The Necessity of "Apparent" Death

While reading the stories of "The Pagan Hero and the Christian Saint," I came across, to my very great surprise, the answers to the questions that I had been trying to comprehend for the last few weeks in class. Why was it necessary for men and women to "die" in romances? Why did the heroes and heroines of the stories have to fall from grace, become as if dead, in stories that are supposed to have happy endings? It is not enough to say that the perceived death spurs the plot along, for there are many other devices that the authors could use if they so desired. Pirates and witches, pits and marriage all provide ample material that could keep a plot going. It would not be very profound, true. But there is so much material that can be added to the story-arch of romance that the apparent death seems at first glance a peripheral thread much like the marriage or the pirates. In the hopes of finding an answer, I first looked at "Beren and Luthien" another of my blogs which anyone is welcome to read. As I wrote, I noticed the beauty of the sacrifice of Luthien's immortality so that she might be with Beren, and they could die together. I felt that the greatest part of the romance came when the two came together to live in the brief brilliance of mortality that made the gods envious. My analysis, in other words, was that the apparent death of Beren was postponed by Luthien's sacrifice, and through that Christ like action, to steal an idea from Frye, I saw the greatest form of Romance. It was my belief that the apparent death was merely another obstacle which the hero and heroine had to overcome in order to show their true love for one another.

To my shame, I must now admit that I was wrong, as Dr. Sexson has pointed out, but I was wrong in a way of which I could not have, at the moment, even imagined. In reading "The Pagan Hero and the Christian Saint," I came across what I now believe to be the true answer for the necessity of apparent death, and the poetry of that moment is magnificent. Zimmer states of pg 44 sating that "[destruction]--death--is but an outer mask of transformation into something better or something worse, higher or lower." He goes on to say that the "unconscious intuitive forces" that guide us through life "understand that death, the dolorous sundering, is a prelude to rebirth, transmutation and reunion... they know, namely, that there is no death" (45). In other words, what we see as death in these stories is nothing more than the caterpillar slipping into a cocoon to become a butterfly. For all apparent intents and purposes, the creature is dead, unable to move or eat, oblivious to the world around it, buried alive in a tomb if you will. It  is only once the caterpillar emerges from its long slumber as the beautiful butterfly (for fun see here any connections you wish to Psyche and the soul) that we understand that the death was necessary for the transformation.

Zimmer is specifically referring to Conn-eda, and goes on to make the same general connections to the Christian St. John. His main argument being that the two innocent individuals, devoid of any amount of evil, needed to experience death in order to become the truly perfect leaders that they were meant to be. Conn-eda must understand the dangers of the world, of treachery and betrayal, and be able to make hard decisions in order to be the powerful ruler he is destined to be. John must understand sin and all that it implies before he can truly absolve people of their own dark deeds.

While this is true of the two characters in the stories that Zimmer puts forth, in order to truly understand the necessity of apparent death in romance, I have tried to use the same logic for each of the stories that I have read so far for class. The hardest, perhaps, is the first, that is to say The Ephesian Tale does not have much apparent death except that the two lovers consider the other lost. My only argument for the power of death as transformation would be the somewhat farfetched idea that a separation of two lovers early in their union, before they can even consummate the marriage if I remember correctly, is to test their love for one another, to drive home the understanding that chastity and fidelity are important characteristics of the individual that will lead the two to a long and happy life. It thus transforms their love from a spark that may catch fire for a moment and burn bright, only to die as suddenly as it sprang up, to the fiery embers that burn slow and hot throughout their lives.

In Daphnis and Chloe, the apparent death comes when the children are left in the pastures to die. Eventually they are returned to their parents and live lives of splendor and grandeur that they could never have imagined. I would argue that the apparent death comes as necessary in this story because it gives the two a taste of the purity and innocence of the pastoral world that helps to define their lives, and their love, in the urban community of which they later find themselves a part. On another, side note, it is only after Daphnis has learned the art of love from the widow that he can truly be the lover he wishes for Chloe. Interestingly enough, the little death (see orgasm) comes only after sex, and could therefore be seen as a type of death from which Daphnis emerges wiser in the world. (Just a fun fact some of you might enjoy.)

In Callirhoe, I would argue, the apparent death is quite obvious, though the lesson that we are supposed to learn from it may not be. If we remember, however, the events that lead to Callirhoe's apparent death, the answer may come more easily than we originally anticipated. After all, it is Chaereas's anger at his new wife's apparent infidelity that causes a reaction, he kicks her so hard she seems to die, that leads to the burial and Chareas's subsequent trial. It is only after the rest of the story that we see the change the death has caused in Chaereas. Threatened by the King of Persia, Chaereas is ready to go to battle with the man, but listens to his newly returned wife Callirhoe and instead acts wisely, giving the King his possessions back and returning to Syracuse with his resurrected bride.

Lucius or The Ass is also difficult, mainly because we do not receive from the shortened version the lesson that The Golden Ass proffers at the end. In trying to remember the lesson, I believe that it is the concept of man falling from his lofty position into the form of an ass, for all intents and purposes dead to those around him, that teaches the man the error of his lecherous ways and puts him on a path toward divine understanding to which he would have been blind otherwise.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories is perhaps the most like "The Pagan Hero" in that Haroun, dead through the state of dreams, learns the importance of both silence and storytelling, that both light and dark have their merits, much as Conn-eda learns the importance of both the kindness he holds throughout his life and the ability to kill in necessity, to be hard when the moment calls for it.

Interestingly enough it is only Abu Kasim who does not learn to change, and it is this inability to alter himself that leads to his ultimate destruction.

Thus, we come to the end of this long, and often rambling tale. I hope that the brief survey that I've just outlined goes in some way towards being helpful to anyone who, like myself, wondered at the importance of a death that wasn't even true to the larger narrative scheme of a romance. In the little while since I read "The Pagan Hero" my own perspective has been considerably altered. I now see death not as an obstacle to be overcome, a fiery hoop through which the hero must and does pass unscathed, but rather a fire that must singe and burn either hero or heroine or both in order to lead them to their ultimate goals, to make them the characters that they were born to be. They come through the fire singed and burned, altered beyond repair, but it is a repair that is unnecessary for in passing through the flames, they have burned away the fat so to speak. Scarred, yet somehow stronger for the experience, the moth emerges from its cocoon to the light of a new day, unfurls its wings and flies, seeing the world from a different perspective yet never forgetting its time as the caterpillar.

A Possible Example of Romance

While contemplating what Dr. Sexson described as the apparent death and wondering how I could best understand the three other concepts of romance, I came across a rather strange example of what I thought would perfectly match the criteria that we have established to this point. That is not to say that it is the perfect romance by any stretch of the imagination, only that it meets the criteria for a romance and, as popular culture, provides a succinct example of the concepts we seem to be discussing in class. And so, without further ado, I offer for the reader's consideration Gladiator. This is the point where anyone who has not watched the film should either concede that they do not care about spoilers or go and watch the movie before reading the rest of the blog.

I will concede that on the surface, Gladiator does not seem to be a romance. After all, his wife and child are murdered, crucified by Roman legionnaires, however, if we look closer, I think that it becomes apparent that the movie, though masked by brutality and bloodshed, is in the end romantic.

Let us begin then with the first apparent death. Maximus, our hero, is introduced as a character of exceeding nobility, a man who has led the Romans to countless victories over their enemies. As the film opens, he is once again caught in a battle with men from Gaul. The battle goes as planned, and Maximus is soon reunited with his friend the Emperor. The plot proceeds rapidly now. The Emperor implores Maximus to take over for him after he dies because he fears the power that his son would have over the empire. Commodus, the son, learns of this, kills his father, and has Maximus taken out into the countryside where the once proud general is to be murdered. Maximus, of course, escapes without the knowledge of Commodus and races home to protect his family. There he finds the bodies crucified above the front gate of the villa. It is that this point that he falls into a fevered state from one of his wounds and is picked up by slavers who take him to be sold as a gladiator.

Death, then, comes in many forms for Maximus. He is presumed dead by Commodus. His wife and child are killed, and he soon falls from his lofty position to the lowest of slaves. He is no longer a man that others respect but one that they expect to die for their amusement. For all intents and purposes, the man that we knew at the beginning of the film is dead, replaced by a desperate warrior with only one thought on his mind: Revenge.

This brings us to the second of our requirements, the quest. It is at this point that Maximus attempts to work his way up the ladder so to speak. At first, he resigns himself to dying in the arena, to truly becoming what he no doubt feels inside. However, soon he learns that he can perhaps meet the Emperor, now Commodus, if he is impressive enough. What follows, and I am doing a poor job of explaining the plot here, are a series of battles and chess moves that eventually brings Maximus face to face with Commodus (our first revelation).

Each side then sets about plans to overthrow the other. Maximus and several of his friends attempt to escape, only to find that Commodus has found out their plan. Many of the men are murdered, though a few are left alive, including Maximus, to fight one final time in the arena. Commodus, seeking to gain the favor of the people, plans a fight for himself against Maximus and, using the froda that he constantly does throughout the movie, stabs the stronger man in the back before the match so that his stronger opponent is not able to use the full extent of his forza. In the end, though, Commodus is killed, ironically enough by the very hidden blade with which he sought to weaken Maximus.

Maximus dies as well, however, and the first few times that I saw this movie, I thought that part to be sad. However, our recent forays into the world of romance have shown me that this is, in fact, both the final revelation and the happy ending we have been seeking all along. Maximus is reunited with his family in Elysium, I did not say that the movie was wholly accurate, and strangely enough, there is a sense that the republic of Rome, once thought dead, is now revived and ready to take its place again.

 

In the end, I hope that I have shown a modern interpretation of a classic romance. Though on its surface Gladiator appears to be a sad movie where the main character dies, that appearance masks the more romantic view that the entire movie takes. We watch a man fall from grace, search for vengeance, gain  all that he has lost back, and, in the end live happily ever after with his wife and child. In the back ground, the country itself echoes the plight of the man. First it is great as a republic, then it falls into the hells of empire, before finally reemerging as the dreamed for republic again. And if that is not romance, I do not know what is.

Daphnis and Chloe

In the introduction to Greek Fiction, Helen Morales introduces us to a concept that, in my own original reading of Daphnis and Chloe, I had not understood or deemed as less noteworthy. She points out that the style of the "novel", if I may use her own word, suggests an education on love, an attemt to define it for those who have never known the embrace of love or to awaken memories within those who have already tasted its nectar.

Perhaps it is not coicedence, then, that Daphnis and Chloe do not understand their attraction to one another and cannto express their affections beyond the shared kisses and embraces that lack the pure intimacy they so desire to both convey to the other and feel for themselves. They know that they are in love bur are incapable of expressing themselves, lacking the knowledge of the world that would allow them to move beyond simple contact. It is interesting to note that the two lovers, if they can truly be called that at this point of the story, take their cues from the animals around them. Often animals are seen as the most innocent of creatures, and it is the the time that Daphnis and Chloe spend with these creatures that makes them so ignorant of their own society and customs, that leaves them with a lack of understanding with regards to their feelings. Yet, the goats and sheep, almost in counterpoint to the innocence of the two humans' own innocence, exist with an internal knowledge and understanding of what to do and when to do it. They do not need a secret tutor leading them off into the woods for private instruction.

This leads us, then to a predicament, for we can see that Daphnis and Chloe are drawn together by some passion that they cannot comprehend, some natural desire that pushes them together. yet, this same deep-seated attraction seems to be parallel to, if not slightly overshadowed by a logical portion of the mind that needs both instruction and understanding in order to fully grasp the notions of the more primitive brain.

Longus, it would seem then, sought to show his audience that love is something both primeval and logical, based within the deepest roots of desire while still pertaining to the brain and all its powers of understanding. It is this that he is, perhaps, referring to when he states that he hopes the story will "bring back memories for those who have know love, and... give instruction to those who have not..." (Morales 137). Thus we can see passion burning away the cobwebs of a love grown cold and dark while those who are yet uninformed can begin to see the first blueprints of a design that is at once simple and immensely complicated.

Beren and Luthien

So in reading for one of my other classes, I came across a great romance that I thought I would share with the rest of you. As the title of this blog suggests, it's called "Beren and Luthien" and is a chapter in the book by J. R. R. Tolkien. The chapter itself is rather long, but I'll try to sum it up in a few sentences or so.

A man named Beren is wandering through an enchanted forest when he comes across Luthien. She is, of course, the most beautiful elf in the world. As such, he is instantly spell bound and can only pine after the woman after she vanishes into the trees. He spends the next few years wandering the forest in search of her until he finally sees her again and calls out to her. She turns to look at him and is, of course, at once spell bound by him as well. Of course they must go to her father and get his permission for the marriage. He, not wanting to lose his daughter to a human tells the man that he will give her hand in marriage if he will only bring a jewel from the crown of the evil demon king in the north. He, of course, expects the man to die in the quest and so feels confident in his agreement. Beren accepts the mission and sets off to accomplish this task. There are several adventures that ensue during which Beren and Luthien struggle through several hazards in order to accomplish their goal. I will not tell you the specific details as I might want to use part of this for my final romance, and I think each of you should pick up the book if only to read that chapter. Needless to say they succeed and eventually return the jewel to the king, though Beren is mortally wounded in the process. Perhaps the most romantic portion of the story comes, then, when Luthien travels to the land beyond the sea and receives a boon from the gods, so great is her grief. She may either choose to leave the world of men behind and live in the world of gods without any memory of her beloved, or she can give up her immortality and return with Beren to the land of men. She, of course, chooses the latter, and they are both given their lives back to live and die together as mortals.

This story was perhaps most memorable to me because of the end. I remembered Dr. Sexson mentioning the other day that romance always ends in death and I couldn't help but notice that perhaps the most romantic aspect of this particular story was an immortal elf giving up immortality, even eternal peace to live but a short time with her true love. It seems then that the greatest understanding of love comes as the flame burns brightest, but in its bright burning, it is burned up more quickly, and we are required to love all the more fiercely. I guess what I'm trying to say in a round about sort of way is that it is through our mortality that we can love and live as we do. In Troy, a not so fantastic movie, but one that was brought to mind by the puppet show on Friday, Brad Pitt explains that it is the gods who are jealous of men because it is our mortality that drives us to greatness, that spurs us into heroic acts that would never be considered before. Immortals last. They can hold grudges and maintain feuds for a millennium. Man loves because he does not know what breath will be his last or whether his next moments will give him the immortality that only song can bring.

Returning then to "Beren and Luthien,"  it is this same understanding of love as something special and bonding, uniquely through death, that creates a fantastic, and I would perhaps argue, perfect romance. The loves of both main characters for the other, leads each to their deaths, and, while those deaths are at one time postponed, still each chooses to give up much longer lives in exchange for the other, and there is true beauty in that choice.