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6. Discuss the characters. Some possible directions: Who was your favorite character and why? Which character did you relate to most and why?
Did the actions of the characters seem plausible and why? If you were making a movie of this book, who would you cast?

I love Dona Magdalena, her compassion and aptitude as a teacher, e.g. knowing the poor by name and gently correcting Juan when he disdains one of them, not in words but by her example.
Don Juan is almost too good to be true, pious and self-assured despite his early upbringing, as if his "royal blood" had its own power.
King Philip's indecisiveness is crippling.

Jill wrote: "Don Juan is almost too good to be true, pious and self-assured despite his early upbringing, as if his "royal blood" had its own power."

The character of Don Juan has not been invented by De Wohl, he actually was as pious as he is described. Look how Father Coloma tells about Don Juan's last day in this life, seven years after Lepanto (my translation):

However, he [Don Juan de Austria] retained Father Juan Fernández and, showing him a handwritten booklet that he had under his pillow, told him that those were the prayers that he prayed every day, without having stopped doing it one day of his life, and as the horrible headache that he suffered clouded his vision and prevented him from reading, he begged him, for the love of God, and for his love for him, to do him the mercy of praying them on his behalf. The Father promised him, very moved, and, according to his testimony, he spent a full hour reciting those prayers that the devout prince said every day of his life, in the midst of the fatigue of war, the concerns of the government, and, what is more difficult, amid the dissipation of worldly pleasures. The entire book had been written by Don Juan's hand; it began with the childish prayers he had learned in his childhood from Doña Magdalena de Ulloa; various pious exercises followed, and it concluded by various prayers composed by Don Juan himself, inspired throughout his life by his troubles, his pains, his hopes, his joys and his warm effusions of thanks. It was, in short, a summary index of his relationship with God in all the trances of his life, that the grateful heart of Don Juan reviewed daily, and that only the holy father Juan Fernández had the happiness to know.

I totally agree with Manuel Alfonseca Don John of Austria was as De Wohl and Coloma described to him. Perhaps his only weakness the women but It is a human weakness besides It is the model of Knight ideal. The loyalty courtier, religious expert in weapons and in the Love.

I love Friar Juan, what a wise and delightful and unpretentious person!! He shows up Don Juan's weaknesses so he can begin to self-correct.
It never occurred to me before that St. John had the answer to his ambition to be at Christ's right/left hand by looking up at the three on the cross!!

Jill wrote: "It never occurred to me before that St. John had the answer to his ambition to be at Christ's right/left hand by looking up at the three on the cross!"

I agree, that was a great observation!

I say in other part of the discussion of the book although only appears in few pages i like really much The daughter of Yussuf Nassi the consellor of the Sultan Selim II also there are character very well done as Alexander Farnese, Don Carlos is a Nietszchenean creature. It was not easy to do a good psychological description of Philip II. Louis de Wohl perhaps as not good as Mika Waltari's descriptions of characters but he is really good in This labor. I think that all Louis de Wohl's characters are perfectly describes and It is not easy labor. The author avoid authors as Alfieri, and Schiller the thing is really positive.

Fonch wrote: "I say in other part of the discussion of the book although only appears in few pages i like really much the daughter of Yussuf Nassi the consellor of the Sultan Selim II."

I have tried to find whether this character was a real person or an invention by De Wohl. My reason is that, if she was a real person, and De Wohl has described her well, she was really a very good person. But if she was invented by De Wohl, her impact on me is automatically much smaller.

After several quests, I haven't been able to find that Joseph Nasi ever had a daughter called Gracia (or any daughter). In fact, that's one of the names of her aunt and mother-in-law, who was known by several names: Gracia Nasi, Gracia Mendes, or Beatriz de Luna Miques; the same as her nephew and son-in law: Joseph Nasi, Nassi or Naci, previously called Joao Miquez, who was born in Portugal.

I'm afraid this girl, Grazia Nasi, was probably one of the characters invented by De Wohl to increase the body of his biographical novel, similarly to La Rubia, another invented character that appears in two different situations in relation to Don Juan de Austria: as the servant girl who causes an accidental fire in the castle of Villagarcía, and as the girl prince Don Carlos was traying to chase in Alcalá when he fell down the stairs and almost died. Of course, it's very unlikely that the same girl would have paticipated in both situations.

In fact, the nickname La Rubia is another questionable point, as this name in Spanish means "yellow-hair," and the novel actually says mistakingly that it means "red-hair."

Yes the thing that you say It is the more possible but why Jesús Sánchez Adalid also has a similar character in his novel "The Knight of Alcántara" indeed i wait that my friend Alfonseca did not get angry with me although It is not a secret when i spoke about This character Grazia i compared with the daughter of the jew Shylock Jessica that she escapes with a christian and Shylock says My Daughter my duchies. However i have the impression that Yussuf Nassi is not the model of Shylock if we Read the book of Joseph Pearce through the Shakespeare's eyes the chapter "Jews and Jesuits" It is a chapter dedicated to the Saint Robert Southwall jesuit and prophet but although It is after our novel The facts Interest to us Joseph Pearce tells that the physic of our old known Anthony Pérez was bribed by Philipp II to kill Anthony Pérez and the Queen Elizabeth. The doctor was a jew convert and he unchained a tide antisemitism in England that It was the origin of two famous plays "The jews of Malta" by Christopher Marlowe and "The merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare Joseph Pearce defends that the Play is not a struggle to the jews and This a struggle to the puritan as Epiphany or measure by measure. I think that Joseph Pearce follows the opinion of Hugh Ross Williamson and Peter Millward.
The figure of Yussuf Nassi is controversial my beloved Juan Manuel de Prada spoke about a Francisco Quevedo Fiction "The island of Zanapantos" where a group of Evil a secret society met to destroy Spain and Catholic Church in This work appears a jew similar to Yussuf Nassi.
Personally i am a Big lover of the jew people Rebecca in Ivanhoe and Daniel Deronda are the type of Jews that i have in my head. Our old brothers in the faith as he said Saint John Paul II Magnus.
Yes Alfonseca is right i have looked for information of Grazia Nassi and i have arrived to the same conclussions that my friend but perhaps Louis de Wohl invents but Jesús Sánchez Adalid does not usually invent anything. This character is too powerful for being a Fiction creature. Why did Louis de Wohl insert this character in "The Last crusader" a part of explaining the reason because the turkish did not help the moorishes? however This thing could explain without presence of Gracie.
La Rubia is not Interesting It is truth that Don Charles had the accident when he wanted to have an Ydill with a Woman but La rubia or red hair is a fictional character undoubtly but in the case of Grazie i can not believe It.

One thing which liked me much more were the dialogues between Juan of Austria and his nephew Alexander Farnese for me The two characters more interesting of the reingned of Philipp II. The references of Alexander Farnese to Catherine Mediccis and her passion for the astrologers is well known. We must remember that Louis de Wohl was an expert in This topic taking the chance that Hitler was obssessed with the astrology. The novel where Louis de Wohl spoke more of astrology is the Renegade dedicated to Julianus the Apostate for This reason i think that the reference to Michel Nostradamus was not by chance. The image of Catherine Mediccis is right It is thought that she got poisoned the eldest brother of his husband and she Planned political murderers and she Planned the killing of Saint Bartholomew the paradox is Ken Follet in the anticatholic and antispanish novel "Column of fire" considered to her the model of religious tolerance Absolutely false. She was a Woman intriguing and ambicious that in her dreams of power excited the civil war between huguenots and catholics to get strong the monarchy failing in her attemps at finally the Huguenots would be The winners.
Other kings and characters fascinated by the astrology the Queen Elizabeth with the mysterious Dee, Rudolf II emperor of the Holy Roman German Empire, and the Catholic general Wallenstein.
Coming back to the novel for me is a strong point that Louis de Wohl converted to Alexander Farnese in a cómic character. For me Don Juan incarnated the idealist Knight as Don Quixote and Alexander Farnese the realist as the Squire Sancho Panza. Curiously Alexander Farnese was a very religious character a good military as good as his nephew. He reconquered the half of Netherlands and he killed to William Orange. It is a pity that he was a governor of Netherlands so late.

I have come back to Read the book, perhaps for me One of the most Interesting for me of De Louis de Wohl's novel without including the character of Gracie Nassi are the presence of Don Charles/Don Carlos is Interesting to compare This novel with the plays of Alfieri and Schiller overall the german's play. The Last is polluted by the black Legend. The contrast is huge Don Carlos in the Schiller's Play is noble and heroica and he is fallen in Love of her stepmother Elizabeth Valois. Of course the defaults and the Madness of the character dos not appear in the Schiller's Play the King is much older in his sixties. The Princess the Éboli is fallen in Love of Don Carlos we can see characters that Will not appear until future Reigns as Lerma (for instance De Wohl says that Don Carlos did not stand Lerma certainly De Wohl committed a mistake the Family of Lerma was not a Duke in the time of Philipp II This goal was aimed with Philipp III when One of his descendants Will convert in Valido or the Prime Minister of Spain) also appeared the duchess of Olivares in This period was not a duchess despite being a good ambassador the Father of the future Count Duke Enrique Olivares did not get to become a Duke It was something that he tried and he could not get It. Other fail of Schiller is that he wrote about the failure of the Invincible Army against but Lepanto is absent. It is curious to compare with the Chesterton's poem Lepanto the Battle happened after that Philipp II failed with the Invincible Army when there are seventeen years of difference. Of course One of the topic of Schiller's Play is the tolerance against the poor calvinists in Netherlands It is Interesting to compare This play with his twin brother also was written by a beloved friend of Schiller Goethe Who wrote the Egmont Who was one of the general Who colaborated to win the Battle of Saint Quentin against France. The character of De Poza that It is real in my opinion This character substitufies to Juan Austria that he does not appear in the play, perhaps This thing was the most painful of everything that the winner of Lepanto and the best friend of Don Carlos if we can think that This person could have Friends and This character was crucial in the fallen of Don Carlos. De Poza is in the real Life a protestant but Schiller converted in a Knight of Malta. It is One of the most fascinated Schiller's characters. I must admit that Schiller's Play likes a lot in my youth well i knew that It is false but i liked the story really much. It is very atractive and false the Inquisitor of the end inspired The Grand Inquisitor of The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevski. Of course we know that Philipp II did not give to his son to the Inquisition. It is very Interesting to compare the Fantasy with the reality and with De Wohl's novel. One of the best moments of De Wohl's novel is when Don Carlos tempted to Don Juan and he did the Satan's role. I agree in that the character looks a genius or a mastermind. In This thing we can observe the quality of Louis de Wohl and he got something that my friend De Prada urge a lot that in the temptation looks atractive. A part of Satanic Don Carlos looked a Nietszchenean character the standard of the romanticism. Although in This novel was a poor crazy This character reminded me other character Who Will appear in others novels of Louis Wohl's novels Frederick II Hohestaufhen the only difference with Don Carlos is that Frederick II has power and Don Carlos not. Louis de Wohl in his book of history of Catholic Church hang on the rock says that Frederick II was one of the characters more complicated of the history.
It is curious and now coming back to the reality when i think in Don Carlos i think to compare with other character Jehangir the ill son of Solimán the magnificent he also borned with physical problems but he is the opposite to Don Carlos. Jehangir was very beloved by Solimán and he did not conspire against his Father but he died of sadness when his brother Mustapha was murdered by Solimán. With This thing i want to say that the illness It is not an excuse Don Carlos has free fate he dies christianly as Louis de Wohl says in his novel but he has choice and he could be as good as Jehangir. I am sure that This thing Will like to my friend Alfonseca in case that he did not get bore my intervention C.S. Lewis says that there are two kinds of men men Who say to God do It your Will and other men whom God say do It your Will. Despite the original sin we have certain capacity to choose. This was discussed in the Trent Council.

Other thing fascinated to me is when Don Juan inquired to Juan of Calahorra about the miracle of Don Carlos and he commented the anecdote of the doctor. One thing that the majority of the users did not know is that Spain had excellent doctors Dionisio Daza Chacon was and excellent surgeon, Luis de Mercado Who does not appear in This novel created the Protomedicato an exam to recognize the value of the doctor. But perhaps the best doctor of the 16th century was the anatomist Vesalius Who appears named in This novel trying to save the Prince Carlos. My Father told an anecdote about him when one of the enemies of Philipp II Henry II of France was injuried by the scot Montgomery he sent to his doctor to his enemy. I think that This story would not be real but Dumas told in his novel that i advised to the members of Catholic Book Club "The Page of the Duke of Savoy" in This novel Dumas told the Life of Manuel Philibert of Savoy the general Who obtained the victory of Saint Quentin and Dumas told of the french point of view despite being written by a french is loyal to the history. Perhaps Vesalius was one of the best scientist of his age but he was exceeded by the ill of Don Carlos. For him the miracle of Friar Diego had to be a shock. Perhaps the doctor whom spoke friar Juan Calahorra could be him. We know that he was a religious man and he died a pilgrimage to Holy Land or Jerusalem for This reason i think in him when Louis de Wohl told This anecdote.
It is a pity that Louis de Wohl could not tell more that Elizabeth Claire Eugenie the First daughter of Philipp II and Elisabeth Valois It is true that It had not sense but This character worth One novel for her.

John wrote: "6. Discuss the characters. Some possible directions: Who was your favorite character and why? Which character did you relate to most and why?
Did the actions of the characters seem plausible and wh..."

I was touched by Juan's tears upon hearing that Prince Carlos had died close to God. De Whol's depiction of Prince Carlos and his madness was very insightful and meshed the illness with the phsychological difficulties of being a pawn in his Father's political game. To live with all relationships mediated thorugh that wuld be very difficult and Juan's integrity gave Carlos some grounds for relief. His compassion was not condescending -he saw the value in the maimed and recognized that their souls too were precious to Our Lord.
His drawings of characters show complexity. His Tia is a very strong woman, and the source of her strength is her faith. But she too, has her moments of doubt and of weakness.
I also liked Alexander, and when I reread Cervantes, I will be indebted to Fonch for pointing to him in comparison with Sancho Panza.

Jt wrote: "His drawings of characters show complexity. His Tia is a very strong woman, and the source of her strength is her faith. But she too, has her moments of doubt and of weakness."

We should ask ourselves whether this complexity is in the character depìction by the author or in the persons themselves. After all, Doña Mgdalena de Ulloa was a real person.

I think that yes my Dear friend even the Father Coloma praises to Magdalena Ulloa. I wanted announce to the group of Catholic Book Club that my friend Alfonseca is right and Jerómin is an historical novel. I thought that It was a biography however i think that i have a very different point of view of my friend Alfonseca i am more Closer to Walter Scott, Víctor Hugo, and Alexander Dumas. Alfonseca the standard of the historical novel is Tolstói and his novel War and Peace. Of course i am more petmissive with the historical characters and i am favor that the author ever respecting the personality the Spirit of the person and the history give more freedom even he can hice his opinión that they think.

Fonch wrote: "I have a very different point of view of my friend Alfonseca, I am closer to Walter Scott, Víctor Hugo, and Alexander Dumas. For Alfonseca the standard of the historical novel is Tolstoi and his novel War and Peace."

There's no accounting for tastes :-)

Manuel wrote: "Jt wrote: "His drawings of characters show complexity. His Tia is a very strong woman, and the source of her strength is her faith. But she too, has her moments of doubt and of weakness."

We shoul..."
Yes. Thank you for the correction.
I went into the book without enough education on the topic to be able to recognize many of the people involved. Reading the commentaries provided by you and by other members has been very helpful and informative.

Oh my Dear friend (Alfonseca) we have different systems or different schools both of the perfectly right :-). My purpose when i posted This message is that you explain your literary system with the historical characters influenced by the Tolstói's novel "War and Peace".
This is only joke i am Closer for instance to the novel prize Henryk Sienkiewicz owe to polishphilia. Russia impress to me a lot, perhaps my favorite was Dostoyevski fondly i have told to my friend Alfonseca i call to the russian writers "Russian Bugs" influenced by the main character of the novel "Citadel" Andrew Mason. We can say of the russian writers that they are giants of the literature. I want to say to the users of Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and Catholic Book Club that they must not consider bug as an insult or something derogatory.