Essay Questions

Why does Ray want to kill himself?

Ray is seen in a park in Bruges as Ken comes upon him and discovers that Ray is getting ready to shoot himself to take his own life. Ray wants to commit suicide because during a hit he killed a young boy who was praying in a church. It was an accident, but Ray is overrun by guilt and cannot find a way out of his torment other than to kill himself. This is an act that Ken stops.

Why doesn't Ken defend himself initially when Harry pulls a gun on him to kill him?

Harry has come to Bruges in order to kill Ray himself and to kill Ken for disobeying his order to kill Ray. Once Harry pulls his gun on Ken in the stairs up the tower he sees Ken not attempt to defend himself. Ken is ready to accept his fate, and this throws Harry so much that he doesn't kill him, but shoots him in the knee. Ken doesn't defend himself because he believes in redemption for Ray. So much so that he's willing to accept his fate, even death at the hands of one of his friends; he won't fight it.

Why does Harry take his own life?

Harry is a man of principles, and in his final words he declares that one is nothing unless they live by their principles. And he believes that anyone who kills a child either on purpose or by accident must die. Thus he stands by his principles in first ordering Ken to kill Ray and then taking it upon himself to kill Ray when Ken disobeys. And finally once he believes he's killed a child he stands on his belief and takes his own life.