What is ethics? It is defined by Florentino T. Timbreza as a practical and normative science, based on reason, which studies human acts and provides norms for their goodness and badness. In the move, Kingdom of Heaven, many ethical issues were seen due to the different beliefs of the characters. Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom), showed the attitude of a deontologist—a person who looks at duty as a norm for his or her moral actions. He was so bound to his duty as a knight that he refused to kill Guy de Lusignan (Morton Csokas), in order to save Jerusalem and the lives of many. In a utilitarian point of view, shown by Sybilla (Eva Green), it is better for Balian to kill her husband and save the lives of the citizens of Jerusalem than to follow his duty as a knight. This is evident when Sybilla said to Balian, “There will come a time when you will wished that you did the lesser evil to do the greater good”. [I apologize if my memory of the line is not exactly what is said in the film]The character of Guy de Lusignan, shows a mightiest. He believes, as Timbreza phrases, might is right. He was so obsessed with power that even before the previous king of Jerusalem died he asked Balian to kill Guy de Lusignan. Guy de Lusignan was the rightful heir o the throne because he is the husband of Sybilla, the sister of the king of Jerusalem.
From the point of view of the characters, we can see that power can corrupt and desire can lead us away from duty. For Balian was given the chance to be the king and marry is lover, Sybilla, but he choose to follow his duties. Once he did what was asked of him, which is to kill Guy de Lusignan, he would not be fully satisfied. He would have been immune to his conscience and would become power hungry like Guy de Lusignan. Power corrupts as evident in the stories in the Bible. After all, we are only humans and susceptible to desire.
Many would ask, how come God allowed evil in this world, but if we make a careful view of how God created things; we would not understand what is good if there is no evil.
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