Seeing as how 'Teabreak Teasers' are proving popular, here is one for today.
There is perhaps one character who is more enigmatic that the Prisoner-Number 6.......the Butler, because we know far less about him than we do the Prisoner-Number 6! It is said that the Butler represents the silent majority who has no voice in society, who obey without question. But apart from that, what do we know about or diminutive friend the Butler? How did he arrive in the Village for instance? Is he really mute as he appears?
BCNU
I've no idea if the Butler is really mute, nor where he came from, how he got there etc. Perhaps he just applied for a butlering job and got something different to what he expected!
ReplyDeleteI think he only expresses his feelings on 2 occassions : in "Fall Out" where he stands next to The Prisoner (and subsequently helps with gunning people down and driving). And in "Chimes" when he nods agreement with No.2, in the Exhibition Hall, "spoken like a true artist".
ZM72
Hello ZM72,
DeleteWe know the Butler is not mute, as he talks to Number 2 on the telephone in 'A B and C' when Number 6 comes calling "Is he, send him in" says Number 2, and showing Number 6 into the green Dome stands the Butler. There is another instance in 'It's Your Funeral' as when again Number 6 comes calling Number 2 barks at the Butler "I told you I was not to be disturbed. Tell him to go away."
The Butler was probably recruited through a Labour Excange, or Employment Bureau. He doesn't express his feelings regularly. Serves without question, a variety of new masters, not so sure about Mrs Butterworth and Number 2 of 'Dance of the Dead.' And I think the Butler knows more about the workings of the Village than he's prepared to let on. Also I think it's the Butler who packs those two suit cases for the Prisoner has he goes off to hand in his resignation at the end of 'Fall Out,' which the Prisoner then collects in the opening sequence of 'Arrival.' Conjecture, speculation, yes, but I think we can allow that, as there are not too many facts to play with as far as the Butler is concerned.
Regards
David
Be seeing you
Hello
DeleteI'd still like to see (hear) proof of the Butler speaking before I can accept that he is un-mute (that words sounds like "unmutual" !).
"Tell him to go away" might've been a cruel joke at the Butler's expense. In "A, B & C", it might've been a 3-way call involving the control room and the butler - No.2 is being informed by observers that No. 6 is there and No.2's instruction is directed to the butler. Maybe not, but as I said I'd prefer to have aurual evidence of the butler's speech capability before accepting it.
But, there will always be different interpretations of "The Prisoner" and as you've said this is what makes it so interesting.
One more point, imagine if the butler had ended up not in the Village but with Bertie Wooster. And that Jeeves ended up in the village !
be seeing you
ZM72
Hello ZM72,
DeleteYou've been busy in recent days with commenting, and yes it would have been nice to hear the Butler actually speak. For myself I like to think that he wasn't mute, that he could speak, but chose not to. I think the Butler was not given any lines because of Angelo Muscat's heavy Maltese accent, although I coud be wrong.
You've been thinking outside the box again, I like it. And yes, I am imagining the Butler working for Bertie Wooster. And Jeeves in the Village, now that is an interesting thought. I can hear him saying to Number 2, when he's telling Jeeves about the latest plan to get Number 6 to give up the reason why he resigned "Indeed sir" in that ignominious way of his.
Kind regards
David
Be seeing you