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| “ | Don't whimper, it's unattractive. | „ |
| ~ Melrose after abusing his son. |
David Melrose is the main antagonist of Edward St. Aubyn's Patrick Melrose novel series, and its TV miniseries adaptation. He is the sadistic, sexually abusive father of the title character.
In the miniseries, he was portrayed by Hugo Weaving, who also played Agent Smith in The Matrix film series, V in V for Vendetta, Noah the Elder in Happy Feet, Megatron in the Transformers film series, Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger, Thaddeus Valentine in Mortal Engines and Billy in The Royal Hotel.
Biography[]
David Melrose is the patriarch of the wealthy, aristocratic Melrose family. He is a brilliant doctor and a talented musician; he is also a cold, sadistic tyrant who physically, emotionally, and sexually abuses his wife, Eleanor, and son, Patrick. He also rapes Patrick's childhood friend Anna, and it is implied that he sexually abuses many other children, as well. For all his considerable faults, however, he is fiercely intelligent and has a sharp, cynical wit, which he frequently employs to abuse and belittle people he considers his inferiors - that is to say, everyone.
Patrick despises his father, but is also in awe of him. For his part, David considers Patrick the only person who can match wits with him, and is also the only person who (briefly) makes him see the error of his ways. One night, David gets drunk and tries to molest Patrick, but the boy fights back and tells his father that no one deserves to be treated that way. David has a sudden flash of remorse, and leaves Patrick alone.
It is implied, however, that this remorse is short-lived, and that the abuse continues until Patrick outgrows David's age preference. As a young man, Patrick learns that his mother knew about the abuse and did nothing to protect him. Desperate to numb the pain, Patrick becomes an alcoholic and a drug addict.
David dies of old age when Patrick is in his twenties. David's death sets the stage for Patrick's years-long struggle to conquer his addictions and make peace with his past.
Trivia[]
- St. Aubyn based the character of David Melrose on his own late father, Roger Geoffrey St. Aubyn, who he claims sexually abused him when he was a child with the complicity of his mother.