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Supernatural Elements In Matthew Lewis The Monk

1178 Words5 Pages

The term Goth or gothic has had many changes and renditions over the years, all of which depict a darker execution of the human mind. Regarding modern, the term gothic is a popular style or lifestyle developed that follows elements of high emotion, which relate to dark undertones. This subculture of gothic was highly influenced by gothic fiction, a writing style that carried elements of horror and romance. The term Gothic fiction is characterized by elements of horror, death, terror and gloom with romantic undertones that coincide with strong emotions. Matthew Lewis offered the first characteristics to follow the genre of Gothic fiction in his explicit novel of monastic violence and perversions entitled The Monk published in 1796. Lewis's portrayal …show more content…

One of the earliest examples of supernatural themes within the novel is seen in the horrific prophecy of Antonia’s future. “That destruction o’er you hovers. Lustful Man and crafty Devil Will combine to work your evil. And from earth by sorrows driven. Soon your Soul must speed to heaven.” (Lewis, page 30) Such a prediction is dismissed by Antonia, of which she later pays the price for this with her life after being raped and murdered by Bleeding Nun, a haunting figure, is another example of supernatural in the text. The supernatural imagery is described as being "above nature or belonging to a higher realm or system than that of nature" The story of the Bleeding Nun is a horrifying element that also foreshadows the struggles of Agnes. Lewis never truly explains the depiction of supernatural elements in the novel, but rather uses these elements to emphasize qualities of certain characters, such as foreshadowing and mocking female terror and the wickedness of male horrors. Upon the Bleeding Nun’s first meeting with Raymond "Immediately thick clouds obscured the sky: The winds howled around us, the lightning flashed, and the Thunder roared tremendously. ”(Lewis, page 33) In this description of the haunting figure, Lewis used the imagery of nature to increase the horror of the character. But not only does Lewis implement the eeriness of supernatural to dictate the horror in his novel, but he also uses consequences of his characters

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