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Appearance v Reality (The protagonist is a Knight whom's downfall is…
Appearance v Reality
The protagonist is a Knight whom's downfall is created by appearance clouding reality. It is a classical tragedy as the tragic hero falls from great nobility. His infatuation with love blinds reality which is his hamartia.
In this poem, Madeline becomes obsessed with an ancient ritual. She is more focused on hallucinations and visions rather than reality. Keats believed in dreaming as rationality oppressed the human spirit, similar to Blake's views.
Eve of St Agnes
'Hoodwink'd and faery fancy' supernatural element, hamartia as easy manipulated and ignoring your surroundings is dangerous. Madeline acts like she is in a trance, even under the influence of drugs.
'Awhile she dreams awake', this suggests to us that Madeline is daydreaming. She is ignoring her surroundings. She is obsessed with making the ritual happen and won't let it naturally occur. Her tragic downfall due to her determinedness?
'perplex'd she lay' she is motionless and lifeless. The ritual has taken over her life and made her easy to manipulate. She is naked here too.
'Into her dream he melted'. Porphyro snuck into her room and manipulated her into thinking he is her 'true love' as part of the ritual. Her hamartia is her naivety.
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La Belle Dame Sans Merci
'I saw Pale Kings', more ghostly figures and classic tragic heroes.
'latest dream I ever dream'd' The repetition of dream suggests the experience is not real. The cycle returning back to the 'cold hillside' where 'no birds sing provides Catharsis as the cycle of life continues, it is a new day.
The Knight saw 'nothing else all day'. He was so obsessed with the woman and her beauty he failed to see past it. Reality didnt matter.
'With anguish moist and fever dew' imagery of illness. Fevers are often associated with hallucinations which could suggest that the Knight's experience is just a dream.
'Alone and paley loitering' ghost like figure, we the readers dont know if the protagonist is real. Adds mystery to the poem.
Lamia
In 'Lamia' part 1 and 2, there is tension between reality and appearance. Lamia was written when Keats was diagnosed with TB. Lamia is desperate to escape reality, same as Keats. Rationality is what destroys Lamia, also similar to Keats.
Lamia is the protagonist. She is not entitled to human love. Even though she is a serpent, Keats is sympathetic as he calls her 'bright lady' and 'full born beauty'. The poem is about how love is an illusion. Lamia's hamartia is debatable, she thinks she can avoid reality forever which is naive.
'Philosophy will clip an angels wings' the rationality of life can destroy a human and their spirit. Similar to Blake, he argued that institutions like education and strict religion and rules of society oppressed humans.
'Nothing said but pale and meek' Lamia appears weak and frail. Her personality is written off and the only thing relevant her is her beauty. Keats was in love with Fanny Brawne, his letters to her talked about her blinding beauty. Lamia is Fanny Brawne.
'Uninvited guest' and 'good instructor'. Apollonius represents rationality which Keats doesn't like. Focusing on the imagination and appearance doesn't seem tangible in twenty first century society. The issue of control is a main idea in the Romantic poem 'Lamia' - Maldruga
Isabella
Isabella is about a woman from a noble family whom want her to marry 'some high and noble and his olive trees', instead she falls for Lorenzo, one of her brothers employees. Her brothers find out and murder. She finds out in a dream.
'It was a vision - In the drowsy gloom' gloom is quite depressing, once again similar to 'Eve of St Agnes', we see a young girl getting attached to the thought of a vision and dream. Distanced from reality.
'died in drowsy ignorance' the word drowsy has been used again, shows the character is not in a stable state