Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal | Page 16

Case 1: Exiled king, or fanatic stalker?
Plaintiff: This man, who refers to himself as Kinbote, is most definitely a
fanatic stalker of the late poet John Shade, and not some king from a for-
eign land. As Kinbote narrates his view of John Shade, he states, “I expe-
rienced a grand sense of wonder whenever I looked at him, especially in
the presence of other people, inferior people” (27). He then goes on to re-
veal that Shade is “…looking from the terrace (of Prof. C’s house on that
March evening) at the distant lake. I am looking at him” (27). From the ob-
servation of these quotes, it is apparent that Kinbote is obsessive over the
poor poet through not only watching Shade without his knowledge, but al-
so calling people around Shade “inferior”. This type of language is very
aggressive, especially because there is no given evidence as to why
these people surrounding the poet would be any less than he. This ag-
gression alludes to an unhealthy, stalker-like obsession over John Shade.
Defendant: Although these quotes appear to have a fanatic sense behind
them, we must not forget that Kinbote establishes himself, or the king, as
well versed in English literature. We know this through his statement, “The
last King of Zembla—partly under the influence of his uncle Conmal, the
great translator of Shakespeare, had become, despite frequent migraines,
passionately addicted to the study of literature” (75-76). What indicates
that this quote is a description of himself, and not a separate king, is that
he knows very personal aspects of the king’s life, such as his frequent mi-
graines and being “passionately addicted” to literature. This description
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