In Lermontov’s The Demon, we are plunged into a world of ontology in which one can question his/her own existence and human intentions in parallel with the story of the Demon. Through the use of clear characterization and understanding of human nature, Lermontov is able to humanize the Demon by depicting him as a symbol of isolation, emotion and rebellion. Because of this, one is able to relate to the main character of the poem on a level of empathy due to the understanding of human nature and what it is to exist in our world or a fictional world.
From the beginning of the poem, the main character is portrayed as evil, as he interacts with the setting, the Caucasus, in a tyrannical way. Despite this, the idea of the Demon being of bad nature is just the surface description of the character since he “sowed evil without enjoyment”. This creates a new depth to the character and begins to highlight the idea that he isn 't content with the way he is “living” and seeks something deeper. As the story develops, we begin to see that the Demon is motivated to cause terror by very real, human characteristics and begins to project them. The Demon has the desire to break free of his isolation and sees the chance to do so when he is captivated by his love interest
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The humanization of the Demon done by the author creates an atmosphere in which something so terrible and tyrannical is used as a symbol of isolation, emotion, and rebellion that we as humans experience regularly. In our physical world we are bound by time, space, social constraints, and emotion just as the Demon is in his fictional world. By portraying the Demon’s dilemmas in a human way, Lermontov simply tells a beautifully tragic and elaborate story in which evil projects human qualities allowing us to feel empathy and connection with others, whether they are fictional or