Dune is very much about the maturation of young Paul Atreides, who grows from being an intelligent, strong-willed young man to a commanding messiah between the first and last pages of the book.
Prior to his arrival on the desert world, Paul is trained in the ways of the Bene Gesserit (an influential religious order) by his mother, Lady Jessica, and there is hope and suggestion that he may be the Kwisatz Haderach – a super-being with the ability to view all time simultaneously.
He is the son of the noble Duke Leto Atreides, who at the beginning of the story accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis, despite knowing that it’s part of a trap set up by the all-powerful Emperor.