Lady Jessica
Lady Jessica is a female literary character who features in Dune.
Contents |
Biography
Lady Jessica was a female human born as the result of the Bene Gesserit breeding program where she was the illegitimate daughter of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and an unknown mother with some records stating this to be Tanidia Nerus. From birth, she was intended to mate with the heir of House Atreides with this being Leto Areides I in order to produce a daughter. The intention was that the child would then be bred with Feyd Rautha Harkonnen in order to produce the fabled Kwisatz Hadarach. Such a being was said to possess all the genetic memories of their predecessors and would also have the ability to see the future. Thus, Jessica was provided the most intense and advanced Bene Gesserit education and training to accomplish her mission. She was then introduced to Leto Atreides I who showed an interest in her with the two becoming a couple. This saw the Lady Jessica being taken as the official concubine allowing him to marry for political reasons if it was advantageous for the Great House. However, she and Leto came to develop a genuine love for one another where in this time he desired a son. This led to her disobeying her superiors in the Bene Gesserit where she willed that her offspring would be born a male instead. Thus, when she was pregnant, she came to give birth to a son who was named Paul Atreides with this derailing the Bene Gesserit long plans.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Jessica was a tall slim woman with an oval face that had green eyes whilst she had a slightly upturned nose along with a wide generous mouth. She was noted for her bronze-colored hair that she often kept tied with a black ribbon at the crown with this being flecked with silver in her later years of life. Originally, she was known by the name of Jessica Nerus rather than Jessica Mohiam or Jessica Harkonnen as this was top secret information and her lineage remained a secret according to Bene Gesserit tradition.
She was once noted to had said, "When strangers meet, great allowance should be made for differences of custom and training."
Powers and abilities
As a Bene Gesserit adept, she was knowledgeable of a number of techniques used by her order. Among these included the Voice that was an audio-neuro control mechanism that used speech to achieve complete control over an uninitiated person. This was achieved through the tonal qualities of her voice whereupon the subject dutifully obeyed any command given to them by her. Jessica had surmised that she could use Voice in the most subtle ways imaginable making the person believe that they had conducted set actions on their volition. This effectively allowed her to manipulate people and engage in large schemes in a House without showing her influence.
Notes
- Lady Jessica was created by Frank Herbert where she featured in the setting of Dune (1965).
- Novelist Brian Herbert who was the son and biographer and Frank Herbert commented that he character was modelled on his mother who was his father's wife, "Beverly Herbert was the window into Frank Herbert's soul. He shared that reality with millions of readers when he wrote a loving, three-page tribute to her at the end of Chapterhouse: Dune, describing their life together ... Frank Herbert had modeled Lady Jessica Atreides after Beverly Herbert, with her dignified, gentle ways of influence, and even her prescient abilities, which my mother actually possessed. He also wrote of "Lady Jessica's latent (prophetic) abilities", and in this he was describing my mother, thinking of all the amazing paranormal feats she had accomplished in her lifetime. In an endearing tone, he often referred to her as his "white witch", or good witch. Similarly, throughout the Dune series, he described the heroic Bene Gesserit women as "witches"."
In other media
Television
- In Frank Herbert's Dune, Lady Jessica appeared in the setting of the 2000 live-action television miniseries where she was portrayed by actress Saskia Reeves.
- In Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, Lady Jessica appeared in the setting of the 2003 live-action television sequel miniseries where she was portrayed by actress Alice Krige.
Films
- In Dune, Lady Jessica appeared in the setting of the 1984 live-action film where she was portrayed by actress Francesca Annis.
Video games
Appearances
- Dune: (1965)
External Links
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