The Religion Of Matthew Lewis s The Monk - 1225 Words

Perversion of Religion in Matthew Lewis’s The Monk Matthew Lewis’s The Monk, published in 1796, depicts the Catholic Church in Madrid as the victim of religious perversion caused by the pride and lust of its leaders. The events of the novel, including the monk Ambrosio’s surrender to temptation, leading to the rape and murder of innocent Antonia, as well as Agnes’s imprisonment by the vain Prioress of St. Clare’s Convent, serve to emphasize the lack of true religious devotion in the city of Madrid. However, despite the shocking events of the novel, the city had already fallen prey to temptation, and had ultimately strayed from the path of the Church long before these new atrocities took place. Ambrosio, though he has taken a vow of†¦show more content†¦Pride is one of the most common sins committed in The Monk. There are very few characters in the novel that escape this particular blemish to their personality. Early in the novel, Lewis describes the inhabitants of the church, saying, â€Å"the Women came to show themselves, the Men to see the Women,† (7). Thus, although the natives of Madrid have come to mass, they came for the wrong reason; their pride drives most of their actions. Antonia’s aunt, Leonella, is particularly prey to her prideful nature, despite her age. As she returns from mass with Antonia, she tells the girl, â€Å"the very moment I produced myself in Madrid, I knew that I should be surrounded by Admirers.† This example of Leonella’s vanity, humorous to the reader because of the woman s appearance in comparison to that of her beautiful niece, is very quickly criticized. Upon the woman’s encounter with the gypsy as she returned from mass, Leonella was nearly â€Å"choaked with passion† as she listened to the stranger’s mocking advice to â€Å"lay aside/ your paint and patches.† Even the nuns in the Convent of St. Clare are not immune to pride. When Theodore, disguised as a beggar, attempts to gain access into the Convent, Lewis states, â€Å"his feigned timidity flattered the vanity of the Nuns,† (284); he gains a place in theirShow MoreRelatedWrite an Essay on the Relationship Between Frankenstein and the Creature, and Compare/Contrast Their Relationship with That Exhibited Between Two Other Characters in One Other Text.2328 Words   |  10 PagesVictor Frankenstein and The Monster he created will be discussed, by analysing both characters relationship to each other before detailing the effects this relationship had, on the others actions and how it led to their eventual downfall. In Matthew Lewis’ The Monk the relationship between Ambrosio and Matilda w ill be analysed and then compared to the aforementioned relationship in Frankenstein in order to highlight any similarities or differences in Ambrosios’ fall from grace as opposed to Victors. Read MoreA Slumber Did My Spirit Seal854 Words   |  4 Pagespublished in the 1800 edition of Lyrical Ballads. The collection, which contained Wordsworth s Tintern Abbey, introduced Romanticism to English poetry. Wordsworth also showed his affinity for nature with the famous poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. He became England s poet laureate in 1843, a role he held until his death in 1850. A slumber did my spirit seal is one of Wordsworth s Lucy Poems, which focus primarily on the death of a young woman named Lucy (though she remainsRead MoreAntisemitism in the Middle Ages1616 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Columbus’ discovery of the New World. But in the joy of the discovery of the New World also comes the tragedy of the Old World. The Spanish Inquisition was one of the darkest periods of time in Jewish history. Christianity’s view of other religions as inferior is portrayed in many well-known pieces of literature, including one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, The Merchant of Venice. Towering over Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Merchant of Venice is the tragic figure of ShylockRead MoreEssay on The Gothic Genre and What it Entails6177 Words   |  25 PagesBotting feels he represents the revolutionary fervour in both France and England. Finally the creature promises his suicide in torturing flames. Matthew Lewis in The Monk (1796) recreates a scene common in revolutionary France in which an angry mob burn down a convent but themselves perish in the flames. Similarly the Monk himself, Ambrosio, breaks free of his unjustly constrictive religious shackles only to become a homicidal depraved fiend who gives himself to HellRead MoreThe Genre of Stokers Dracula Essay6296 Words   |  26 Pagesvoice. 1. Introduction In this paper I will examine Stokerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s novel Dracula in order to determine whether it belongs to the Gothic genre or not. Firstly, a short history of the Gothic novel will be presented and the most important authors and works of the era will be mentioned. Furthermore, the different characteristics of the Gothic genre will be examined in order to compare them with Stokerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s work. Aspects like nature, surroundings, atmosphere, the role of theRead MoreProliferation of Churches5300 Words   |  22 PagesLeeway to Commercialization of Religion Anthonia M. Essien Department of Religious and Cultural Studies Faculty of Arts, University of Uyo, Nigeria E-mail: eteyesma@yahoo.com Tel: +234(0)8033596961 Abstract This paper posits that religion has become a top bracket business in Nigeria. This is occasioned by the agglomeration of autonomous, non-centralized, independent and illegally established religious movements in Nigeria. This situation favours commercialization of religion. Although the founders andRead MoreSolution Manual, Test Bank and Instructor Manuals34836 Words   |  140 PagesGeorge S. Kriz, Gary M. Lampman, Randall G. Engel (IM) A People and a Nation A History of the United States, Brief Edition, Volume I, 9th Edition_Mary Beth Norton, Carol Sheriff, David W. Blight, Howard P. Chudacoff, A People and a Nation A History of the United States, Volume II Since 1865, 9th Edition_Mary Beth Norton, Carol Sheriff, David W. Blight, Howard P. Chudacoff, Fredrik A Small Scale Approach to Organic Laboratory Techniques, 3rd Edition _Donald L. Pavia, Gary M. Lampman, George S. KrizRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesand Pan-Islam under British Surveillance, 1865–1926† (M.A. thesis, Georgia State University, 2007), 79. 33. J. William Leasure and Robert A. Lewis, â€Å"Internal Migration in Russia in the Late Nineteenth Century,† Slavic Review 27, no. 3 (1968): 375–394; J. William Leasure and Rob- WORLD MIGRATION IN THE LONG TWENTIETH CENTURY †¢ 49 ert A. Lewis, â€Å"Internal Migration in the USSR: 1897–1926,† Demography 4, no. 2 (1967): 479–496. 34. Annemarie Steidl, Engelbert Stockhammer, and HermannRead More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 PagesBUSINESS SCHOOL HARVARD SUCCESSFUL 65 APPLICATION SECOND EDITION E S S AY S APPLICATION BUSINESS SCHOOL HARVARD SUCCESSFUL 65 ECSNS A IYI O N S SE O D ED T With Analysis by the Staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School Newspaper ST. MARTIN’S GRIFFIN NEW YORK 65 SUCCESSFUL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL APPLICATION ESSAYS, SECOND EDITION. Copyright  © 2009 byThe Harbus News Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of AmericaRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesmanaging, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the