Keywords

Poe, Ligeia, Christ, Symbols, Christianity, Disciple, Savior, Death

Abstract

Common readings of "Ligeia" involve the sinister and supernatural. For many critics, Ligeia is a witch by default, shrouded in sorcery and evil powers. Alan Brown uses this kind of idea in his article, “Edgar Allan Poe’s Use of Gothic Conventions in ‘Ligeia;’” as he argues that this tale exemplifies the use of the Gothic (109). Certainly, the story contains undeniable Gothic aspects. Brown, though, fails to see certain evidence in any way other than the narrow Gothic scope. For Daryl E. Jones in “Poe’s Siren: Character and Meaning in Ligeia,” Ligeia is literally the siren from Greek myth, a resident of the Rhine city bent on destroying the narrator (33). This analysis takes for granted that Ligeia seeks personal gain, namely life, by destroying the narrator. Stephen Rowe, in “Poe’s Use of Ritual Magic in His Tales of Metempsychosis,” attributes the supernatural of the story to magic, portraying “Ligeia” as a tale of witchcraft. All of these, and many other analyses, portray Ligeia with evil powers and motives, bent on destruction or domination of some kind.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2015-03-11

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/3345

College

Humanities

Department

English

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