Gul Dukat

Biography

At the time of the occupation of Bajor by the Cardassien S, Dukat occupies the function of prefect and order the orbit station Terok Nor. After the loss of the latter, it turns over on Cardassia. With the assistance of the major Kira Nerys, it finds his illegitimate daughter, Tora Ziyal, which is worth to him to be deposed of its function of Gul, and assigned at the post of commander of Cargo. He manages thereafter to seize a bird of prey Klingon, and begins a solitary war against their empire. When Klingons adopt the Federation, he becomes chief of the Union Cardassienne while being combined with the Dominion, and manages to seize Deep Space Nine , but the reperd again, like his daughter, which makes it sink in the madness. He is then made prisoner by Starfleet, but escapes from the favor from an attack from the Jem' Hadar. Continuing its idea to restore the size of Cardassia, it seizes a statuette bajorranne locking up a Pah-wraith, which it delivers and which takes possession of him. Dukat, had by Pah-wraith, téléporte on Deep Space Nine , keep silent Jadzia Dax which interposed, and Pah-wraith destroyed the sphere of the contemplation of the station, before penetrating in the Vortex and closing it, involving the destruction of all the spheres, except for one only.

2360 : Commander of NOR Terok.
2365 : Indicate Odo chief of the safety of Terok Nor.

Topics related to the character

The relations between Dukat and the other characters of Deep Space Nine make it possible to the scenario writers to develop certain fundamental topics of the series, as well as others more specific. These relations are developed starting from an initial situation of occupation preceding the beginning by Deep Space Nine ; it is the occasion for the scenario writers of the series to approach topics like the distinction of the well and the Mal, the forgiveness, the Colonialisme, the historical Révisionnisme, the Terrorisme, the Collaboration, the family and the Patriotisme.

Dukat and Bajor: Colonialism and Racism

The planet Bajor occupies the principal place in the scenario of Deep Space Nine . It is the native soil and spiritual several main characters, it is also the center of the history of the various empires close to the Vortex to which it is bound by a timeless religious bond. Dukat, during the series, will intervene on all these levels, individual, historical and religious.

As a prefect of Bajor occupied, Dukat admits to take the responsibility for the extermination of 5 million Bajorans, and for the setting in slavery of a whole people in camps of forced labors. Its crimes are a direct allusion to the Shoah. It is also responsible for retaliatory measures. At the commencement of the series, the crimes which it committed belong to the past, but will occupy a broad place with each one of its appearances, as well because Dukat will seek to be justified, as because its acts are a constant object of hatred on behalf of its former enemies.

In the first seasons, it is posed as a twisted reconciler, but the character takes a new dimension with the increasingly frequent contacts of the main characters. He was thus expressed on several occasions on his control at the time of the occupation, estimating to have shown of generosity and leniency with regard to Bajorans, although those are employed like slaves on the station. Affected by charges which soil in its eyes its honor, it takes refuge behind its function, affirming to have obeys the orders, while seeking to soften the situation of Bajorans, while trying for example to prohibit the child work:

Gul Dukat: “To Bajor, I applied the laws, I did not do them. Without that, the things would have turned in a different way. ”

Its paternalist design of the occupation rests on the conviction of racial inferiority of the subjected people:

Gul Dukat: “As of the moment when we arrived on Bajor, it was obvious that our race was the higher race. But they could not accept it. They wanted to be treated as our equal whereas they were not it. Whether it is militarily, technologically or culturally. We had nearly one century in advance on them in all the fields. We did not choose to be the higher race, but it is the destiny. That would have been so much simpler for everyone than Bajorans accept their role. ”

It is necessary to take care to him on these people, which must in return express his recognition. Also overcome must they have to recognize the natural superiority of the winners, and not to be exterminated:

Gul Dukat: “A victory is one only when the enemy admits that it was wrong to be opposed to you. That one forced it to recognize your size. ”

Weyoun: “Then, they nevertheless are killed? ”

Gul Dukat: “Only if it is necessary. ”

It seems to have tested bitterness sincerely not to be paid of return:

Gul Dukat: “The greatest disillusion of my life, it is that Bajorans always refuse to see in me a liberator sent by providence. I protected them from thousand dangers, I took care on them like a father takes care on his children. But today, is there would be this only one bust of me on Bajor? ”

Weyoun: “- I would bet that not. ”

Gul Dukat: “- And you would be right. ”

The whole of these elements, dispersed in the series, make it possible to make a parallel between the ideas of Dukat, sadistic civil servant to the service of an ideology imperialist and racist, and the ideology Nazie.

Dukat and Kira: Collaboration or resistance

The characters of Dukat and Kira are all two confronted with the problems of the Occupation, but from two contradictory points of view: for Dukat, indeed, and for all the cardassians, the acts of resistances of Bajorans are acts of Terrorisme which justify radical security measures. For Kira, and all Bajorans, presented like peaceful people and strongly monk become people of combatants by need, resistance is an activity of survival which implies immoral acts. The alternative presented by the character of Kira is thus to choose between a ashamed collaboration, whose paradigm is the mother of Kira being given to Dukat to save to them his, and of the making feel guilty acts of which it is necessary to carry the weight all his Vie.

Dukat and his/her Ziyal daughter: impossible the forgiveness

The character of Ziyal is with half-bajoran, with half-cardassian. This duality, which reflects ambiguities of the father, is dramatized in two manners: on the one hand, Dukat, father magnet, wish to obtain the forgiveness of his/her daughter, which renews the topic of the recognition of the character, wishing to legitimate her historical role at the time of the occupation of Bajor; in addition, Ziyal is pulled about between its love for his/her father and the horror which it tests with regard to the atrocities that he made.

The exit of this drama is the murder of Ziyal by Damar, following its treason, from the cardassian point of view. Thus the two contradictory facets of Dukat are disjoined, Dukat having lost any possibility of being made forgive by the being which he loved more. It sinks then in the madness, then work again with the “rebirth” of Cardassian, then finding its statute of Méchant to whole share in the series.

Dukat and Benjamin Sisko: competition and recognition

The relation of the two men is done generally remotely during most of the series, Dukat expressing on several occasions its admiration with regard to the given character of Sisko. This relation is built on bottom of competition whose stakes is the command of Deep Space Nine. Dukat will briefly take again the station, thanks to the Dominion, but will not be able anything against the intervention prophets destroying the fleet Jem' Hadar at the request of its rival.

A situation of bringing together, comparable with those of Dukat and Kira and with all the situations of bringings together of this series (traditional situations which make it possible to develop the bonds, of friendship in particular, between two characters), occurs when they fail all two on a planet, and are forced to collaborate to survive. Whereas the bringing together between Dukat and Kira could let plane doubts about the feelings of the latter, the reaction of Sisko will put a term at the ambiguity of the character maintained by the scenario writers.

Dukat deals with the serious wounds of Sisko, and, victim of hallucinations, tries to benefit from the situation to convince it of legitimacy of its actions at the time of the occupation. After the death of his/her daughter, given seemingly of its madness, Dukat tests thus, between and desire delusions of grandeur of justification, to convince the only remaining person for whom it tests a form of respect:

Gul Dukat: “You can speak. There is nobody. Only you and me. Nobody to impress. Nobody to judge you. We can be honest one towards the other. Then say to me… What do you really think of me? I do not believe that you are completely frank, Benjamin. You do not hesitate to put forth brutal judgments when it is needed. It is one of the characteristics of a ordering good. Then now, say to me what you think of me. I do not believe to leave you indifferent. ”

The Rhetoric of Dukat and the historical Revisionism

An important aspect and often underlined of the character of Dukat is his talkative and conceited character, features presented in the series like specific to the cardassians. On this point, it is comparable with Garak, other cardassian and exaggerated liar. Rhetoric cardassienne tries to scramble well the lines of the and the Mal, and to present the Histoire in favor of the occupants. Even Garak, character however on the side of the goods, tries to convince the bajorans of the beneficial character of the Occupation.

As of the first episodes, the occupation is however presented initially from the bajoran point of view as a butchery which evokes the ideology Nazie. But the series is also punctuated several speeches rhetorics moderate and reconciling of Dukat, presenting the occupation in a positive way. Thus, when he addresses himself to women bajorannes removed to be used as Femmes of comfort:

Gul Dukat: “I suppose that some among you feel a little badly at ease. I am conscious that among the population bajorane, much think that Cardassiens are all to fear, that we are cruel and without heart. I hope to change that. Not with words. With acts. I hope that you will manage to appreciate the best part of our nature. I ensure you that we can show a great kindness. ”

These speeches of propaganda, as well as the terrorist activities of the bajorans, lead the spectator to wonder which version of the history is the true one, until the racial imperialism of Cardassians is explicitly expressed during the series and which Sisko carries a final judgment on Dukat.

Dukat and women

Two topics emerge through the relations that Dukat maintains with the women. The first is that of the family, which holds a fundamental role in the existence of all cardassian; the second is once again that of collaboration and of resistance, since the near total of the women who appear in relation to him in the series are bajorannes. These female relations allow scénariser the various attitudes taken by Bajorans with regard to their oppressors, and the will posted of Dukat to allure those which it wishes to subject: it thus applies the same design of the relationship between oppressors and oppressed to the relationship between men and women, design which turns around its personality in search of recognition and domination.

Tora Naprem, mother of Ziyal;
Kira Meru, mother of Kira Nerys and which was forced to become the mistress of Dukat;
Kira Nerys, that Dukat tries to allure.

The Emissary of Pah-Wraiths

After its failure to hold the station and the reopening of the vortex, Dukat returns while proclaiming emissary of Pah-Wraiths, enemies of the gods bajorans, in the worship ( Covenant , 7 - 09).

Analyzes of the appearances

The character of Gul Dukat appears 33 times in the series. Presented first of all a sanguinary occupant, it seems one moment as a character able to reform Morale lies and seeking forgiveness, before sinking definitively in the Folie and the Mal.

Season 1: the Emissary (1, 01-02), Duet (1,)
Season 2: The Homecoming, Cardassians, Necessary Evil, The Maquis, Shares I and II.
Season 3: Civil Defense, Defying, Explorers
Season 4: The Way off the Warrior, Shares I and II
Season 5: Apocalypse Rising, Things Past, In Purgatory' S Shadow, By Inferno' S Light, Ties off Blood and Toilets, Cal to Arms
Season 6: has Time to Stand, Sons and Daughters, Behind the Lines, Favor the Bold, Far Beyond the Stars
Saison 7: Covenant, Penumbra, 'Til Death Do Custom Leaves, Strange Bedfellows, The Changing Face off Evil, When It Rains…, What You Leave Behind, Parts I and II

Indiscretion (4, 05)

Kira is sent on mission to find the remainders of a transporting vessel of the Bajor years. With its great surprise, Dukat proposes to come with it. They start to sympathize during their research, then Dukat ends up explaining the reason of its presence: the vessel transported its mistress Bajor Anne and its daughter.

This episode is one of most significant character ambibu of Dukat. Only aspects likely to return the character sympathetic nerve are proposed: its sincere love for a bajorane, its love for his/her daughter, her direction of humor and its capacity to overcome the prejudices of its species, which enables him to accept his/her daughter in spite of the social and racial interdicts which required of him that it kill it. Dukat will face the consequences of them: his wife and her children will leave it, and it will be relegated to the post of captain of cargot. Thus done everything here of Dukat a character whom one would qualify, on this only basis, of Bon.

Touched by the grace (4, 14)

Kira is found on a Cardassien vessel-cargo liner which must transport it to a conference. The commander of the vessel is Dukat, now degraded to have brought back on Cardassia his illegitimate daughter.

This episode continues the exploration of the relations which can maintain a former deposed occupant with resistant who saw in him the incarnation of oppression.

Sacrifice off Angels

In this episode, Gul Dukat loses DS9, partly because of the treason of her daughter, Ziyal, which is carried out under its eyes by Damar. Dukat sinks then in the madness.

Waltz

Following the death of his/her daughter, Dukat starts to have hallucinations, and seeks at all costs to convince Benjamin Sisko of the legitimacy of its acts during the occupation of Bajor. As with his/her daughter, Dukat seems here a bad character and manipulator, but needing to feel justified with the eyes of those which he likes or admires. This moral Schizophrenia, which prevents it from killing Sisko, led this last to judge Dukat like an incarnation of the Mal. This episode puts a term at the ambiguity of the character, on whom the scenario writers had played until there. That is meant by the last dialog of the episode:

Benjamin Sisko: “You know, sometimes the life seems complicated. Nothing is really good nor really bad. All seems gray. Then while spending some time with a man like Dukat, you realize that the absolute evil exists. ”

Wrongs Darker than Death gold Night

Dukat calls Kira, and reveals to him that the mother of this one was her mistress, as a Femme of company of the Cardassien S.

Tears off the Prophets

In this episode, Dukat, had by a Pah-wraith (enemy of the prophets Bajor years) keep silent Jadzia Dax.

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