Critics such as Malone, Collier, Dowden and Larsen glossed "obsequious" as "funereal"; others have preferred the simpler "dutiful".
The interpretation of the word "obsequious" has been debated by critics like Malone, Collier, Dowden, and Larsen, with some suggesting a somber connotation ("funereal") and others favoring a simpler, less formal term ("dutiful").