History Literature / TheMonk

But this is only the beginning of Ambrosio's descent into sin, and soon all of their paths will collide tragically. ItGotWorse is an understatement.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The scenes between Raymond and the Bleeding Nun are interestingly similar to Jonathan Harker's encounter several decades later with the three brides of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Count Dracula]]...

* CompleteMonster: Invoked in the text as Ambrosio's last redeeming quality was potential eventual salvation, and he gave that up, too.
* CreepyCathedral: Not to mention creepy monastery and creepy nunnery.

* ParentalAbandonment: Ambrosio was raised in a monastery after having been left there as a baby.

* VillainProtagonist: Ambrosio, who was never a particularly nice or forgiving person to begin with, quickly falls from what grace he had and over the course of the story gets involved in BlackMagic, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]], and murder.

** Several [[{{NestedStory}} Nested Stories]] concerning characters who aren't really important to the plot told within each of these plotlines.

** Several {{NestedStory}}ies concerning characters who aren't really important to the plot told within each of these plotlines.

* StartOfDarkness: Ambrosio has sex with Matilda, and it's all downhill for him from there.

But this is only the beginning of Ambrosio's decent into sin, and soon all of their paths will collide tragically. ItGotWorse is an understatement.

* LiteralGenie: Satan promised to take Ambrosio out of the dungeon. He made no promises about where Ambrosio would be going to get out.

But this is only the beginning of Ambrosio's decent into sin, and soon all of their paths with collide tragically. ItGotWorse is an understatement.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Before he gives in to Matilda, Ambrosio is bitten by a snake.

* RapeIsLove: This is Antonio's justification for raping Antonia. Of course, afterward he is disgusted with her because she is no longer pure and kills her.

* CompleteMonster: Invoked in the text as Ambrosio has no redeeming qualities by the end of the story.

** Elvira thus is very protective of her daughter's marriage prospects and insists Lorenzo receive permission before getting too interested in Antonia.

After his sermon, Ambrosio meets a [[TheApprentice young student of his]] named Rosario, but it seems to him that Rosario is out of sorts today. Indeed, Rosario tells him a sad story of [[IHaveThisFriend his sister]] Matilda who loved a man who spurned her, and she died. When Ambrosio is sympathetic to Matilda's tragedy, Rosario reveals that [[SweetPollyOliver he is actually Matilda]] and [[StalkerWithACrush Ambrosio is her beloved]]. Ambrosio tells her to leave the monastery at once, but her determination to [[DrivenToSuicide kill herself]] if she has to leave makes him waver. Slowly but surely, Matilda convinced Ambrosio that she should be allowed to stay, even though she's a woman. That it would not be a problem for them to love each other. That it would not be a sin to [[SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny break their vows of chastity]].

After his sermon, Ambrosio meets a [[TheApprentice young prodigy of his]] named Rosario, but it seems to him that Rosario is out of sorts today. Indeed, Rosario tells him a sad story of [[IHaveThisFriend his sister]] Matilda who loved a man who spurned her, and she died. When Ambrosio is sympathetic to Matilda's tragedy, Rosario reveals that [[SweetPollyOliver he is actually Matilda]] and [[StalkerWithACrush Ambrosio is her beloved]]. Ambrosio tells her to leave the monastery at once, but her determination to [[DrivenToSuicide kill herself]] if she has to leave makes him waver. Slowly but surely, Matilda convinced Ambrosio that she should be allowed to stay, even though she's a woman. That it would not be a problem for them to love each other. That it would not be a sin to [[SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny break their vows of chastity]].

* FamilyMarriageVeto: The reason Antonia was raised away from Madrid is her parents had to flee from her father's parents when they disapproved of his marriage.

* IncorruptablePurePureness: This is interestingly the quality about women that Ambrosio lusts after. When it turns out that purty can indeed be corrupted, he turns petulant and spiteful.

* ParentalAbandonment: Ambrosio was raised in a monastery after having been left there

* BrotherSisterIncest[/]SurpriseIncest: It's a Gothic novel, it had to happen somewhere. [[spoiler: As it turns out, Antonia and Ambrosio have the same mother. As if his raping her wasn't bad enough.]]

* CreepyCathedral: Not to mention creepy monestary and creepy nunnery.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Even for a woman as heartless as the prioress. She gets ripped to shreds by an angry mob.
* DealWithTheDevil: Towards the end when Ambrosio finds himself in way over his head, Matilda tells him if he will give his soul to Satan, he can be saved from the angry mob. Ambrosio accepts.

* DrivenToSuicide: Matilda swears that if she can't have Ambrosio or at least be near him, she will kill herself. This threat goes away later for reasons unexplained.

* FatalFlaw: Ambrosio commits the sin of pride long before he starts commiting any of his truly deplorable acts. It is his pride that allows him to believe himself holy while he continues to sin.

* HairOfGold: Played straight with Antonia and initially with Matilda as well. This is emphasized by a portrait of the Virgin Mary that was painted using Matilda as the model.

* HolierThanThou: This is how Ambrosio justifies having sex with Matilda even after he exposed a young nun for having a lover. He's just that awesome.
* TheIngenue: Antonia, who is only fifteen when the book opens, and extremely sheltered from having grown up in an isolated castle with her mother. She even read an edited version of the Bible because her mother believed the text to be too violent.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: This is interestingly the quality about women that Ambrosio lusts after. When it turns out that purty can indeed be corrupted, he turns petulant and spiteful.

* LiteralGenie: Satan promised to take Ambrosio out of the dungeon. He made no promises about where Ambrosio would be going to get out.

* LoveTriangle: Lorenzo and Antonia are in love. Too bad for them, Ambrosio wants Antonia, too.
* MadonnaWhoreComplex: Certainly the view of Ambrosio, who tires of Matilda [[spoiler: and Antonia for that matter]] after she is no longer "pure." Lewis himself seems to take a less extreme stance on the matter, painting [[spoiler: Antonia]] as an innocent victim.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: In the manner of all Gothic fiction, there are elements of the story that the characters can't discern as natural or supernatural. Much of the suspense and horror of the story derives from this. [[spoiler: Ultimately the supernatural is proven to be real in this world, but that only resolves things that have happened to Ambrosio. Appearances of ghosts and the like are never explained.]]

* MySecretPregnancy: Agnes tries to hide that she is pregnant with Raymond's child. This of course fails after a while.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Don Christoval is just trying to be nice. Leonella swears he wants her.

* PowderKegCrowd: And it gets set off when they believe Agnes died during her imprisonment. They tear the prioress to shreds and then go looking for Ambrosio.
* PregnantHostage: Agnes is locked away by the prioress after her pregnancy is discovered. She gives birth in captivity.

* RapeIsLove: This is Antonio's justification for raping Antonia. Of course, afterward he is disgusted with her because she is no longer pure and kills her.
* RomanceNovel: The subtitle is "A Romance." And to be fair, one couple actually does get together in the end.

* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: Pretty much Ambrosio's attitude when he first sleeps with Matilda. The guilt goes away really quickly.

* SiblingYinYang: [[spoiler: Ambrosio and Antonia couldn't be more unlike each other as he is an unrepentant sinner and she is almost inhumanly pure. Further underscored by their complexions--Ambrosio is dark, black-eyed and black-haired. Antonia is blond, blue-eyed, and pale.]]

* SupernaturalAid: Subverted. Satan doesn't care about helping you. He just wants your soul.

* TheTalk: Strangely enough for an 18th-century novel, and for a church scene, Antonia almost gets one of these in the first chapter from her busybody MaidenAunt. Luckily for the reader and for Antonia, Ambrosio's entrance interrupts.
* TalkingDownTheSuicidal: Matilda initially threatens to kill herself when Ambrosio will not return her love. Ambrosio desperately tries to convince her it really is for the best if she leaves the monastery.

* TeacherStudentRomance: Matilda initially seems to want this, claiming to have dressed as a man and entered the monastery to be close to Ambrosio, and even later when she starts seeking his love in return. She seems to get bored of him about as fast as he gets bored of her, though.

* WoundedGazelleGambit: Matilda pretends that she is poisoned and dying in order to break Ambrosio's defenses down so he will sleep with her.

* TheIngenue: Antonia, who is only fifteen when the book opens, and extremely sheltered from having grown up in an isolated castle with her mother. She even read an edited version of the Bible becaue her mother believed the text to be too violent.
* IncorruptablePurePureness: This is interestingly the quality about women that Ambrosio lusts after. When it turns out that purty can indeed be corrupted, he turns petulant and spiteful.

* MadonnaWhoreComplex: Certainly the view of Ambrosio, who tires of Matilda [[spoiler: and Antonia for that matter]] after she is no longer "pure." Lewis himself seems to take a less extreme stance on the matter, painting [[spoiler: Antonia]] as an innocent victiim.

* ParentalAbandonment: Ambrosio was raised in a monestary after having been left there

* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: Pretty much Ambrosio's attititude when he first sleeps with Matilda. The guilt goes away really quickly.

* SiblingYinYang: [[spoiler: Ambrosio and Antonia couldn't be more unlike each other as he is an unrepenting sinner and she is almost inhumanly pure. Further underscored by their complexions--Ambrosio is dark, black-eyed and black-haired. Antonia is blond, blue-eyed, and pale.]]

* TalkingDownTheSuicidal: Matilda initially threatens to kill herself when Ambrosio will not return her love. Ambrosio desperately tries to convince her it really is for the best if she leaves the monestary.

* TeacherStudentRomance: Matilda initially seems to want this, claiming to have dressed as a man and entered the monestary to be close to Ambrosio, and even later when she starts seeking his love in return. She seems to get bored of him about as fast as he gets bored of her, though.