Knowledge and ambition, rather than sexuality, acted as the corrupting forces of Paradise Lost that led to the downfall of Adam and Eve. © 2002-2020 MegaEssays.com. It is very evident that the two women are sexually attracted to each other and act upon their feelings in a small way. ‘ ” (l. 210-213) The first part of the poem ends with Christabel being seduced by Geraldine. Satan corrupts Eve through tempting her to eat the apple, while Geraldine corrupts Christabel with her sexuality. Building from his discussion of happiness, virtue, and the good life in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle answers this question elaborately in his later text, The Politics. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is one most cherished poets from… May 16, 2019 by Essay Writer. Christabel’s version of undressing illustrates a level of innocence, despite the fact that she is naked. Additionally, Milton’s description of Satan as a snake describes “his head / Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes” (Milton, Book IX, l.499). In these few lines, Coleridge packs several references to snakes, which ties both into Satan’s appearance when he tricks Eve and the appearance of his daughter, Sin. 07 Nov. 2020. Also, when Christabel says a prayer of thanks to "the Virgin", Geraldine does not cannot join her in doing so. The two young female characters in “Christabel” are certainly vulnerable to the overwhelming powers of the supernatural world. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Do you need urgent assistance in writing high school, college or university academic papers? From the outset of the poem, Coleridge emphasizes Christabel’s naiveté through the way she makes herself vulnerable to dangerous situations. In his poem Christabel (1816), Samuel Taylor Coleridge revises John Milton’s Paradise Lost to create a version of the fall of humanity that is wholly feminine. She encounters a beautiful lady who had been kidnapped by five warriors, tied to a white horse, and brought to the oak tree. Stretch forth thy hand, and have no fear -' (69-73) The full poem can be read at the Poetry Foundation. Coleridge represents Eve though the character Christabel, an innocent young maiden whose naiveté makes her easily corruptible. […], Sleep Rough Tonight, written by Australian author Ian Bone, addresses the idea of cultural violence and the effect it has among teens. Through asking the question regarding Christabel’s purpose for being in the woods, Coleridge invites readers to question her judgement and see the naiveté behind her actions. MegaEssays. Perhaps Coleridge did not have intentions of his readers thinking of Christabel as a fairy tale, however, the poem was never finished meaning that the outcome consists in the writers mind. Usually, fairy tales are focused around a particular female main character whose one wish is for her beloved knight or prince to come rescue her. Coleridge’s framing of Christabel’s poor judgement relates to Milton’s framing of Eve’s decision making in Paradise Lost. All papers are for research and reference purposes only! I did not think that part two of this poem was very interesting. Everyone is asleep except for Christabel, who is roaming the woods longing for her lover. The next morning, Coleridge describes Christabel’s “heaving breasts” and her exclamation of “Sure I have sinned!” (l.380-381). The characterization of Christabel is explained through Christianity, “the fall of innocence” and purity (Radley 69), and “the transition from “innocence” to “experience” (Harding 40). Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Geraldine acts as Coleridge’s Satan and her gender removes males from the fall entirely by creating a version where the corrupter is female. Said Christabel, How camest thou here? Coleridge also eschewed rigid rhyme scheme and formalism, while still availing himself of the popular poetic forms such as the sonnet and the ode. The sibilance created through the repetition of the “s” sound refers to the hissing made by snakes. Are you in search of free sample essays and essay examples on different topics? When coupled with her exclamation, Coleridge makes it clear that Christabel’s innocence has been corrupted through her night with Geraldine. In his poem Christabel (1816), Samuel Taylor Coleridge revises John Milton’s Paradise Lost to create a version of the fall of humanity that is wholly feminine. This description of Christabel’s breasts represents the first time Coleridge ascribes any type of sexuality to Christabel. It only takes up two lines, Coleridge leaves out any explicit description of Christabel’s body. Marxist Influences in Darwin’s Origin of Species, The Influence of British Literature on the Birth of American Artistry, Blood Meridian and the Depiction of Violence, Postmodern Study of In the Skin of a Lion, Consistency Between Chaucer’s Prologue and Character-Narrated Tales: The Wife of Bath, Family Values as Expressed Through Ostriches and Elephants, The Corruption of Christabel: Coleridge, Milton, and Portrayals of Fallen Femininity. Coleridge’s version of the fall unambiguously targets the feminine trait of sexuality as the cause of the fall and emphasizes Christabel’s naiveté and Geraldine’s deceptive nature to paint woman as wholly culpable for the fall therefore placing the blame for all of the human suffering that comes from the fall onto women. The palfrey was as fleet as wind, And they rode furiously behind. Finally, Coleridge targets the inherently feminine trait of sexuality as the corrupting force that causes the fall making all aspects of the fall wholly female. Coleridge highlights the naiveté and poor judgement of Christabel through her blind following of Geraldine and therefore places some of the blame onto Christabel for her own corruptibility. This is the first hint that Geraldine is an evil spirit.
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