"Gray cardinal": the meaning of phraseology and examples of use

No detective or thriller can do without the participation of the gray cardinal. The meaning of phraseology we will consider today to understand what kind of figure it is.

Alexander Dumas-father and Cardinal Richelieu

Everyone who read the novel "The Three Musketeers" knows that there was such a historical figure as Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), he was also called the Red Cardinal because of the color of his clothes. But very few people know that he had a right hand - the monk Joseph, who, according to historical sources, enjoyed the favor of the cardinal. It was the assistant Richelieu who was nicknamed the Gray Cardinal (the meaning of phraseology will be a little later). Such a nickname Joseph received, because the color of his cassock was gray, and he himself kept in the shade. Probably, this servant of the Lord enjoyed a lot of the role that he consciously chose. The irony is that, in turn, the Red Cardinal was considered gray, because he had considerable influence on the King of France, Louis Thirteenth.

Value

The gray cardinal is someone who does not have an official status or any legitimate, legitimate authority, nevertheless determines the events and phenomena of the world. The perspicacious reader can easily recall the examples even from recent Russian history.

Of course, the importance of phraseology "gray cardinal" is applicable in most cases to political phenomena, but not necessarily. In a broad sense, the gray cardinal is the puppeteer who pulls the ropes, and such figures are eternal and international. If only the powerful of this world are not strong enough in the spirit to manage something on their own.

The "Godfather" trilogy and the expression "gray cardinal"

The "Godfather" trilogy is basically built on the fact that the main villain is not the one who seems to them at first glance. The films of the series are made in such a way that the characters play very complex combinations of performance and drama, and all the strength and heaviness eventually falls on the one whom the viewer at the beginning of the action completely does not suspect.

In the first part - it's Don Barzini. He can be called a gray cardinal. The meaning of phraseology we already know, so you can safely use it. There, of course, there is a certain blunder in terms. You can not say that the mighty don Mafia has no power. No, it is true, it is. But to the forefront, on the front of the stage, Don Tattalia is nominated, and Barzini himself is going into shadow.

In the second part, the same role is played by Hyman Roth. But we will not paint here all the moves of the film, because the writers have made it much more talented. On the third part, and at all, let the reader, if he will watch the trilogy for the first time, get at least some pleasure.

Our task is to explain the phraseology "gray cardinal", as it seems, we coped with it. How successful? Let the reader judge about this.