how did the enemies enter the castle? who did the wicked thing?
Answers
Answer: By bribing the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper of the castle did the wicked thing.
Explanation: Despite having a secure fortress, and a gallant commander, the castle is destroyed when its guard takes a bribe and let an opposing force inside. Thus, the poem serves as an example of the peril of hubris, which can make one unaware of one's own potential flaws. It was learned that there was "a tiny secret entrance" where a "wizened warder" (i.e., an elderly castle guard) would trade passage for gold for the opposing army. Despite its "thick," "smooth," and "high" walls and never-ending supply of food, the fortress is breached—but not by force, but rather via bribery. Therefore, the castle is not destroyed because it is weak or poorly guarded; rather, it is destroyed because the soldiers are too arrogant to contemplate the idea that someone within their own ranks may be breaching the trust or maybe to consider anybody else's hold outside their ranks at all. The fall of the castle serves as a metaphor for the risk of hubris—that being too confident and egotistical might actually hinder individuals from foreseeing all the ways they can fail. It would appear that pride invites calamity.
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