While Hulu’s ‘The Great’ Is Fictional, the Wheat Pregnancy Test Was a Real Thing
Hulu released its historical drama, The Great, in the spring of 2020 to the cheers of fans. The Great enters the world of 18th-century Russia with all the turmoil that came with it. While there is quite a bit of literary license taken, one scene is remarkably true.
‘The Great’ shows Catherine the Great’s rise to power
The Great tells the story of Catherine the Great in 18th-century Russia. Catherine is shown as a young and naive country girl who enters into an arranged marriage to Emperor Peter III of Russia.
Like many young girls, Catherine enters into the marriage hoping for all her dreams to come true, including finding true love. The marriage ends up being a disaster. Then, Catherine is successful in staging a coup against her Emperor husband and succeeds him on the throne of Russia.
The Great is said to be a satirical black comedy-drama that is “occasionally true,” according to Screenrant. She is indeed about a real-life historical person, but many aspects of the show are fictionalized. Hulu takes many liberties to tell her story in a new and creative way.
‘The Great’ did get some things right
The Great is a fictionalized telling of Catherine the Great’s rise to power. There are still aspects of the show that were very real, making it more challenging at times to know what’s real and what isn’t.
Emperor Peter is almost always shown with a glass in hand and often at some crazy parties. It is true that Peter III was an alcoholic and also quite neurotic. On the flip side, Catherine is often seen with a book in her hand in the series. The real Catherine was very well-read and especially enjoyed books that would aid her reign.
There is a time in the show when Peter III falls ill, and Catherine gets her first taste of power. She mentions that she wants to use her influence to end serfdom. The real Catherine did want to end serfdom but ultimately decided it was not a practical goal. She needed the support of the nobles who owned the serfs to stay in power. She eventually strengthens the very institution she originally wanted to end.
A vital aspect of the coup shown in The Great is the support of various groups. Catherine is shown obtaining the support of the military and the nobility. This is historically accurate. Catherine secured military support by having an affair with a high-ranking officer. She already had the support of the nobility due to her marriage to Peter.
According to BuzzFeed, one of the more interesting historically accurate depictions is the use of wheat to test for pregnancy. In The Great, Catherine is shown urinating on wheat due to the urging of Peter’s aunt, Elizabeth. Catherine is told that if the wheat sprouts, she is pregnant. The wheat pregnancy test was a real test used as far back as ancient Egypt.
Catherine is told that if she inserts the top of a lemon into her vagina, it will act like a contraceptive. This was also true because women did use lemons as a barrier method of contraception and also because they believed the acidity of the lemon would kill the sperm.
‘The Great’ is a show, not a documentary
The Great does have an amazing amount of historical accuracy for a show said to be fictionalized. But, it also has its fair share of inaccuracies.
According to Distractify, the show shows Catherine hatches her plan to stage a coup within a year of marrying Peter. In reality, Catherine married Peter in 1745 and then took over his reign in 1762, six months after he took the throne.
Another inaccuracy is the show’s character, Leo. Leo is shown to be one of Catherine’s extra-marital affairs, but in reality, Leo never existed. It is true Catherine had numerous affairs during her marriage to Peter III. Even the paternity of her children has been questioned. The character of Leo was probably a combination of several of Catherine’s lovers.
Catherine is shown to rely heavily on her handmaiden, Marial, as her confidante. In reality, Catherine had Grigory Orlov as her sounding board and right-hand man. Orlov was the real person who successfully helped Catherine stage the coup. Orlov is also shown to be a friend of Peter’s, but the truth is that the two men were never friends at all.
The Great Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Hulu. The show has been renewed for season 3.
