I just finshed reding Night Watch and at the end Vimes cant be promoted any more becse if he was he would out rank Vetinari (Vimes would be a prince). but does Carrot kown that is is the rightfull heir to the throne of Ankh-Morpork? and would he want to be King of Ankh-Morpork?

[quote:4b73dd48bd="peapod_j"]I just finshed reding Night Watch and at the end Vimes cant be promoted any more becse if he was he would out rank Vetinari (Vimes would be a prince). but does Carrot kown that is is the rightfull heir to the throne of Ankh-Morpork? and would he want to be Kink of Ankh-Morpork?[/quote:4b73dd48bd]

I think you meant "King" rather than "Kink" - though with someone whose girlfriend sleeps one week out of four in a dogbasket, who knows?

Yes, he clearly does know, but does not want the position (to the extent of destroying, or at least hiding, any supporting evidence) but has intimated that he might step forward to take the position in a real emergency. He also appears to be the moving force behind some of the promotions that Vimes has received.

Yeah, I believe he first found out in Men at Arms. What's funny is that there's people out there to make him King and they end up getting arrested by his boss.

Vetinari is unusually kind to him too.

[quote:267791deae="drunkymonkey"]Yeah, I believe he first found out in Men at Arms. What's funny is that there's people out there to make him King and they end up getting arrested by his boss.

Vetinari is unusually kind to him too.[/quote:267791deae]

If you read carefully, you will find that Vetinari is not being kind to Carrot - he is [i:267791deae]obeying[/i:267791deae] him - it is a situation which works for both of them - the end result being that [i:267791deae]Ankh-Morpork[/i:267791deae] works - which is what they both want!

I was thinking (hard work when your studing for exams) maybe Carrot does not want to come forward as King because it would get up Vimes nose and the first Stoneface Vimes did cut the head off the lask King of Ankh-Morpork.

I agree also . . . not only does Carrot know, he uses the knowledge for the good of the watch and the city. Carrot (I think) has real respect for Vimes and respect for the way the city is run and he can see his place in the scheme of things very clearly, his role as Captain allows him the freedom to communicate (and influence) both the city dwellers and the city ruler(s). Carrot Likes his job and (again only my opinion) can see no reason to aspire to higher office when he has influence over said office anyway.
As has been stated many times in the books — no-one really knows whats going on behind Carrots innocent smile anyhow...

Regards

R.

Carrot wants to keep the law, not be the law.

he's simple not stupid...he knows, but it's better for him this way...any by the way...I liked the scene where he and vetinari walk down a street and some guy comes up to carrot and says hi...and the asks him who the guy next too him is and carrots says "this is your ruler"

[quote:fa80da788c="tanatie"]he's simple not stupid...he knows, but it's better for him this way...any by the way...I liked the scene where he and vetinari walk down a street and some guy comes up to carrot and says hi...and the asks him who the guy next too him is and carrots says "this is your ruler" [/quote:fa80da788c]

I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of the series, but I don't recognize this event - Which book?

[quote:767e68456c]I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of the series, but I don't recognize this event - Which book?[/quote:767e68456c]

I believe something like that happens at the end of Thud!, except they're not walking down the street.

[color=green:737593109f]i think carrot is aware that his becomming king would not, in fact, be beneficial for ankh morpork, nor for himself. the ruler always gets blamed for everything that goes wrong, and the only way for a ruler to avoid getting into trouble is if he, like vetenari, is an absolute ruler, a tyrant, whom everyone fears. it is more effective for the people to hold on to the ideal of the lost king or of him personally if they (subconciously or not) see him as king, rather than him actually being king and having his weaknesses exposed and getting the blame for everything that goes wrong, which would cause people to lose their idealism and faith in him. ruling subtlely, by influence and not by dominance, is more effective.

(does that make sense?)[/color:737593109f]

look at what he says at the end of Men At Arms- he's edging around what he knows, letting Vetinari see that he knows it and chooses to leave things as they are, because its not good for people to do things just because Carrot's telling them to- he has a great respect for the principle of law and has dedicated himself to it.

I am currently reading the 5th Elephant, and fell upon this quote that seems relevant to this question :

[quote:a2b2c4cff1="The Marthter"]Sometimes it seemed to Vimes that everyone knew Carrot was the true heir to the redundant throne of the city. It just so happened that he didn't want to be. He wanted to be a copper, and everyone went along with the idea. But kingship was a bit like a grand piano - you could put a cover over it, but you could still see what shape it was underneath.

[i:a2b2c4cff1](T5E - hard cover page 60)[/i:a2b2c4cff1][/quote:a2b2c4cff1]

Well, that settles it.

He definitely knows- he practically tells Vimes he hid the documents, with the blank expression that Vimes himself uses when lying to Vetinari.

He also knows that with his natural charisma people would follow him, but Vime's influence on him has made him think that people shouldn't just do things because Carrot tells them, and made him more distrustful of Kingship. Vimes is definitely a major factor stopping him gaining the throne, and as Vetinari himself pointed out, how long will that stop him for? (That's why Vetinari made all those allowances to Carrot- it was a bribe, not him being nice. He's too cunning to be nice)