The Supernatural in Modern English FictionScarborough, Dorothy
History
The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction
Scarborough, Dorothy
English fiction -- History and criticism; Supernatural in literature
=The Devil.= The devil incarnate is one of the familiar figures in the
terror novel. Here, as in the case of the ghost, we see the influence
of the dramatic rather than of the epic tradition. He is akin to
Calderon's wonder-working magician and Marlowe's Dr. Faustus rather
than to the satanic creations of Dante and Milton. He is not a dread,
awe-inspiring figure either physically or as a personality, though he
does assume terrifying, almost epic proportions in the closing scenes
of _The Monk_ and _Zofloya_. Neither is he as human, as appealing to
our sympathies as the lonely, misjudged, misunderstood devils in later
fiction. We neither love nor greatly fear the Gothic demon. Yet he does
appear in interesting variants and deserves our study.
In Hogg's _Hunt of Eildon_ the devil comes in as a strange old man who
yet seems curiously familiar to the king and to everyone who sees him,
though no one can remember just when he knew him. There is a clever
psychologic suggestiveness here, which perhaps inspired a similar idea
in a recent play, _The Eternal Magdalen_. Later he is recognized and
holy water thrown on him.
The whole form and visage of the creature was changed in a moment
to that of a furious fiend. He uttered a yell that made all the
abbey shake to its foundations and forthwith darted away into the
air, wrapt in flames. As he ascended, he waved his right hand and
shook his fiery locks at his inquisitors.
There is nothing dubious about his personality here, certainly!
Satan appears dramatically in _The Monk_ as well. His first visits
are made in the form of attractive youth. Ambrosio, who has been led
into sin by the dæmonic agent, Matilda, is awaiting death in the
Inquisition cell, when she comes to see him to urge that he win release
by selling his soul to the devil. But the repentant monk refuses her
advice, so she departs in a temper of blue flame. Then he has a more
dread visitant,--Lucifer himself, described as follows:
His blasted limbs still bore the marks of the Almighty's thunders;
a swarthy darkness spread itself over his gigantic form; his hands
and feet were armed with long talons.... Over his huge shoulders
waved two enormous sable wings; and his hair was supplied by living
snakes which twined themselves with frightful hissings. In one hand
he held a roll of parchment, and in the other an iron pen. Still
the lightnings flashed around him and the thunder bursts seemed to
announce the dissolution of nature.
Ambrosio is overawed into selling his soul and signs the compact with
his blood, as per convention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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