Diksha Sundriyal
Everyone is defined by their fate in Netflix’s ‘Kaos.’ With the Greek gods ruling over the modern world, every person, including the gods, arrives in the world with a prophecy custom-made for them. For the King of Gods, Zeus, the task is to find a way to defy his prophecy because if it comes to pass, then it will mean the end of everything he has worked so hard to build. However, try as he might to find a way out of it, he discovers that he is bound by it just as every other person is bound by their prophecies. While several prophecies are discussed throughout the show, we get background music that also sounds a lot like a prophecy. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Repeated Words Establish the Importance of Prophecies
Celestis, Divinitus, Insania, Vero: these are the four words repeated throughout the series, especially at crucial moments when a person’s life is starting to turn because their prophecy is kicking into motion. The literal meaning of the words is “Heavenly, Divine, Insanity, True,” with “Vero” being repeatedly used by the characters to show their dedication to the gods. Separately, the four words don’t make much sense, but put them in the context of the show, and a vague picture of what’s about to happen starts to form.
Except for “Vero,” none of the four words are spoken by any character in the show. In fact, they are only heard in the background. It is an interesting choice to play these words at important junctions in the story, especially as something completely unexpected is about to happen. The words reinforce the power of prophecies in the story, even as some characters, particularly Zeus, think they are above it and might be able to defy them.
The repetition of the four words is there to remind the audience that the entire story has already been woven by the Fates and that whatever happens now, even if it is terribly tragic, is meant to happen. It also reminds the viewers that there is a lot about the prophecies and the way they unfold that doesn’t make sense at first glance. For example, Cassandra’s curse, Riddy’s tragic death and her inability to pass through the Frame, and even Dionysus’ theft of Zeus’ watch, some things seem too heartbreaking while others seem trivial. But each action, no matter how small, adds up to the events that have been in the works for quite some time. The utterance of “Celestis, Divinitus, Insania, Vero” also sounds like a chant, as if invoking a deity, adding to the sense that there is a greater force in the works, something much more powerful than Zeus and the gods he rules, further emphasizing the arrival of Kaos and the destruction and chaos that has been promised in Zeus’ prophecy.
