Skip to main content

What is a comparative/thematic analysis of the shadow self, obsession, and the will to live in Poe's stories "The Masque of the Red Death" and...

Both the narratives of "Ligeia" and "The Masque of the Red Death" dramatize the human desire to conquer death through the power of the will.


In "Ligeia," death is conquered by means of the determination of the will. The narrator feels that there is a connection between part of the character of his beloved Ligeia, who possessed "a stern passion," and the beliefs in the supernatural of Joseph Glanvill, an English moralist who contended:


Man...

Both the narratives of "Ligeia" and "The Masque of the Red Death" dramatize the human desire to conquer death through the power of the will.


In "Ligeia," death is conquered by means of the determination of the will. The narrator feels that there is a connection between part of the character of his beloved Ligeia, who possessed "a stern passion," and the beliefs in the supernatural of Joseph Glanvill, an English moralist who contended:



Man doth not yield himself to the angels, nor unto death utterly, save only through the weakness of his feeble will.



After her death, the narrator reflects upon Ligeia's energy, her knowledge, and her confidence. When she became ill, she fiercely resisted death:



Yet not until the last instance, amid the most convulsive writhings of her fierce spirit, was the external placidity of her demeanor shaken.



Nevertheless, despite her "eager vehemence of desire for life," Ligeia died, her body exhausted. However, her will has survived because it is reborn in the narrator's second wife Rowena, whose dead body is directed by the narrator's own desires of perceiving her by means of his shadow self. This part of his unconscious mind possesses the desire for his beloved Ligeia. His creative energy—"a whirl of violent emotions"—then summons Ligeia's powerful will and Rowena's body begins to display the "hues of life." Soon, the body stirs and the narrator examines Rowena. Somehow she appears taller, and as she removes the "ghastly cerements" from her head, her hair is blacker and her eyes are black, "the wild eyes of ... the Lady Ligeia."


Similarly, "The Masque of the Red Death" exhibits the theme of the will to conquer death. However, while the prince, Prospero, possesses this will to conquer death, he engages in battle with this enemy by means of physical defenses and distractions designed to eliminate the fear of death, rather than by employing the force of the spirit. Prospero's obsessive and elaborate attempts are futile because death slips into the midst of his guests, who shrink at the toll of the hour from the "brazen lungs" of the clock, and in their trepidation and lack of will fall prey to their mortality.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...
Post a Comment
Read more