Agency vs. Outcome: Individual Rights and Intervention in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (The Warble of a Smitten Knight)
Game: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine
Quest: The Warble of a Smitten Knight
Location: Tourney Grounds (trigger), Toussaint
Summary: Available after The Beast of Toussaint, Geralt of Rivia must prove his worth and attain chivalric glory on behalf of his injured friend Sir Guillaume de Launfal through a series of tasks at Toussaint's esteemed tourney. Upon its completion, he is approached by the love-sick Guillaume to investigate the mysterious air of detachment that surrounds his love interest, Lady Vivienne de Tabris. Geralt soon learns that Vivienne suffers from a rare curse in which she lives as a human/oriole hybrid, a fate which has made her inconsolable. As Vivienne asks Geralt to end her misery the Witcher is faced with two choices, one of which will grant her the freedom to live a long and healthy life, and another which respects her right to determine what happens to her own body. This pitches autonomy, freedom, and the right to choose one's own fate against intervention and saving a life at all cost.
More information: The Warble of a Smitten Knight | Witcher Wiki | Fandom
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A Life Pre-Determined
Like many innocents in Geralt's adventures, Vivienne is subject to a destiny which was staked out before her birth by a creature who, envious of her parents' happiness, decreed that Vivienne would be "as beautiful as the orioles in the forest". This "beauty" took a literal shape as Vivienne began to manifest a gradual transformation into an oriole over the years. While Vivienne has accepted her fate and tried to adapt to the curse through adhering to its cycles (moon phases), using potentially harmful magical ointments, and bathing in a mystical pool to subdue its affects, her life is a tenuous balance between living in hiding and serving in the public eye. Without any tangible connection to other people and little freedom to live as she wishes, she begins to see death as her only possible alternative.
Enter the Witcher. Geralt tracks Vivienne in partial bird-form, and while Vivienne anticipates - even desires - death, he offers to remove the curse. There are two solutions for Vivienne: Geralt can transfer the curse onto an unborn oriole egg and Vivienne will be completely free to live "normally"; the caveat is that her life expectancy will parallel an oriole's with 7 years at most. The other alternative (which Vivienne objects to) is to transfer the curse onto another individual (for which Guillaume will volunteer). Though the extent of the effects cannot be certain, a fully-grown individual (vs. an unborn child) is unlikely to endure any serious repercussions.
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Geralt of Rivia greets the Duchess and her cohorts, including Lady Vivienne (right).Short but Sweet (Honouring Vivienne's Request)
Not wanting to burden another with her plight and cause harm, Vivienne makes it clear that she wishes maintain secrecy and resolve it at her own expense. Placing the curse on another (despite its supposed mildness) is a curse in itself; Vivienne must live with the knowledge she consciously inflicted her own suffering on another. Obtaining a willing candidate entails Geralt breaking his word on keeping the curse hidden, and also ties Vivienne to Guillaume out of an unspoken obligation (gratitude, guilt, concern etc.) Whether her emotional distance towards Guillaume is born of a fear of involvement due to her circumstances or she is genuinely not interested, to force her into this entanglement is unfair and could result in resentment later on (despite Guillaume's professed love which he has harboured for years).
There is no guarantee that the curse will not take on a more aggressive nature through transference and this is harsh on Guillaume, though he consented.
As Vivienne feels the weight of her social responsibilities as a celebrated lady of the tourney and what little freedom she has outside of it withers away, the looming threat of the curse permeating into every aspect of her life is the final shackle. To be rid of this through her own conviction is about more than removing the curse, but taking an empowered stance. The 7 years that remain will be bittersweet, but Vivienne can live them fully and treasure the pastimes and passions she loved before. Relationships with friends and lovers will come more easily and without complication.
Ultimately, as Geralt respects the autonomy of individuals - especially those in dire circumstances - he keeps his word to Vivienne and leaves the choice in her hands where it belongs; it is not his place to presume which decision is "right" for another. Vivienne explicitly states there is "no dilemma" and this is the just path, and the fate of the oriole chick whose egg is broken a necessary sacrifice.
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Stepping in to Save a Life (Going Against Vivienne)
If respecting Vivienne's wishes is the moral choice, then defying her is the ethical one if Geralt values life itself over freedom and agency. We could reason there is no truly "right" or "wrong" stance here, but it depends on the player's own convictions and how they tailor the character arc of their Witcher. Does Geralt view all life as precious (when it is relatively innocent) and show mercy when able?
It is possible that Vivienne has weathered the torment of her fate for so long that she has succumbed to it and simply given up hope, perhaps clouding her judgement and motivation (though in the same breath we could reason she has had time to come to terms with it) and requires help from outside. If Guillaume and Geralt offer this willingly, they bear that choice and its consequences on their own shoulders. Whether Guillaume may be acting selflessly out of genuine compassion and love, he acknowledges what is at stake and commits to it with full resolve. Given his upbringing and chivalric training, performing heroic acts of selflessness is an integral part of Guillaume's code and his life-mantra - he can take it in his stride.
Vivienne may find solace in sharing the emotional pain of her curse with someone who becomes connected to her on a meaningful level and can relate, and perhaps this will lead to her confidence in friendships and relationships once more. With Guillaume as her ally she now has a full life ahead of her to explore. The player cannot speculate how their partnership will play out, but should they choose to go their separate ways Guillaume will respect the resolution as he steadfastly insists his priority is Vivienne's life.
Spoilers affecting choice:
Should Vivienne's decision be honoured she is grateful for Geralt respecting her wishes and relieved to be free. She resolves to make the most of her seven years, exploring the world and seeking new experiences (Geralt meets her in Novigrad after Toussaint's curse is lifted where she bestows him the gift of a feather as a momento); if the player advances 7 years in-game, Vivienne is found dead in Skellige as predicted. Guillaume’s outcome is tragically grim: He feels betrayed by Geralt (if Geralt kept the secret to himself and subsequently failed to help Vivienne) and as the light of his life vanishes, he succumbs to drink and depression.
Though problematic, dishonouring Vivienne's decision reveals an immediately happier outcome: Guillaume is unharmed (though he has inherited some "interesting" yet minor attributes from the curse) and Vivienne is seemingly transformed into the vivacious and curious persona that has now been liberated from a lifetime of being subdued.
- Lucy A.
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Sources:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine (CD Projekt Red/CD Projekt); fandom.com
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