Duke Paulus Atreides

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Duke Paulus Atreides is a fictional character in Frank Herbert's Dune universe. He is the father of Duke Leto Atreides, and husband of Lady Helena Atreides.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Paulus Atreides was born 10,089 a.g., as son of Duke Kean Atreides and grandson of Duke Miklos Atreides.

He was the reigning Duke of House Atreides and ruler of Caladan. Paulus always said that you should never marry for love, but for gain. His own wife, Lady Helena of House Richese never loved him, and while he was fond of her early in their marriage, the fondness had largely faded by the time their son reached his majority. Their marriage was arranged so that both House Atreides and House Richese could gain from it. House Atreides was granted Landsraad status thanks to this union.

Lady Helena plotted against her husband, she knew that by killing him her son, Leto Atreides, would ascend and she believed she could use Leto to rule the Dukedom as she saw fit. Her plot was also tied to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who had at the very least prior knowledge of the plot if not full involvement in the planning and execution of it. (This is revealed after Harkonnen tells his nephew Rabban on Dune that he plans to "be rid" of Paulus soon.) Helena arranged that a stable worker, who was also from the home planet of House Richese, was to poison a Salusan bull with a stimulant that would make it stronger and more savage.

When the Old Duke, who was a skillful bullfighter, fought the Bull he found that it did not seem to tire at all. Then when he started to suspect that something was amiss, Paulus stabbed the Bull with his prod and injected it with the lethal substance that was supposed to kill it. However, the stable worker that had originally drugged the bull also injected it with a catalyst that negated the poison and also further enhanced its strength. After Paulus repeatedly stabbed it, the Bull went into a rampage, impaling the Old Duke on its horns, killing him instantly. Thufir Hawat, loyal mentat to the Duke, shot the bull dead but was too late to save the Old Duke.

Leto suspected his mother was behind this after she acted very suspciously just prior to and after the assassination. and when it had been proven by Thufir's interrogation of the stable worker, he had her banished to live with the Sisters of Isolation. He would rather have had her executed but thought it in the best interest that the people should never know of her treachery. The followers of House Atreides were the most loyal anywhere; they loved their leaders. Knowledge of the treachery of Helena would cause much havoc.