Therefore It Is

I was drawn into Keat's description of the serpent-lady. I expected something grotesque, but along with the writing style, the serpent-lady was painted in such a way that I could only describe it as beautiful.

"Eyed like a peacock, and all crimson barr’d;	50
And full of silver moons, that, as she breathed,
Dissolv’d, or brighter shone, or interwreathed
Their lustres with the gloomier tapestries—
So rainbow-sided, touch’d with miseries,"

The similes simply flow from one to another using words that exhibit color, "eyes like a peacock...full of silver moons...dissolv'd, or brighter shone..." This all drew me in and enticed me even though she was but a demon.

"Her throat was serpent, but the words she spake
Came, as through bubbling honey, for Love’s sake,	65
And thus; while Hermes on his pinions lay,
Like a stoop’d falcon ere he takes his prey."

Even after he reveals her anatomy, her words that "came, as through bubbling honey" creates a film over her true identity, making her seem even more lovely than she is intended to be. Perhaps this is done in an effort to draw his own audience in to realize that even the perceived notion of something that is unpleasant could be beautiful.

Religion in Christabel

There are small hints throughout the poem leading the reader to believe Geraldine is an evil creature because she constantly deflects any prayer or thanks given to religious figures. For example "[Christabel] 'Praise we the Virgin all Divine,/Who hath rescued thee from thy distress!'/'Alas, alas!' said Geraldine,/ 'I cannot speak for weariness" (halfway through part 1). Geraldine holds conversation with Christabel throughout their encounter and her rescue, however anytime a religious figure is made known by Christabel, Geraldine makes an excuse as to why she will not join in praise or prayer. This may be because (as we discussed in class) the lamia is a Greek mythology creature, not a creature created by the Christian God. However, it could also be a message of warning. Geraldine may be the embodiment of the French Revolution- a passionate, and beautiful idea of bringing power to the people; however, a ruthless and utterly disguising the process is below the surface, far from that of Christian ideas of love. Geraldine masks the good intention and trustfulness of Christabel (who can be viewed as England)  with the passions she is capable of stirring within the powerful figures of Christabel's life, perhaps making the story a warning to the people to keep morals above passions.

The Innocent and The Temptress

Cristabel is initially described as a helpless, innocent, girl who needs a man's protection and guidance.  There is no such pretence in Lamia.  She is automatically described as the seductress that even Nymphs and Satyrs cannot resist.  Hermes swears his allegiance to her and is bound to her.  She and Geraldine are in a way sisters.  They both have an unnatural and supernatural command over men. I think Lamia's power is greater than Geraldine's because mythical creatures and Gods are held to a higher standard than a mere mortal. The fact that Lamia can bewitch them so easily is proof of her greater power.

Lamia archetype in Coleridge and Keats

In Keats' "Lamia" references to ancient Greek mythology/theology is used frequently such as with " She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue"(50) which compares Lamia to the gordian knot which is snakelike in various ways. On the one hand, the gordian knot is a trick and feeds the Lamia archetype as deceptive and seductive; also, the physical shape of the gordian is snakelike. A similar approach is used in Coleridge's "Christabel" which also describes Cristabel as the snake both physically and metaphorically. In Keats' "Lamia", Lamia is trying to avoid Lycius by transforming into the snake whcih seems to vindicate that Lamia is not a sinister character and that Lycius is at fault and is responsible for entering into a world of sin. It presents sort of a paradox, the capacity Lamia possesses over man and thus the Lamia archetype is materialized in the man's own lust and inability to forbear impulses. Overall, it appears that Keats is more sympathetic to the Lamia.

Difference in Lamia

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Keats Lamia is described as something beautiful that has turned into something dark, sinister and miserable, but still holds a bit of the former beauty. Like line 55 and 56 where is says she seemed “some penanced lady elf, some demon’s mistress”. This is different from Geraldine because Geraldine has two looks. She can look like a damsel or the serpent. There is no in between. She had shrunken serpent’s eyes when not the damsel, that were dull and full of malice and dread. Keats description of Lamia makes me feel sad about the tragic beauty the being has that makes them so good at tricking their targets. While Coleridge’s description of the serpent woman make me feel distrustful of her and wary. Something about her seems off and the hissing does not help. What stands out about the descriptions is the different feel you get from reading them. They impress upon me different warnings, Keats dangerous beauty while Coleridge trickery and  not always believing what you see and hear.

Known and Unknown Monsters

When we are introduced to Lamia she is described as a serpentine monster with some redeeming human features. Only after receiving aid from Hermes does Lamia become a beautiful woman. Geraldine seems to be normal throughout “Christabel,” aside from several hints: needing help over the threshold in line 131, the growling dog in line 148, and the mark on her chest in line 252. Yet even though Lamia is the more physically monstrous, Geraldine strikes me as more evil. Lamia is motivated by her desire to be with Lycius. Geraldine is never given any motivation but the reader is still led to believe she has some ill intention. The mystery surrounding Geraldine makes her appear sinister. In reality there is not much to indicate that Geraldine is evil but Coleridge sets the reader up to believe that she is. Keats describes a monster but gives her motivation that is somewhat innocent. Geraldine, to me, is more frightening than Lamia because she is entirely mysterious.

Lamia and Geraldine and Their Differences

In literature, snakes tend to symbolize evil, deceit and even temptation and when combined with a female, it becomes unnatural, making it apart of the Gothic ways. It provokes a pleasurable fear derived from the woman's beauty and the snakes terrifying nature. In "Christabel," Coleridge presents Geraldine as a supernatural woman possessing qualities likes a snake. Keats use's Coleridge's idea of the snake woman in "Lamia." However, both authors present these women differently. Coleridge depicts Geraldine as evil. There are many instances in the poem that establish that Geraldine is not good. When the women walk past the dog, it growls, showing a sign that something is not right. Later Geraldine damages the relationship Christabel and her father have. Coleridge applies the idea that Geraldine is pleasurably terrifying and is made to be only evil and full of deceit. Keats on the other hand represents Lamia as something a little different. Though in the description of Lamia appears to look and be evil, from within ,she wishes to escape from her snake like form. Keats paints an entirely different picture, making Liam a sympathetic creature who isn't completely evil like Geraldine.  

Suggested horror vs. the horror in the details.

I found the differences between the two transformation scenes quite interesting. In Christabel, Coleridge does not describe what is under Geraldine’s robe. Lines 252-254 say, “Behold! Her bosom, and half her side – A sight to dream of, not to tell! O shield her! shield sweet Christabel.” It is as if the horror underneath those robes is too much to bear for Christabel, so the reader is put into that same position of turning away from it. Coleridge leaves it to the reader to imagine what horrifying things are under that robe. 

In contrast, Keats description of Lamia is very detailed with multiple colors, stripes, spots and peacock eyes. For this reason, Lamia doesn’t come across as scary as Geraldine does. With Geraldine, there is a fear of the unknown, but with Lamia, especially with the description of lines 47-67, there is no fear because you are too busy trying to imagine what this creature with a snake’s head, but a woman’s mouth looks like. There is more revulsion than fear. 

That continues when you get to witness the transformation of Lamia in lines 146-170. You would think the transformation of a serpent-like creature into a woman would be a magical experience, but Keats is very specific about what goes on. It’s almost like a chemical reaction with the way she foams at the mouth and the release of phosphorus and sparks. Keats uses volcanic imagery so there is this feeling of burning away her old form to create the new one. Before this, Lamia seems a bit devious because of the way she bargains with Hermes to get herself turned into a woman, but I found myself more sympathetic towards her after this description of her painful transformation.

Lamia and Geraldine: Damsels in Distress

I thought it was interesting while reading the two poems to compare Lamia and Geraldine in terms of their relationships with hero-like figures.  Hermes and Christabel have interactions with Lamia/Geraldine that are similar in some ways.

Lamia is trapped as a serpent (which in Greek culture is pretty low on the animal totem pole), and Hermes removes the illusion.  Through the retelling of her story, Geraldine is 'trapped' as a damsel in distress, but by having Christabel hear her story, the reader realizes that this is an illusion to.  The story is not sound.  "Five warriors" took her, yes...but where are they?  What was a plausible purpose for their leaving, and more importantly, what is her purpose for staying?  There is something Geraldine is not willing to tell Christabel.  Geraldine's flawed story suggests the absence of an important detail, or at the very least, that Geradline is not what she seems (which is reinforced later on with the "bad omens" upon Geraldine's arrival).

There are some other slight differences here.  Hermes only helps Lamia after she helps him by giving him his water nymph.  Geraldine, on the other hand, does not really give Christabel anything of value, except maybe the opportunity to feel like a moral person by helping her.  Whereas Hermes helps Lamia as a reward for her actions, Christabel takes in Geraldine as an act of kindness.

Lamia is portrayed in more of a submissive role.  She immediately wants Lycius and ultimately does not get him; she's punished towards the end of the poem.  It is a male figure that gives her her human form (Hermes) and a male figure that ruins her (Apollonius).  She has a very reactionary existence.

Gerladine is more conniving.  She holds more cards than Christabel (or the reader) is aware of.  Both characters play the part of a damsel in distress, but while Lamia goes along with whatever happens to her, Geraldine seems to have an ulterior motive, something that the reader can only approximate since the poem itself was never completed.

Lamia and Geraldine

I found it odd how Geraldine was described as being a "perfect" woman and decided to look up the mythology of Lamia and found out that Lamia was a mistress of Zeus and made to either kill/consume her children by Hera. The mark of snake skin on her body a way of reminding Lamia of her sin of adultery. The fact that Geraldine is a Lamia figure and her interest in Christabel makes me wonder about whether or not Geraldine was getting friendly in order to eat her and satisfy her savage instincts. This idea is that Christabel and Geraldine are doppelgangers and why Geraldine is suppoused to represent everything that women are suppoused to strive to be her vicious behavior in her sensuality and how she seems to use that in the second act recasts her as something to be reviled and disgusted with.

Difference in Descriptions

Keats describes Lamia with contradictions. She is not just one color but variations of colors. She has characteristics of a zebra but also that of a leopard. The moons are dissolv’d or shine bright. In line 53 lustres contradicts the connotation given in the word gloomier. In lines 55 and 56 she is a lady elf, as wells as a demon’s mistress or a demon’s self. Keats description prepares for the idea that Lamia is not what she seems and although she appears in a certain state and manner it is a deception. The description makes the reader wary of this deception. Coleridge, however, describes Geraldine in correlating terms. She is a damsel bright in white silken robes. She is stately and glitters with gems in her hair. Geraldine is surprising because of her exceeding beauty. In lines 146-170 Lamia is somewhat exposed. She is described in negative words that bring about the typical image of a serpent. The mixed colors and animal images from before are replaced here with the picture of pain scarlet, yellow, and hot.