The Duke

The Duke is the principal character of the novel. He is an aging aristocrat who leads a reclusive life on his Welbeck estate. In his advanced age, his body and his mind are deteriorating and he is aware of it. In the final months of his life, the Duke embarks on a personal quest to discover as much as possible about himself. He wanders his estate contemplating his condition and collecting items that were formerly owned by his ancestors. One of the collected objects is the Fowler head which leads the Duke to seek information concerning phrenology. While consulting an expert on phrenology in Edinburgh, the Duke learns about trepanning, a surgical procedure in which a hole is drilled into the skull of a patient in order to relieve the patient of evil spirits. The Duke attempts to cure himself of his own madness by performing the...