Sylvia Townsend Warner- King Duffus

In King Duffus Warner takes the tale of the Scottish king and adds her own perspective to the way it ends. Having been sick, almost to the point of death for nearly a year, it could be expected for any man to give up hope to be better. The description of Duffus during his sickness tells of him suffering of an unquenchable thirst (parching), maintaining a fever (scorching), of which probably left him bed ridden to the point of developing painful sores on his body (roaring). The king expects, and even wishes for death. The night they awake him to tell him that those who had supposedly cursed him were dead, and that he should grow to be better, the king can only be sad. His despair had grown into full delusions of being in Heaven. He had expected to die, expected to join Christ, longed for it even. Only to be left King in a sad little throne on a sad little hill. Realizing this he weeps.