Fate and Desperation

The murderer is described as a fatalist driven by 'desperate and tragic despair,' and the crime is portrayed as the result of a man backed into a corner, willing to kill to avoid ruin, echoing themes of passional melodrama and the tragic consequences of one's own actions.

The tense wait for Skeel and the shocking discovery of his murder underscore a sense of inescapable doom.

Spotswoode describes his actions as a desperate gamble forced by circumstance, accepting the outcome as the 'fortunes of the game'.