A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. A Farewell to Arms was a lyrical poem by George Peel that he wrote for the occasion of the retirement ceremony of Queen Elizabeth I in 1590 in which he pledged his undying loyalty to the queen and addressed her as Goddess. Ernest Hemingway took this title for his war novel that was published in 1929. It is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant in the ambulance corps of the Italian Army during World War I. While the novel is set against the backdrop of World War I, it tells the love story of Frederick Henry and an English nurse Catherine Barkley. It proved to be one of the most successful novels of Ernest Hemingway and is considered "the premier American war novel from that debacle World War I." The novel is not an autobiography but the novel was based on Hemingway's own experiences serving in the Italian campaigns during the First World War.

A real nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky cared for Hemingway in a hospital in Milan when he was injured. Hemingway had planned to marry her but they broke off when he returned to America.

Characters: Henry Frederick is an American who leaves America to take part in World War I (as America is yet not involved). He joins Italian forces as a Lieutenant. Miss Catherine Barkley is an English Nurse working in Italy. She lost her fiance in the war and gradually she falls in love with Henry. Surgeon Rinaldi is an Army surgeon who is friendly to Henry. The priest is an army chaplain who develops a friendship with Henry and often engages in discussions with Henry about war and God. Helen Ferguson is a nurse and friend of Catherine. Miss Van Campen is the head nurse of an American hospital in Milan. She has a disliking against Henry. Miss Gage is a friendly nurse who often works unconventionally. Major Valentini is an Italian army doctor who operates Henry’s knee when wounded. Ralph Simmons is an opera singer whom Henry meets in Milan.

Other minor characters include some Italian soldiers (Gino, Bonello, Piani, Passini) and a bartender Emilio. Count Greffi is an old nobleman of Switzerland.

Summary:

The novel is divided into five parts. Being a war fiction, the whole book is set in the historical background of World War 1. World War I or the Great War began in August 1914 with the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand. The war pitted the Central Powers (Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire) against the allied forces of Great Britain, France, Russia, and Italy, who were joined in 1917 by the United States. The action of A Farewell to Arms takes place from 1916-18 in four locations, for the most part: 1) the Julian Alps, along what was then the border between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire; 2) the city of Milan, which lies in the plains of northern Italy, far from the front; 3) the Italian resort town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore, which straddles the border between Italy and Switzerland; and 4) various towns and villages of the Swiss Alps.

In the beginning, the Italian forces are busy trying to stop Austro-Hungarian forces from assisting German forces on western and eastern forces. Russia withdrew from the war in 1917 due to Communist Revolution while the United States decided to take the side of Italy, France, and Britain in the same year. At the beginning of the novel, The novel's narrator, and the protagonist are eventually identified as Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American who has volunteered for the Italian army because the United States has not yet entered the war. Henry supervises a group of Italian ambulance drivers.

Book 1

As the winter begins, a deadly epidemic of cholera kills thousands of soldiers and as a medic, Frederick is sent to Gorizia for a brief period. In Gorizia, Henry learns the hierarchy of the army as there are two brothels, one set for officers, while the other is for lower-rank soldiers. Henry makes friends with a few army personnel and the priest of the army. Soon situations improve and he returns to his base where he shares his experience with one of his friends Surgeon Rinaldi. Rinaldi takes interest in beautiful women and later he fell in love with a beautiful nurse named Miss Catherine Barkley. Though Rinaldi is not very serious about Catherine, he admires her. One day, Rinaldi takes Henry to his hospital and introduces him to Catherine Barkley, a British nurse who recently lost her fiance in the war. Henry feels attracted to Catherine and they develop a rapport. Catherine shares her sadness about the demise of her fiance with Henry and tells him how she feels uncomfortable when it rains. As it starts raining, Henry tries to kiss her but Catherine slaps him but then she feels sorry about it. At last, Catherine starts feeling comfortable and Henry kisses her. Henry is then sent to the Italian front in the war. He takes an ambulance along with fellow drivers Passini, Manera, Gordini, and Gavuzzi. They face a mortar attack and Passini gets killed while Henry suffers a serious knee injury.

Book 2

Henry is admitted to the hospital where Rinaldi visits him. Rinaldi praises him for Henry’s bravery but Henry says that he did nothing brave. Rinaldi says that his injury is serious and hence, he will be sent to Milan in the American hospital. Henry requests him to send Catherine to Milan too. Rinaldi realizes that Henry and Catherine are developing a relationship and he feels happy about it. The Priest also pays a visit to see Henry and they discuss the war. Henry expresses his views against war. Meanwhile, America declares war against Germany while the Austrian army is also infiltrating Italian borders. Henry is sent to Milan where he is nursed by Miss Gage, Miss Walker, and head nurse Miss Van Campen. While Van Campen is a strict lady, Miss Gage is too friendly and she arranges wine for Henry in the hospital which is prohibited. Soon Catherine arrives in Milan too and Henry and she begin a steamy relationship as they make love in the hospital bed.

Doctor Valentini visits the hospital to check Henry. Soon his knee improves but Henry is forced to spend more time in the hospital as he is found to be suffering from jaundice. Miss Van Campen finds out the bottles of wine and realizes the reason for his jaundice. Van Campen also realizes that Henry is knowingly keeping himself ill so that he may avoid the war while he is having a good time with Catherine. She reports against him and suggests canceling his convalescent leave. Henry is ordered to go to the war front but before he could go, Catherine informs him that she is pregnant. Henry promises her that he will return soon to meet Little Catherine, his daughter, and goes to the war.

Book 3

Frederick returns to Gorizia to join the war. Lieutenant Rinaldi greets him and checks his knee. He asks if Frederick has married Catherine. The priest also meets Frederick and notices a certain change in his behavior. The priest suggests that the war may end soon. Frederick is then ordered to go to Bainsizza. At Bainsizza, Frederick comes to know about a new artillery battery of terrifying guns that Austrians have. He notices that the morale of Italian soldiers is at a remarkable low as if they have accepted defeat. Soon the Austrian forces infiltrate the Italian lines at the Battle of Caporetto. The Italian forces decide to retreat. Frederick goes to visit Rinaldi to go back with him but finds that Rinaldi has already left for the hospital. To avoid an aerial attack, Frederick and his men decide to go back through an alternative path while the main route is too busy because citizens were also being transported to safer places. However, their cars get stuck in the mud. Another car was driven by Bonello with whom two engineering sergeants were also traveling. Frederick calls them and asks for their help. Afraid of being overtaken by the enemies, the sergeants refuse to help Frederick and try to run away. Frederick shoots at them and kills one of the engineers while the other escapes. Meanwhile, one of the drivers of Bonello’s car also gets killed by enemy fire. Bonello gets too afraid and runs towards Austrian forces to surrender. Frederick decides to run away with Piani and reach the main retreat along the river Tagliamento. As they reach the bridge on the river, Frederick sees that the Italian forces are asking the retreating soldiers why they ran away from the battle lines and shooting them for their cowardice. Frederick thinks that he will also be shot dead and hence decided to jump in the river and escape. Then he gets out of the river and catches a train to Milan to seek Catherine.

Book 4

At Milan, Henry comes to know that Catherine and Helen Ferguson have left for Stresa. He seeks the help of Ralph Simmons, an Opera singer whom he met before. Ralph Simmons arranges some civilian clothes for Henry and tells him how to reach Switzerland. Anyhow, Henry reaches Stresa and stays at the hotel Isle Borromees. While he keeps searching for Catherine, a bartender named Emilio who works at Isles Borromees tells him that he knows two English nurses who are staying at a small hotel near the railway station. Frederick visits the hotel and meets Catherine and Helen Ferguson. At the same hotel, he meets Count Greffi a Swiss nobleman who is staying at that hotel with his niece. Catherine asks Henry about his war experience but Henry avoids her questions as he feels guilty as a war deserter. Emilio informs him that the Italian police are still searching for him. Catherine and Frederick plan to flee to Switzerland to avoid Frederick’s arrest. Emilio arranges for a boat and other necessities for Catherine and Frederick. However, the waters are rough because of a storm. Anyhow, Catherine and Frederick reach Switzerland and when Swiss guards check them, they show the papers they arranged with the help of Count Greffi. The guards provide them provisional visas.

Book 5

Catherine and Frederick start living in the Swiss mountains in a small cottage outside the village of Montreux. While Catherine is pregnant, she often gets worried about her baby yet to be born, especially about the baby's health. Finally, Frederick and Catherine decide to move to the town of Laussane and reside near a hospital. Soon, Catherine starts suffering labor pain and Frederick takes her to the hospital. After checking her, the doctor suggests that a cesarean operation would be best for Catherine. During the operation, Catherine suffers a lot of pain and finally delivers a still-born baby boy. While Federick is very sad about it, the nurse informs him that Catherine is hemorrhaging. Frederick gets worried and goes to see her. Catherine loses her life in Frederick’s arms. He leaves the hospital and as he walks back to the hotel, rain starts pouring into the streets. Frederick remembers how rain used to disturb Catherine.

So this is it about A Farewell to Arms. We will continue to discuss the history of American literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Pilgrim’s Progress is a Christian allegory which means that at one hand, the book tells a story of a man leaving the City of Destruction to the Celestial City of Heaven, at another hand, it tells about the general life of everyman and how one should strive for a better pious Christian life away from sins. It is a two-part book. Book 1 was published in the year 1678 and Book 2 was published in 1684.

The full title of Book 1 is The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come. John Bunyan was in jail when he wrote this book. One day when he was sleeping in jail, he saw a dream and he reproduced the idea of that dream in form of a book. The opening line of The Pilgrim’s Progress is ‘As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream ’. The den in this sentence symbolizes the imprisonment where Bunyan was jailed. The entire book 1 is presented as dream sequences narrated by an omniscient narrator, a narrator who already knows everything about the story, characters, and events, and just letting the readers know.

Summary of Book 1

In the City of Destruction, there lived a man who was born with the name Graceless. The city stands as a symbol of the entire world as it is, with all of its sins, corruption, and sorrows. Like other people, Graceless was also leading an ignorant life while engaging in all sorts of sins and suffering the consequences. One day, he got hold of a book (Bible) and as he read and learned it, he became Christian and that became his new name. His wife is Christina and the couple has two children. As he continued reading his book, he realized a certain burden on his back that he felt was difficult to keep but couldn’t reduce. He realized that this burden will cause him to sink into Hell. It was so unbearable that he sought help to get relief. He got help from another man named Evangelist who directed him to the Wicket Gate. Christian fails to see the Wicket Gate which is at a distance, so, Evangelist directs him to the shining light that Christian can see. Evangelist tells him to go to the Wicket Gate where Christian could deliver his burden.

Christian returns to his home and tells everything to his wife Christina. He tells her that he is leaving home to go to the Wicket Gate and she must also accompany him. However, Christina and their children mock Christian and discourage him from going to the Wicket Gate. Christian feels sad but he is determined. He leaves his home, wife, and children and goes towards the Shining Light. Two of his neighbors, Obstinate and Pliable run before him to get him back to his home and Christina. However, they fail to persuade Christian to return. Obstinate returns disgusted while Christian manages to persuade Pliable to accompany him on his pilgrimage. Pliable decides to go with Christian hoping to take advantage of the Paradise that Christian claims lie at the end of his journey.

During their journey towards the shining light representing the Wicket Gate, they fall into the Slough of Despond. It is a boggy-mire-like swamp in which when pilgrims fall, their doubts, fears, temptations, lusts, shames, guilts, and sins of their past become so heavy that they often drown in the mud of the swamp. Both Pliable and Christian struggle in the swamp and Pliable decides to get back to the bank and he abandons Christian. Christian continues to struggle against doubts, fears, temptations, lusts, shames, guilts, and sins and he is helped out by another pilgrim named Help who pulls him out of the swamp. Help says that the mud of the swamp is made of decadence, scum, and filth of sin, but the ground is good at the narrow Wicket Gate.

Christian continues his journey towards the Wicket Gate which allegorically represents Christ. Soon he meets Mr. Worldly Wiseman who extols the virtue of secular ethics and persuades Christian to seek another way to get rid of his burden. He says that Christian should visit the Village of Morality where he will get help from Mr. Legality and his son Civility in getting rid of his burden. Christian has already observed the difficulties of his journey so he decides to take the advice of Mr. Worldly Wise and goes towards the Village of Morality. Near Mount Sinai, Christian again meets Evangelist who exposes Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Legality and Civility for the frauds they are. Christian sees that the home of Legality is hanging over the road and threatens anyone trying to pass the road. The mountain is also flashing with fire. Evangelist says that they often try to misdirect pilgrims from choosing the right path. Christian understands his fault and returns to his path towards the Wicket Gate. As he approaches the Wicket Gate, Beelzebub’s archers fire arrows at him from the Beelzebub castle near the Wicket Gate. The Gatekeeper Goodwill of Wicket Gate saves him and shows "straight and narrow" King's Highway that he needs to follow further. Goodwill represents Jesus who directs Christian to the ‘place of deliverance.’

As Christian moves forward, he reaches the House of Interpreter where he is shown some emblems showing pictures and tableaux of Christian life and faith. Finally, Christian reaches the ‘place of Deliverance’ (allegorically the cross of Cavalry and sepulcher of Christ and Christian gets rid of the burden of his sins. As soon as he releases the burden of sins, three angels appear in front of him and offer him the greeting of peace, new garments, and a scroll as a passport into the Celestial City. Celestial City allegorically represents Heaven and now, Christian has a new motive to reach Heaven. As he proceeds, he meets three men named Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. Christian, now being freed from his burden, tries to help them. However, none of the three heeds to his advice. As Christian continues his journey and reaches the Hill of Difficulties, he again meets two men named Formality and Hypocrisy. All the three reaches near the Hill and as they try to cross the two bypass to the Hill named Danger and Destruction, Formality and Hypocrisy perish while proving that they are false Christians. Christian successfully crosses the bypasses and continues further uphill. As he reaches atop the Hill, he feels tired and falls asleep. While asleep, he loses his scroll and when he wakes up, he is forced to back down and bring the scroll back. When he returns back to the top of the Hill of Difficulty, he meets two weak pilgrims named Mistrust and Timorous. They inform him about the great lions of the Palace Beautiful. Soon they meet a porter named Watchful. As they reach Palace Beautiful, Watchful informs that all of them are chained and are being observed to test their faith. Christian is frightful of lions and tries to avoid them with help of Watchful while Mistrust and Timorous succumb. Palace Beautiful is a place made by God for the rest of the pilgrims. Christian spends three days here and leaves after getting new clothes and Armour of God that will further help him fight against a dragon-like demon named Apollyon. Christian fights against Apollyon for over half a day in the Valley of Humiliation. Apollyon is the Lord and God of the City of Destruction. At last, Christian manages to stab and wound Apollyon with his two-edged sword allegorically representing the Bible. Wounded Apollyon then spreads his wings and flies away.

Christian continues his journey and reaches the Valley of the Shadow of Death. As Christian faces the intense gloom, terror, and demons of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, he hears a voice reciting the Twenty Third Psalm of his book. Later on, he learns that this voice was of another pilgrim named Faithful who becomes his friend. He continues his journey and reaches the exit of the Valley as the sun rises. Just outside the valley, he meets another pilgrim named Faithful. Just like Christian, Faithful was also a former resident of the City of Destruction. Together, they continue their journey and reach Vanity Fair. It is a place made by Beelzebub to lure the pilgrims. The place has everything tasteful and entertaining corrupted with all sorts of sins attractively. Faithful, and Christian successfully avoid any deterrence and ignore the goods of Vanity Fair. Both of them soon is arrested by the soldiers of Beelzebub for attacking their King, disrespecting their God, and disdain for the business and goods of the Fair. Faithful is executed by burning at the stake as a martyr. As he dies, a celestial chariot appears and takes him away to the Celestial City. Christian still has a long way to reach there. As Christian moans about the loss of Faithful, a resident of Vanity Fair named Hopeful takes his side and accompanies him on his journey.

As Christian and Hopeful proceed, a false pilgrim named By-Ends and his friends start following them to take advantage. Christian and Hopeful reach the mountain Lucre where the owner of the mountain and its silver mines named Demas offers them all the silver of his mines. Christian realizes the trickery of Demas and they decide to avoid the mines. However, the false pilgrim By-Ends and his friend get in the lure and perish in the mines of Lucre.

Christian and Hopeful travel further on the rough, stony stretch of road and soon they see an easier, green By-Path meadow. They decide to leave the road and travel through the meadow. Soon a rainstorm engulfs them and they are forced to spend the night in the shadows of trees. As the morning sun arises they are captured by Giant Despair and his wife Giantess Diffidence. Giant Despair takes them to his Doubting Castle where they are tortured, beaten, and starved. The Giant and Giantess want them to commit suicide as a result of the torture. Christian and Hopeful resist and continue to suffer their ordeal. Soon Christian realizes that he has a key called Promise that can help him in opening up all the gates of Doubting Castle so that they can escape. Using the key and Giant’s weakness against sunlight, they escape the Doubting Castle.

As they move further, they reach the Delectable Mountains where they meet some shepherds who show them the wonders of Immanuel’s Land. They are also cautioned against sinning by the sights of Hill Error also known as Mountain Caution. The shepherds offer them their perspective glasses by using which, Christian and Hopeful manage to see the Celestial City from the top of Mount Clear. The shepherds then pay farewell while cautioning Hopeful and Christian against Flatterer and the Enchanted Ground. As Christian and Hopeful leave the Delectable Mountains, they reach a crossroad and wonder which way to proceed. A man dressed in white cloth appears before them and they mistake him as the ‘shining one.’ The man leads them to a path and soon they find themselves trapped in a net. Then Christian realizes that the man must be the Flatterer. The real shining one (Angel) then appears and rescues them. The Angel punishes them for following Flatterer and shows them the right path.

As Christian and Hopeful proceed on the right path, they meet a man named Atheist. He says that Heaven and God do not exist. Christian and Hopeful remember the shepherds and the sight of the Celestial City they saw through their telescope and ignore him. As they proceed, they meet another man named Wanton Professor who is chained by the ropes of seven demons. He takes them to the Lake of Fire (Hell). Seeing this, Christian remembers another man whom he met whose name was Little Faith. His all belongings were stolen by thieves and he was forced to suffer despondency. However, he managed to save his scroll and jewels that he kept safe throughout the journey.

As Christian and Hopeful proceed, they meet a boy named Ignorance. Hopeful and Christian try to convince him to follow the right path and accept God. But Ignorance believes that his own good deeds will take him to the Celestial City and he does not need to follow the path of Hopeful and Christian. Ignorance continues on his own path and crosses the River of Death on the ferry boat of Vain Hope while avoiding the dangers of the river by wading across it. As soon as he reaches the Gate of Celestial City, the shining ones appear and ask for the passport that he didn’t have because he didn’t come through the Wicket Gate and Kings Highway. The Lord of the Celestial City orders the angels to take Ignorance to one of the by-ways to Hell and throw him in.

As Christian and Hopeful observe all this, they get involved in a deep discourse over the nature of their salvation and manage to overcome the dangers of Enchanted Ground about which the shepherds had warned them. After crossing the Enchanted Ground, they reach the Land of Beulah where they prepare themselves to cross the dreadful River of Death on foot to Mount Zion from where they could reach the Gates of Celestial City. Christian suffers while wading through the River of Death because of his past sins and is about to be drowned. However, Hopeful helps him in reaching the other bank. As they reach the gates of Celestial City, they show their passports to the Gatekeepers, and then they are welcomed into the Celestial City. Thus, the journey of the pilgrims reaches its heavenly end.

Second Book

The second book of the Pilgrim’s Progress talks about Christina, her children, and the maiden Mercy. Christian’s wife realizes her mistake in not following her husband and decides to proceed on the pilgrimage with her son. A maiden Mercy accompanies them. All of them go through the same difficulties of the journey that were mentioned in book 1. However, they make an additional stoppage at Gaius’ Inn. Furthermore, this second set of Pilgrims takes a longer time because the four sons of Christina get married during the journey and their spouses accompany them. At the House of Interpreter, these pilgrims get the help of Greatheart, a servant of the Interpreter who guides them to the Celestial City. Greatheart kills four demons on the path namely Giant Grim, Giant Maul, Giant Slay-Good, and Giant Despair, and participates in the slaying of a monster called Legion that terrorizes the city of Vanity Fair.

So this is it about The Pilgrim’s Progress. We will continue to discuss the history of English Literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.

John Bunyan | Life and Death of Mr Badman | Holy War | Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. John Bunyan was an English writer and Puritan preacher who suffered imprisonment after the restoration of the monarch Charles II for 12 years. During his period of imprisonment, he wrote some nine works which included some of his finest literary works including Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and began writing his magnum opus The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan took birth in the Parish of Elstow, Bedford in 1628 and he died on 31^st August 1688. His father was a tinker from whom Bunyan also learned the art of tinkering and mending utensils. He began his professional career as a tinker and used to visit different towns searching for jobs mending utensils and other homely appliances. Initially, Bunyan was not a religious person. In 1644, he was enlisted as a soldier in the Parliamentary army. He mentioned some incidences of this period in his work Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Bunyan left the army in 1647 and he got married sometime during 1649. His wife was a pious woman who had a strong influence on John Bunyan. Gradually, he turned towards religion. Bunyan mentioned in Grace Abounding: "So that until I came to the state of Marriage, I was the very ringleader of all the Youth that kept me company, in all manner of vice and ungodliness". One day, Bunyan had a vision in which he heard a voice from Heaven asking him "Wilt thou leave thy sins, and go to Heaven? Or have thy sins, and go to Hell?" That incident completely changed Bunyan and he strived to become a pious man of God. He then became an active member of the parish church of Elstow and soon began teaching as a preacher. In 1656, Bunyan published his first book titled Gospel Truths Opened in which he highlighted the dispute between Ranters and Quackers. Those were the time of religious tolerance but soon Charles II was restored to the throne of England and he had some reservations against Puritans and Non-Anglicans. The King issued an ordinance according to which no one could preach in any church unless he has got a license as a preacher. John Bunyan had no license and he refused to apply for a license. As he continued to preach, an arrest warrant was issued against him. He could have avoided jail term by restraining from preaching but he chose not to succumb to the pressure and ultimately he was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in jail.

John Bunyan was in jail when he published Grace Abounding in 1666. The full title of this work was Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, or a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ to His Poor Servant John Bunyan. In this work, Bunyan expressed that despite him being involved in all sorts of sins, God showed mercy on him, forgave him, and offered chances to mend his ways. Obviously, he was mentioning the time before his vision and first marriage when he used to be irreligious. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners is a spiritual autobiography of John Bunyan. He mentioned many memories and anecdotes of his life t suggest how God showered mercy on him. In this book, he also mentioned how during his army days, when once he was about to go to besiege a place from the enemies, one of his fellow soldiers demanded him to let him go to which he agreed. However, when his fellow soldier reached there, he was shot dead. Bunyan suggests that despite him being a sinner at that time, God saved him for better purposes. The title of this autobiography of John Bunyan contains allusions to two Biblical passages. 'Grace Abounding' is a reference to the Epistle to the Romans 5:20, which states 'Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound' and 'Chief of Sinners' refers to the First Epistle to Timothy 1:15, where Paul refers to himself by the same appellation.

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman

'The Life and Death of Mr. Badman' was again a religious allegory by John Bunyan which was published in the year 1680 as a companion book to his previously published book The Pilgrim’s Progress. It is a religious dialogue between two people Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive about a dead man named Mr. Badman. The Courteous Reader is also addressed within the book by the author assumed to be a probable sinner. The author asks the courteous reader seriously to consider Mr. Badman's life and to decide whether or not he is following him on the road to destruction.

Mr. Wiseman is the author’s narrator who tells to Mr. Attentive the story of the late Mr. Badman's evil life. Each sinful episode related by Mr. Wiseman brings forth from him or his listener a kind of sermon or the recitation of a series of edifying examples designed to prove the author's point to his readers. Mr. Attentive, the listener to, and commentator on, Mr. Wiseman's account of Mr. Badman's wicked career.

Mr. Badman is a sinner. He is lately dead and the subject of a dialogue that makes up this story. The very epitome of evil, Mr. Badman is used, in a conversation between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive, as a model of what happens to the unrepentant sinner as he makes his heedless way through life. His evil-doing begins while he is yet a child; one sin begets another until the sinner's corruption is complete. The author expects his reader to rejoice in the punishment Mr. Badman so richly deserves. Mr. Wiseman says, “As his life was full of sin, so his death was without repentance.” Throughout a long sickness, Badman fails to acknowledge his sins, remaining firm in his self-satisfaction. He dies without struggle, “like a chrisom child, quietly and without fear.” However, Mr. Badman did not earn the four themes that the funeral of any great man should get. First is that there is no wrought image of Mr. Badman that may serve as a memorial. Second, Mr. Badman died without honor and didn’t get any badge or accolade. Third, Mr. Badman didn’t deserve a sermon and forth, no one will mourn and lament his death. After that, Mr. Wiseman describes the sort of Hell awaiting Mr. Badman, citing Scripture.

John Bunyan’s The Holy War

In 1682, John Bunyan published a novel titled The Holy War. The full title of the novel was The Holy War Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, to Regain the Metropolis of the World, Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul. It is an allegorical novel that tells the story of a town named Mansoul (Man’s Soul). The ruler of this town is King Shaddai. The town is perfect and reflects the image of King Shaddai. However, a deceiver deceives the people of the town and makes people rebel and throw off King Shaddai’s gracious rule, replacing it instead with the rule of Diabolus, the deceiver. Under the influence of Diabolus, Mansoul rejects the Kingship of Shaddai but King Shaddai sends his son Emanuel to reclaim the town.

It is an allegorical novel that retells the Biblical story of the fall, conversion, fellowship with Emmanuel, and many more intricate doctrines. El Shaddai is one of the Judai names of Almighty God whereas, Emmanuel literary means God is with us and refers to Christ in Isaiah 7: 14.

King Shaddai’s town Mansoul had three distinguished men holding authority named “Understanding”, “Conscience”, and “Lord WillbeWill.” All these three are corrupted by Diabolous which refers to Satan. The three give entry to Diabolus in town and help him in throwing out the King. As a result, “Understanding” the mayor of the town loses his eyes, Conscience” the recorder of the town loses his mind and becomes a madman. Lord WillbeWill becomes a pawn of Diabolus and is forced to serve him. As a result, the townspeople can't return to sanity and accept the rule of King Shaddai again by their own will. While King Al Shadai is sad over the situation, his son Emmanuel decides to take the town Mansoul back from the grip of Diabolus. Diabolus has his own cohort. Ill-Pause is his servant who slays Lord Innocence. Incredulity is a friend of Diabolous who leads his army against Mansoul against Emmanuel. He is one of the two mayors of Mansoul under the rule of Diabolus. Lusting is the other mayor and friend of Diabolus. Forget Good is another confidante of Diabolous who is appointed as the new recorder of Mansoul after Conscience goes mad under his rule.

Meanwhile, Mansoul suffers mismanagement. The mayor Understanding cannot see light and hence cannot differentiate between right and wrong. The recorded Conscience has gone mad and Lord WillbeWill is a forced servant of Diaobolous. The only way of rescue and restoration is through the victory of Emmanuel over Diabolus. Boanerges, Conviction, Judgement, Execution, Credence, Good-Hope, Charity, Innocence, and Patience are the nine Captains leading the army of Shaddai against Diabolus. Eventually, Emmanuel wins over Diabolus and The Secretary, who is equal to King Shaddai, and Emmanuel is given the charge of Mansoul after victory of Emmanuel. However, another Diabolian Carnal-Security causes Mansoul to break fellowship with Emmanuel again after He had so graciously saved the city. As we can see, this novel by John Bunyan is heavily based on Christian theology.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the History of English Literature and in the next video, we will discuss John Bunyan’s magnum opus The Pilgrim’s Progress in detail. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.

The Sun Also Rises by Erest Hemingway | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Before that, he won the Pulitzer Prize of 1952 for his novella The Old Man and the Sea.

Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. and he died on July 2, 1961. He was influenced by Mark Twain and famously appreciated him in 1935 and said “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called ‘Huckleberry Finn. It’s the best book we’ve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”

Like Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Ernest Hemingway also created a fictional character named Nicholas Adams for his short story collection published by the title In Our Times which was published in 1925. He married four times and he was a heavy alcoholic. He served as an ambulance driver during the First World War on the Italian front. He was influenced by the effects of the World War and became an active member of the literary circle Lost Generation. The Lost Generation was the social generational cohort that was in early adulthood during World War I. "Lost" in this context refers to the "disoriented, wandering, directionless" spirit of many of the war's survivors in the early postwar period. The term “Lost Generation” was popularized by Ernest Hemingway who used it in the epigraph for his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises: "You are all a lost generation".

Characters: Jake Barn is an American expatriate veteran of World War 1 who lives and works as a journalist in Paris. Robert Cohn is also an American expatriate novelist living in Paris. A neighbor of Jake Barn but Robert Cohn didn’t fight in World War 1. Lady Ashley Brett is a British expatriate living in Paris. She nursed Jake when he was injured during World War 1. Jake loves her and she loves him in return but their relationship could not be consummated. Brett is already twice divorced and promiscuous in nature. Bill Gorton is another journalist friend of Jake Barn who didn’t fight the war but he did cover the war as a correspondent. Mike Campbell is a Scottish alcoholic war veteran, a fiance of Brett. Pedro Romero is a 20-year-old attractive matador with a good future in bullrings. Montoya is a hotelier in the town of Pamplona, in Spain's Basque country.

Summary of The Sun Also Rises

The Sun Also Rises is a story about a group of young American and British expatriates wandering in Europe during the late 1920s after the First World War is over. The war had a deep impression on these groups of people most of whom took an active part in the war. These people are cynical and disillusioned and are part of the group called Lost Generation. Jake Barn and Lady Ashley Brett are prime examples of the Lost Generation.

Jake Barn is an American who left America for Europe and joined World War 1. During the war, he got injured and was treated by Lady Ashley Brett, a British lady who worked as a nurse during the war to take care of the injured soldiers. Jake and Brett develop an emotional relationship as they fall in love with each other. However, the injury leaves James impotent unable to consummate his relationship with Brett. Despite their emotional bond, they get apart because Brett couldn’t give up the idea of sex.

After the war, James decides to move to Paris to work as a journalist. In Paris, Jake lives near his old Jewish friend named Robert Cohn who is a novelist. Somehow, Brett also reaches Paris and starts living there. She meets Cohn and Jake and Cohn confesses his feelings for her to Jake. Jake cautions him against pursuing a relationship with Brett because he is in love with her and he knows that she has been engaged to Mike Campbell, a rich Scottish army veteran. Brett becomes the cause of the tussle between Cohn and James. After some time, both James and Cohn leave Paris. James goes to San Sebastien, a small beach town in Spain. Meanwhile, Cohn moves to the countryside.

After a few months, James returns to Paris and finds that his other good old friend Bill Gorton has visited Paris. Jake and Bill enjoy their memories of the old days and then decide to go to Sapin to attend Fiesta de San Fermin in Pamplona to see the running of the bulls and bullfights.

Before Jake and Bill could leave Paris, they accidentally meet Brett and her fiance Mike Campbell who are also going to Spain. Brett and Mike insist Bill and Jake should visit Pamplona along with them. During their journey, Brett gets some private time with Jake and she reveals that she had been with Cohn in Spain for the last few weeks.

Bill and Jake meet Cohn in Spain and together, the three decides to go to Pamplona. In Pamplona, they meet Brett and Cambell again. All of them decide to stay at a hotel owned by a man named Montoya. Montoya is a bullfight enthusiast and he is very eager to tell and teach everything about bullfights to foreign visitors. Jake is very interested in bullfighting and Brett is captivated by a young 19-year-old bullfighter named Pedro Romero. So there are three men with emotional and romantic feelings for the same woman who is taking much interest in a young lad. One night, Mike, Jake, and Cohn get involved in a heated argument over Brett, and incidentally, Brett happens to listen to all of it. She gets upset and runs off to Madrid with Romero.

After some time, the festival ends and Jake, Mike, and Cohn decide to leave Pamplona. Jake returns to the south of France where one day, he receives a telegram from Bett. Brett demands his help in returning from Madrid. Jake immediately reaches to Madrid to help her out where he learns that Brett decided to send Romero back as she didn’t want to spoil him and ruin his future. Jake and Brett take a taxi in Madrid to return to her Fiance Mike. In the taxi, Brett tells Jake she thinks they could have had a wonderful time together. Jake replies, “Yes, isn’t it pretty to think so?”

And the novel ends.

Analysis

Ernest Hemingway was accused of antisemitism for the depiction of Robert Cohn as an unlovable jew. However, the novel has no antihero. Furthermore, at times, it appears as if Ernest wanted to depict James as the hero, at other places, it appears as if Robert Cohn is being projected as the hero, and at some other places, Pedro Romero appears to be the hero of the novel. The title of the novel “The Sun Also Rises” obliquely refers to Jake’s injury that he suffered during World War 1 and what no longer rises because of it. The novel is an example of roman a clef (a novel with a key) in which Hemingway represented some real-life events with a facade of fiction. Brett is a promiscuous lady who wants sex without love but she truly loves James and trusts him too. She is vulnerable, forgiving, independent, and to an extent, immoral too. Jake is in love with her and most often understands her, but at times, he gets bitter against her as once he says, "Send a girl off with a man... Now go and bring her back. And sign the wire with love."

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss American English Literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.

Samson Agonistes by John Milton | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. In 1671, John Milton published two of his works titled Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.

Paradise Regained was a further telling of his successful epic Paradise Lost. Paradise Regained has four volumes and in each volume, Satan continuously tries to tempt Christ and cause his fall but fails.

Paradise Regained was published along with Samson Agonistes (Samson the Champion). Like Paradise Lost, Samson Agonistes is also a biblical allegory. It is a tragic closet drama written in blank verses. A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed on stage but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a small group or chorus. On the title page of Samson Agonistes, Milton wrote that it is a ‘Dramatic Poem’ rather than a drama. Samson Agonistes proves the versatility of John Milton. His Lycidas is considered one of the finest elegies ever written, Paradise Lost is certainly one of the best English epics and Samson Agonistes is a fine example of Aristotelian tragedy.

Characters: Samson is the son of Manoa, an Israelite who prayed a lot to get a son. Samson is a God gifted son who has superhuman powers that reside in the seven locks of his hair. Samson was advised by God not to reveal the nature of his powers to anyone. Dalila is a Philistine woman who seduces Samson and marries him. Dalila is actually a stooge planted by the Philistine people to find out the reason for Samson’s excessive powers and a way to defeat him. Samson tries to hide the secret of his powers but ultimately, he once shares his secret with his wife. Dalila then cares for him and makes him sleep in her lap. While he was sleeping, Dalila calls a barber to remove his hair and thus, weakening him. Later on, Samson is captured and imprisoned by Philistine people who take his eyes out and treat him as a slave in Gaza (Milton describes Samson as “Eyeless in Gaza”. Harapha of Gath is a giant who had heard a lot about the power and bravery of Samson. He visits him in the prison and pities him. He refuses to fight against Samson as he believes that Samson is now too weak and it will bring no honor to him. Public Officer of Philistine orders Samson to visit the Philistine temple and greet Philistinian God. The Chorus is a group of people who like in ancient Greek dramas explain and expresses their views about the actions of the main drama.

Summary: The original Samson is a hero of Israelite folklores. Milton turned him into a good Christian to tell his story. The story begins as Samson laments at his current state and how he was imprisoned and blinded by his enemies. He says that he was the person who was supposed to save Israelites against the tyranny of the Philistine people. However, now he is imprisoned, blinded, and a slave to the same people whom he was supposed to defeat.

Samson is too depressed as he discusses his blindness and says that God first created light and now when he is blind and cannot see or feel God’s light, he feels Godless. He feels as if he doesn’t exist or as if he is like a serpent or an animal who can never feel the glory of God again. Samson is so depressed that he feels like a walking grave. While Samson is lamenting in his monologue, he hears some footsteps. The chorus appears and they discuss how the mighty Samson who could kill lions with his bare hands is now blind and helpless. The chorus tells him that he should not blame God for his pitiful state as it was his own fault. The chorus says that he didn’t listen to God and shared his secret with Dalila, he married a girl, not from Israel. Samson agrees that it was his own fault and then the chorus announces that Manoa is coming to see Samson.

Manoa fails to recognize his son but the chorus points him out. Manoa is shocked by his son’s condition. He laments that Samson was a perfect child, so strong, blessed by God only to suffer this deplorable state. He says that God is too harsh to him.

Samson soothes his father and says that he should not blame God for his failures. He tells Manoa that he was also betrayed by his first wife. He criticizes women in general for their betrayal. Manoa says that the Philistine people will tell everyone how they overpowered Samson as they are preparing for a big celebration at their temple. Samson feels pain as he thinks that now the Philistine God will be worshipped more than the true God. His father says that he will take Samson out to safety but Samson refuses and says that he has no desire to live further. Manoa goes away as Samson continues to lament how lonely he feels.

Dalila visits Samson and she is very sad for him. She feels guilty and asks for his forgiveness. Samson says that he has forgiven her. Dalila tries to touch his hand but he refuses to believe her again and says that she is only a manipulative woman who cannot feel any love or remorse. He says that he has forgiven her only till she stays away and if she tries to come near him again, he will kill her. Dalila says that she betrayed her only for love as she believed that once his powers are gone, he will become her slave and will always stay with her. She tells him that she will ask the government to forgive him and let him live with her in peace as she will tender and care for her but he sternly refuses. As Dalila realizes that Samson will never forgive her, she goes away.

Next comes Harapha of Gath. He mocks Samson and says that he wanted to fight against him when Samson was in his prime. But now when Samson is blind and has no energy left, he doesn’t want to fight. Samson challenges him and asks him to fight but Harapha refuses. Samson derides him and calls him a coward but Harapha ignores him and goes away.

After some time, a public officer comes to Samson and says that he will have to go to the temple of Philistine in the honor of their God. At first, Samson refuses as he feels it will offend his true God. But then he realizes that he must be there and agrees. Samson leaves with the public officer to their temple.

Later on, the chorus describes the events that happened at the temple and how Samson broke the pillars of the temple where all the three thousand Philistines were gathered together for the celebration. The chorus reveals that as the temple fell, Samson and all his enemies died together violently.

As Manoa returns, the chorus tells him about what happened. The chorus says that Samson killed every Philistine by bringing the building down but that also killed him. Manoa tells himself that his son did the right thing while the chorus thinks that there may have been a better way.

Themes: Violence is one of the major themes of Samson Agonises. Samson plans a mass murder-suicide as he kills civilian religious people attending a religious feast. Milton has extolled and praised all this in his poetic drama. Another important theme is a betrayal by women. The play centers around the betrayal of Samson at the hands of Dalila. Milton suggests that women and men’s desire for women is connected to idolatry against God and there can be nothing sacred within the bonds of marital love. Milton portrays the negative effect of love. Samson was holy and strong but desirous of Dalila and hence he shared his secret with her and hence disobeyed God. As a result, he was emasculated.

Blindness is also a major theme of this play. Milton was completely blind by the time he finished this job. He portrays Samson as ‘Eyeless in Gaza’ and expresses his own feelings about blindness through Samson. However, Samson’s blindness is much more. Samson got blinded by his sexual desires. Samson got blinded by Dalila’s feminine wiles.

Milton refined the character of Biblical Samson for his play. Biblical Samson is an egocentric, insensitive bully, he is neither morally correct nor intelligent. However, Milton turned him into a thoughtful person and compared him to a seventeenth-century Puritan.

So this is it about Samson Agonistes. We have covered most of the works by John Milton. L'Allegro and Il Penseroso are his companion poems written in octasyllabic couplets. Lycidas was a pastoral ellegy. Comus is a masque written by Milton, On His Blindness was a sonnet by Milton and Aeropagitica is a prose tract.

We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.

The Reivers by William Faulkner | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. William Faulkner is one of the only four writers who won two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction. The first one he got in 1954 for A Fable and the second was in 1963 for The Reivers which was published in 1962. It is the last novel by William Faulkner based in the fictional Yoknapatwapah county. Faulkner was known for writing serious Southern gothic novels with complex literary styles and structures. However, The Reivers is comparatively straightforward and lighthearted. The Reivers is a Picaresque Novel. A Picaresque novel deals with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero and in this case, he is Lucius Priest. Eleven-year-old Lucius Priest is persuaded by Boon Hogganbeck, one of his family’s retainers, to steal his grandfather’s car and make a trip to Memphis. The Priests’ black coachman, Ned McCaslin, stows away, and the three of them are off on a heroic odyssey, for which they are all ill-equipped, that ends at Miss Reba’s bordello in Memphis. From there a series of wild misadventures ensues—involving horse smuggling, trainmen, sheriffs’ deputies, and jail. Throughout his journey, Lucius learns much of the world, including the consequences of non-Virtue, as well as the power of racism, sexism, prejudice, and greed. However, through Ned's gentle guidance and Boon's opposite actions, Lucius also learns of honor, Virtue, glory, and humility.

Characters:

Lucius Priest is an eleven-year-old boy whose grandfather Boss Priest is a successful banker of Jefferson, Mississippi. Boon Hogganbeck is a family friend and male servant of Priests. He is young, strong, dimwitted, and very fond of Lucius Priest. Hogganbeck loves a woman named Corrie (or Everbe Corinthia) who is a prostitute. Hogganbeck wants to marry her. Ned McCaslin is a black servant of Priests who works with Hogganbeck at their stable. He is also a blood cousin of Priests. Otis is a nephew of Corrie of the same age as Lucius. Miss Reba is a brothel owner where Corrie lives with Otis. Sam is a railway worker at Prasham and Butch is a corrupt local lawman of Prasham. Coppermine is a stolen horse that Ned trades and Lucius rides in horseraces.

Summary:

The novel begins as Lucius Priest invites the readers to listen to one of his past stories that happened in 1905 when he was just 11 years old. The story is set in 1905 and it tells about three people of Jefferson, Mississippi who decide to travel to Memphis. Boon Hogganbeck is the family friend and servant of Lucius Priest’s grandfather. He is strong but dimwitted and is like a friend to Lucius. Lucius’s grandfather is a rich banker who bought one of the first cars in Yoknapatawpah county. His other grandfather recently died in St. Louis and his parents and grandfather went to his funeral. Back at Jefferson, Boon wants to visit Memphis as soon as possible so that he may meet and convince Corrie, a prostitute, to marry him. He has been a regular client of hers.

Since Hogganbeck has no way of getting to Memphis, He steals the car of Boss Priest and he and Lucius drive away to Memphis. Lucius is a young boy who never visited Memphis and non-virtue tempts him to be with Hogganbeck.

Soon they find out that Ned McCaslin, another servant of Priests and a back blood cousin of Lucius has stowed away with them. Ned is related to Lucius’s grandfather but since he is half-black, he has no share in his wealth. Hogganbeck is not very happy with the presence of Ned during the journey but he reluctantly allows Ned to travel to Memphis along with them.

As they travel further, they find out that the road is not in good condition and their speed is too slow. They are forced to stop at Miss Ballenbaugh’s, a store with lodging facilities. The next morning, they set off once again and reach Hell Creek bottom which is the deepest mud hole in the whole area. The car gets stuck in the mud and there is no way it can be freed. The trio tries their best and then gives up in exasperation. A local man sees the opportunity and offers them help in getting their car out of the mud with the help of his horses.

As their car gets out of Hell Creek, they begin their journey to Memphis again. Hagganbeck couldn’t wait to meet Corrie any longer so he decides to go directly to Miss Reba’s brothel along with Lucius and Ned. Miss Reba, the brothel owner, and Corrie both are disturbed after seeing an eleven-year-old boy at the brothel. Corrie is already sheltering her nephew Ottis at the brothel who is of the same age and another child appears to be troublesome at such a place. Anyhow, they settle the three visitors for a period. Ottis is an ill-mannered boy. In the evening, he tells that Corrie used to engage in prostitution in their old town and he used to charge men to watch her entertaining her clients through a peephole and thus make some money. Lucius gets angry and he fights Ottis. Ottis is stronger and he has a pocketknife with which he cuts Lucius’s hand. Hagganbeck breaks up the fight. Corrie sees this all and she is moved by the chivalry of Lucius. She tenders his wound and determines that she will leave prostitution and will lead a better life. The same night, Ned goes out and acts like a reckless gambler and trades the borrowed car to a stolen racehorse never known to have won any race.

Hagganbeck and Lucius get furious at Ned but they have no way to go to Mississippi and face Lucius’s grandfather without his car. Ned persuades Lucius and Lucius has no way but to accept to ride the stolen horse in a race in the hope of winning back his grandfather’s car. Ned convinces them that he knows a secret way to make any horse run and win any race. Ned tells them about a horserace going to be held soon in a nearby town Prasham. Miss Reba, Corrie, Ned, Hagganbeck, and Lucius hatch a plan to take the horse by rail to Prasham. Ned says that the other horse in the same race has defeated their horse Copper mine twice and thus, everyone will bet against their horse. However, he knows a secret way to make their horse run and win the race. Thus, Ned says that they can win enough money to buy back their car. Corrie uses the connection of one of her clients named Sam who works in railways to help them reach Prasham through a night train. However, Butch, a local lawman of Prasham finds them out and tries to force Corrie to sexually gratify him. However, Miss Reba threatens him that if he doesn’t let them go away, she will reveal to the public that he ordered two prostitutes to come to him and this will anger the public in his constituency.

Lucius rides Coppermine on the day of the race and as they planned, the horse loses the first round. As they prepare for the second round which they expected to win, Butch arrives and arrests Hagganbeck for stealing the horse. Lucius and one of Ned’s friends somehow take the horse to safety. Hagganbeck is released as Corrie supposedly agreed to sexually gratify Butch. The race resumes the next day and as they planned, Coppermine surprisingly wins the second heat. However, they couldn’t celebrate the win much as Boss Priest arrives at the racing track at the same time.

Boss Priest scolds them all and then Ned reveals his plan. He says that his cousin Bobo was in a difficult situation as he accrued a huge gambling debt to a white man. To repay the debt, Bobo agreed to steal a racing horse. Ned helped him in stealing the horse but when he saw the horse, he recognized some spirit in the horse that he once saw in a mule that he made to win a race. He thus decided to trade the car for the horse so that he could win the race. Through that money, he had planned to get back the car but Boss Priest’s arrival has ruined his plan.

Boss Priest listens to him carefully and agrees to let him use his trick to make Coppermine win the third heat of the race (Ned’s secret was to entice the horse with sardine.) Boss Priest agrees to bet the race. If they win, Boss Priest will pay $500 for the car and legally take the horse to Mississippi. If they lose, Boss Priest will pay $500 and will not be required to take the horse along with him. Anyhow, Bobo gets rid of his debt while Boss Priest will pay for the car.

Ned intentionally throws the race and Coppermine loses as he knows that Coppermine is a worthless horse. Boss Priest pays $500 and they all come back to Jefferson. At home, Lucius’s grandfather saves him from getting any punishment from his parents as he knows that the ordeal he has faced during his journey was enough punishment for him. Hagganbeck marries Corrie and after some time, Corrie gives birth to his child whom they name Lucius Priest Hagganbeck.

The Reiver is the only novel by William Faulkner with a happy ending in which the romantic hero (Hagganbeck) marries his lover. Unlike his other novels, it is a light-hearted story. This is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American Literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.

The Massacre at Paris by Christopher Marlowe | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Christopher Marlowe was the first Elizabethan dramatist who used blank verse in a versatile manner and that became the reason for the popularity of his tragic dramas. We have discussed his other popular dramas including Dido, The Queen of Carthage, Jew of Malta, and Doctor Faustus. The Massacre at Paris is probably the bloodiest Elizabethan drama as it included as many 18 murders in total, most of them stabbed, while some poisoned. Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus also gained fame because of the bloodshed shown it but Titus Andronicus had a depiction of 14 murders in total. Yet, Titus Andronicus is considered more gruesome and gory because of the depiction of the rape of Lavinia and how her hands and tongue were cut off so that she could not reveal the names of her rapists either by saying or by writing.

The Massacre at Paris was first performed by Lord Strange’s Men on 26 January 1593 by the title The Tragedy of the Guise. Later on, Admiral’s Men performed the same drama ten times between 19 June and 25 September 1594 by the title The Guise or The Massacre.

The Massacre is a history play. A History Play is based upon the real events of history that actually happened. The Massacre is based on the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre that happened in 1572. The play also depicts the assassination of Duke of Cardinal of Guise and of Henry III, the king of France that happened in 1588 and 1589, respectively.

Major Characters:

Christopher Marlowe was known for producing excellent Machiavellian characters for his plays. Tamburlaine, Doctor Faustus, and The Jew of Malta were prime examples of his creativity. The Machiavellian character of The Massacre At Paris is the Duke of Guise. Henry of Navarre is a reputed Huguenot Nobel who is being arranged to marry Margaret of Valois who is the sister of Catholic King Charles IX. Catherine de Medici is the Queen Mother of France, she is the mother of Margaret and Charles IX. Charles is the King of France, his son is Henry III who later becomes the King. Joyeux is a Catholic supporter confidante of the duke of Guise. Dumaine and Cardinal Loraine are brothers of Guise. Some minor characters are the Queen of Navarre, The Admiral who is the leader of the Huguenot faction, a friar, three assassins, and other courtiers.

Background:

The Massacre at Paris is a History play that depicts three true events of French History. During the late 1560’s France was suffering a religious civil war between Catholics and Calvinist Protestants (Huguenots). In 1570, the treaty of Peace of Saint Germain was signed between Catholic King Charles IX and Admiral Gaspard De Coligny who was leading the Huguenots. To strengthen the peace treaty, the marriage of Margaret of Valois and Henry of Navarre was to be held on 18August 1572. However, the peace treaty was fraudulent as the assassination of Gaspard De Coligny was attempted on 22 August 1572 when the majority of Huguenots were in Paris for the preparation of marriage. Later on, King Charles IX died and his son Henry III became the king. The Duke of Guise, who lead the assassination attempt of The Admiral was murdered in 1588, and Henry III was murdered in 1589 Christopher Marlowe was a British playwright and he depicted these events while showing Huguenots in a positive light while Catholics were shown villainous.

Summary:

The play begins with the marriage precessions of Margaret of Valois and Henry of Navarre in Paris. Mother Queen Catherine De Medici has cruel intentions against the Huguenots and while many prominent Huguenots are in Paris to attend the marriage, they also do not trust the Catholic administration. The leader of the Catholic faction is the Duke of Guise who has planned the murder of the Queen of Navarre and one of her admirals who is the leader of Huguenots. While the marriage happens peacefully. Duke of Guise’s plan is executed well as Queen of Navarre is murdered as she receives poisoned gloves. The Admiral is also attacked and shot but he survives despite being lethally wounded.

King Charles allows medical care of the Admiral and while he goes to meet the wounded admiral, Duke of Guise, Catherine de Medici and other members and leaders of the Royal Family plan a massacre to kill all the Huguenots who were present in Paris to attend the marriage. King Charles IX ordered the marriage of Henry of Navarre with his sister Margaret with the pure intention of bringing peace between the two religious factions. However, this move wasn’t supported by other Catholic people of prominence and hence he is forced by them and his own mother to allow the massacre of Huguenots.

Some trusted members of the Catholic faction attack the admiral again and murder him in his bed while other Catholics lead by Guise spread the massacre throughout Paris. Henry of Navarre is inside the Palace along with Margaret of Valois and he realizes that even his marriage to a Catholic princess failed to do any good to bring harmony between the two religious groups.

Guise and his trusted compatriots call for the blood of Huguenots and especially of any Huguenot who is in close relationship with the Navarre line. They do not let even the tutors and pastors favoring the Navarre line go unscathed. Henry of Navarre manages to save his life somehow and he reaches his own territory. Meanwhile, the massacre in Paris is considered successful. King Charles IX suffer death due to Tuberculosis.

After the death of King Charles IX, Mother Queen calls her son Henry III back from abroad and announces him to be the next King. However, she makes it clear in the court that the actual rein of power will remain in her hands.

Meanwhile, Henry of Navarre is disheartened though he is safe in Navarre. He learns that the Duke of Guise is raising an army to attack Navarre. Navarre decides to raise his army and send his soldiers to face the French army before they could reach the borders of Navarre. The army of Guise is led by Joyeux.

Henry soon gets the message that Joyeux has been killed and his army has been defeated. Guise is disappointed and angry because of this failure. Meanwhile, the new King Henry III realizes that Guise is proving to be too costly for France and decides to part ways with him. The rumors of Henry III planning to get rid of Guise reaches the ears of both Guise and Henry of Navarre. Navarre decides to make a move. Henry of Navarre sends a message to Henry III that he would like to join forces with him to help him get rid of the Duke of Guise. On the other hand, the Duke of Guise also prepares to tackle the threat.

However, before Henry of Navarre and Henry III could join their forces, Henry III succeeds in convincing the Duke of Guise to attend the Royal Court at Blois. Henry III then arranges three assassins to murder Duke of Guise, Guise is killed at Blois and Henry III then shows his dead body to Duke of Guise’s son to make it public that Guise has been killed. Then Henry III also orders the murder of Dumaine and Cardinal of Lorraine, brothers of the Duke of Guise, to avoid any act of revenge from their side. He goes to meet Catherine De Medici and informs her of what he has done. Mother Queen gets angry at him for doing such an act without taking her advice. Henry III realizes that Mother Queen was favoring Duke of Guise from start.

Henry III then joins forces with Henry of Navarre and together they fight against the Catholic League in Paris. Meanwhile, Dumaine comes to know about the assassination of his brother and decides to take revenge. A Friar offers his services to Dumaine and says that he can easily reach near to Henry III without letting anyone know his intentions and then he will murder Henry III.

The friar pretends that he has to deliver a letter of political importance to Henry III. Henry III allows him to meet him and then the friar stabs him. Henry III also attacks him and the friar dies. However, Henry III is also lethally wounded. As he realizes that he won’t survive, he announces his friend Henry of Navarre to be the next King of France. The play ends with Navarre, now Henry IV, vowing yet more revenge on the Catholic League.

Analysis:

Like other typical tragedies of the Elizabethan era, this play by Christopher Marlowe is also full of gory, murders, bloodshed, criminal plots, and political conspiracies. Cristopher Marlowe successfully depicted the actual events of the history of France from a Protestant’s point of view. Unlike Marlowe’s other famous plays, this play failed to face the test of time. The only surviving text is an octavo edition without any publishing date, which at 1,250 or so lines seems too short to represent the complete original play and which has been conjectured to be a memorial reconstruction by the actors who performed the work.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English Literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.