The King's Speech would be a very different movie if Bertie could just get up and walk away from his duties as the new King of England. (For one thing, it would be called The Duke of York's Speech.)
But Bertie can't take that option the way his brother did. He feels a strong sense of duty to lead his country, especially with a war looming against Germany. Now is the time when England needs a great king, and Bertie needs to do everything he can to give them what they need. But it'll take a huge amount of work and courage, because Bertie's stutter is definitely connected to high-pressure situations. And what can be more high-pressure than having to speak to every single citizen of your empire?
Questions about Duty
- Who forsakes their duty most in this movie? Who steps up the most? Why?
- Do you think King Edward VIII is right to follow his heart and leave the throne to marry Wallis Simpson? Why or why not?
- What is Bertie's main duty as the King of England? How does he make sure he'll fulfill it?
Chew on This
In The King's Speech, we learn that duty is nothing but a made up concept that shouldn't be taken seriously.
The King's Speech shows us that there's not much point to living unless we have a duty to something bigger than ourselves.