countless times but he pursues her, relentlessly.His deep emotional attachment to her is no joke.But it’s also not a heroic ,epic form of love that should be held to a higher standard. Though I admire his ability to give her space ,respect her choices and seek her out whenever he can,I don’t appreciate how he blatantly disregards his own well-being or position to save her.As far as I am concerned,Hae Soo hates it too.In fact ,the two most “romantic” or “epic” moments in the series showcase this.
Though it’s safe to say that it did make Soo look at him in a different angle ,it also made Soo feel very guilty,as she starts to think he ends up where he is because of her.As much as I would like Soo to understand that everyone ended up where they are because of their own personal choices, I can’t deny the fact that she is partly right.
Given his already shaky position at court,him throwing everything away for the sake of a girl only makes him look irrational in the eyes of Goryeo society. From a prince who is savage and feared,he is now a prince who cares little about his position,throwing it all away for the sake of a Water Maid.If he had proceeded with a marriage,he would have looked like a buffoon and someone who’s clearly not suited to be King. They clearly would not have been very happy for long,because even if he’s stripped of his duties he would still be a prince by birth and thus be a target for whoever sat on the throne.
Besides ,him not being King would probably change history for the worst, as it would completely change the order of Kings,which would probably lead to change in the order of dynasties as well and the entire future of Korea ,maybe even Asia.
Many fans, still hold it that what Wang So got in the end was a very tragic fate and that he deserved better. But I will argue against that . For me ,it shouldn’t be a question of if he deserves better but what he deserves more?
The throne or love ? Its easy to conclude he needed love the most seeing how lonely he is. But the thing his being King is a lonely and paranoid Job. The show illustrates that very clearly by showing the lives of all three Kings before him. All of whom who died. lonely, miserable deaths.Even King Taejo ,who in the sense of the world ,had everything anyone could ask for: The power, the wealth, the Women, Children, friends and the woman he loves by his side for most of his reign, died a lonely ,miserable death.
We have very little idea of what truly went on between Court Lady Oh and King Taejo, besides how they ended and the miscarraige plot. We never Know if Court Lady Oh stayed truly due to her wishes or becuase the King refused to let her go. What we do see is ,the King being lonely and paranoid throughout the course of his life in the drama. But he only realises it after her death. Worse, he pretty much blames her for the way things ended and was probably, in denial of how miserable the woman he truly loves was for most of his life. There’s no guarentee So and Soo would have been different if she had continued to stay in the palace.
Most fans hold it that So is so different from his father, that he puts the woman he loves before anything else. But throughout the course of the drama, it doesn’t bring protection or comfort to Hae Soo, but puts her in danger and makes her more miserable than anything else. Because, in the political sense , Hae Soo is nothing more than leverage to be used against him. That has also been illustrated very clearly.
When she used by Yo & Wook to control So
When she was used by the Hwangbos to pressure him into marriage and to question his legitimacy as King
Even in death, her name is still used by Yeonhwa to hurt him. Making it clear, wherever she’s at, she will always be his weakness in the political sense. And his ability to put her before everything else, only makes him look like a weak, incompetent ruler in the eyes of the Goryeo society. As long as she stays, he would never fully concentrate on his duties as King and would never be able to rule the way he wants. Though its never said, it’s explicitly shown throughout the series.
Her leaving was a strategic move on her part, as it left him to do pretty much whatever he wants with the throne, and saved their child from danger. Though in the end, he may seem lonely and lost, it cannot be denied that in the eyes of the world, he has everything. Though it may seem like he has no freedom to do as he pleases, he has the freedom to rule as he pleases.
And it all comes down to the fact that he has no visible weakness or family. Though lonely, he used his power to enact laws no other King before or after him dared to. Though he was hated in his times,with his power and his work as King, he went on to become the most powerful King in history of Goryeo. Even Wook is forced to grapple with the fact.
Having the freedom to rule as he pleases is a freedom only few Kings can afford. Since this drama is focused on looking at him through the romantic lens , we pity him and say he has lost everything. I feel through that perspective, we are looking at it through a narrow spectrum, becuase once you look at the bigger picture, you will relaise how much he has gained than lost.
From being a lowly, absued political hostage that was hated and disrespected enough to be thrown stones at, he rose to become one of the most powerful king of Goryeo, all in his own merit. His rise in rank is clearly expressed through his clothes. Now everyone, who either threw a stone at him or abused him are under his mercy and there’s nothing they can do to escape it. From someone who’s life was controlled, he became someone who controlled everything. Though history is harsh, it isn’t free from the fact that he was a wise, capable ruler.
Which brings be back to my question of what he deserves more. From my perespective its obviously the throne, as only it had the power to reveal his true potential. Love is an an easy answer, but not a sensible one , becuase there’s no happy ending for them in Goryeo. As mentioned, he cannot escape his birth identity as a prince no matter how hard he tries, and politically, he will always be targeted by whoever sits on the throne. He would’ve gained very little if he were to choose that. Thus, I believe this ending is Karmic Justice, given the way the things turned out. And if this isn’t the most satisfactory underdog story to ever happen, I don’t know what is.