#Hubris as a learned behaviour and defense mechanism

[dreamingofthewild]

Edit: I have edited this because I think my first reblog was misconstrued.

This post was in response to a post that said Gale didn't have any hubris and only wanted to take the crown in act 3 as an alternative to dying. I am adding this because context is important. I wanted to respond to that and this post with my own analysis. This is not a Gale wasn't groomed and hurt Mystra post.

Tl;Dr. his so-called 'hubris' is not typical hubris. His ambitious nature is his way to cope with feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability. The crown is a desperate attempt to take control of the over his life because he feels powerless. His 'pride' masks his underlying securities, and his personality is a direct result of being groomed and being a prodigy. He is curious and ambitious. He wants to be the best at what he does, and that was used against him.

In Act 3, Gale’s motivations for taking the crown are more complex than his survival alone. It represents a way to take control of his destiny and to retaliate against the divine manipulations he has suffered. This mirrors other characters’ arcs, like Astarion’s, where the pursuit of power is tied to a need for control and safety.

Returning the crown is a humble act for Gale. It signifies his realization that he does not need godly power to prove his worth or control his destiny. This act is about reclaiming his humanity and accepting that he is enough as he is. Gale’s pride and ambition are deeply intertwined with his insecurities and need for validation, shaped by Mystra and his environment. By the end, Gale's journey is about rejecting the manipulative influences of Mystra and the gods, recognizing his intrinsic value, and finding a new path not dictated by his need for external approval.

Gale was recognized as a prodigy from a young age, with significant figures like Elminster influencing his early life and training at Blackstaff. Gale might have faced immense pressure and high expectations to excel and prove his talent, resulting in him doing things like stealing the Blackstaff to prove it. This pressure could have fostered an environment where only exceptional achievements were valued, pushing him toward overconfidence. Heightened when Mystra selected him as her chosen in his youth.

Gale’s ambition to become Mystra’s equal and access forbidden knowledge was driven by his curiosity and a desire to prove himself. His hubris here is not about raw power but about seeking validation and a sense of worthiness. His ambition was encouraged by her but she kept him dependent on her validation by letting him fall in love with her and isolating him from his peers.

Gale was doing exactly what Mystra asked of him when he went searching for the lost part of the weave, because it is the job of the chosen to search for and destroy all that could disrupt the weave. He only wanted to serve her better, and prove that he was ready to become a God along side her.

Gale's hubris was in thinking that he was truly special to Mystra and could ever be her equal. In failing to listen to others when they told him that it wasn't a good idea, and possibly in impatience. He thought he could be equal to a god, but it is not his fault because Mystra and his peers conditioned him to think that. So, of course, he thinks that he overstepped her boundaries when wanting more and is the villain in this story. He is only a human and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be equal to the one you love, and wanting to be the best at what you do.

Gale is not a power-hungry man with a god complex. He wants more because he never feels satisfied or worthy. The orb fed off his desire for more, which is rooted in his insecurities and need for guidance and support—things Mystra didn’t provide.

Gale's pride and ambition are not just traits of his character but are also deeply intertwined with his need for validation, control (of his own life, which he never had), and influence, shaped by his relationship with Mystra and his own inner insecurities.

Mystra prays on ambitious wizards, and encourages them to push the boundaries of magic and serve her.

His story is a complex one with a lot of naunce that requires people to read between the lines. I honestly think that it is also poor writing because Gale, Astarion, and Wyll were supposed to have darker back stories in EA. So I think some of it is left over from that, but they also didn't want to villinise Mystra too much, so they didn't delve into his abuse like they did the others. And then Gale never became a God when the game was first released, before the Epilogue. Also, they removed some of Gale's dialogues from the game. So what we get is a bit confusing and requires looking into Mystra's lore, which most people are not going to do.

I don't think it's mischaracterisation to say Gale's too ambitious for his own good. He straight up admits he wanted to cross Mystra's boundaries for more power, because he was standing on the edge of it and could see what he could be capable of. I think it does him a disservice to say he is only acting for the greater good when he admits he's 'the villain of the tale' - it's tongue in cheek and he's not a villain he's just made mistakes, but he's also not entirely selfless. Regarding the crown, the choice between giving it back to Mystra or keeping it for himself is huge.