It can be the most toxic of family relationships, as told in Shakespeare or Succession. What really lies at the heart of this age-old struggle
In the opening episode of the third series of Succession, the much-acclaimed TV series about power struggles within a fictional media family, Roman Roy calls his sister Shiv to gloat over the news that she is not going to succeed their father as CEO of the multi-billion dollar family business.
Roman has learned that he hasn’t got the job either. But that’s not the point. His personal disappointment is superseded by the satisfaction he takes in his sister losing out. In that scene is distilled the essence of sibling rivalry, the notion that almost any setback can be ameliorated by the failure of a brother or sister, just as no success is big enough if a sibling’s is bigger.
