Point of View

The Eagle of the Ninth is written in the third person past tense from the point of view of Marcus Aquila, the protagonist. The narrative consists of Marcus's exploits in Britain, from his arrival to his return from the quest amongst the clans of Caledonia, present-day Scotland. Information from Marcus's childhood is included briefly as flashbacks where necessary. The narrative unfolds in real time as it happens, with little retrospective information. Thus, the reader is constantly in suspense about Marcus's fate and that of his faithful retainer, Esca.

From this perspective, author Rosemary Sutcliff is able to reveal much of Marcus's innermost thoughts and feelings but little of the other characters. Thus, readers must infer the opinions and emotions of Cottia and Uncle Aquila. Esca reveals more of his own emotions and thoughts through conversations with Marcus, especially when they are fleeing south. This results in...