The Monk, published in 1796 by Matthew Lewis, holds the distinction of being one of the most popular and controversial Gothic novels of all time. Set against the backdrop of the Protestant Reformation in Spain, the novel addresses and challenges many sensitive social norms and taboos, and elements of seduction, blasphemy, incest and lust are central to the text. At the time it was written, gender ideologies in Europe were governed by the idea of ​​males and females coexisting in separate spheres, where females “naturally” embodied traits of moral superiority, conformity and virtue, making them the ideal mates for domestic life and at the same time devoid of sexual desire: those who had sexual appetites were frowned upon. In contrast, men were the emblem of rationality and strength and had fewer social restrictions imposed on them. (Huges, 2014) However, monastic chastity was still obligatory, thus highlighting the dominant role that the prevailing religion – Catholicism – played in defining social attitudes towards gender and sexuality. With sexual transgression as one of its central elements, the text presents characters who violate these ideals, and the consequences they face become a reflection of contemporary attitudes towards such transgressions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The novel centers on Ambrosio, a monk, who is led to satisfy his carnal desire through the temptation of Matilda, previously disguised as Ambrosio's male admirer, Rosario. After procuring sexual favors from her, he tires of her and is overcome by sexual attraction towards the virginal and virtuous Antonia. Matilda aids Ambrosio in his attempt to satiate this desire, an act that leads him to commit a series of even more heinous crimes - including rape and murder - and ultimately brings him to ruin. At the heart of the novel is the transgression of gender ideals and the associated consequences, and through the devout monk Ambrosio's quest to satisfy his sexual urges and subsequent punishment at the hands of the Devil, depicting the sexually driven woman Matilda as the Demon , and the innocent Antonia, as a virtuous victim, condemns the violation of the prescribed rules of chastity. At the same time, through the contrasting language used in the context of the characters of the lustful Matilda, the modest Antonia and the sinful Bleeding Nun - who shamelessly pursues her carnal desires and is subject to eternal suffering - she deplores the exploration of female sexuality, connecting the consequences directly to sin and death. Themes of anti-Catholicism and sexual desire run parallel to these criticisms, and the misrepresentation of transgressive male sexuality and its negative connotations is directly attributed to Ambrosio's religious upbringing, thus linking to Lewis's different, but not separate, agenda for mocking religion institutionalized (Rosenthal, 2016). The Monk's condemnation of sexual transgression is illustrated primarily through its central villain, Ambrosio, a friar who was left at the door of the Abbey as a child and was raised within the Church. His sheltered upbringing has limited his exposure to many worldly desires and given him an apparent set of virtues that leave him intoxicated with an overwhelming sense of superiority. He is praised above all for his sexual chastity and in the first pages of the novel Lorenzo describes him as "such a severe observer of chastity, that he does not know what the difference between man and woman consists of" (The Monk, page 15). .This description exploits his ignorance of the reality of sexuality, accentuated by pride in his isolation, and although he is praised for his initial lack of awareness of sexual desire, it is the same forgetfulness that later leads to his serious transgressions, for Luinon learns never to exercise control over such basic impulses. Monastic chastity was central to the Catholic approach to Christianity and, highlighting Ambrosius' extremely pious nature, the author contrasts and consequently places the blame for his openly blasphemous transgressions on the "feminine" position in which the Church placed him: protected and protected to save her virtue as a woman. it was at that time. The lack of self-awareness instilled in him by virtue of his religious upbringing is instrumental in making him fall prey to the Devil's temptations and thus his transgression and the resulting consequences he faces are attributed more to the failures of the Catholic Church – and its open insistence on monastic chastity – than to the sin of a man who loses his virtue in premarital sexual acts. He is described as "yet to learn that to a heart that knows it not, vice is even more dangerous when it hides behind the mask of virtue" (The Monk, page 87) when he learns that Matilda was the model for the portrait of the Virgin Mary whom he admired with so much desire. From the beginning, he is seen to be entranced by purity and virtue, and is consequently attracted to Matilda, eventually succumbing to his sexual desire for her and sleeping with her. However, as Matilda becomes more open in her sexual advances, he tires of her and shifts his desire towards the innocent Antonia, thus highlighting some very disturbing sexual behavior that is blamed on the overtly Catholic nature of his system of values. His upbringing has been so sheltered and isolated, reinforced and validated by his religious context, that he becomes aroused by the erotic nature of modesty and loses all forms of moral reasoning, indulging in his carnal desires and committing rape and murder to satiate them. . He can therefore be seen as a tragic hero and his transgressions an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of his limited exposure to reality. Consequently, the novel's interpretation of his sexual transgressions, although extremely negative as depicted through Ambrosio's final fate – the realization that he raped his sister and killed his mother before falling victim to the Devil – can be associated with Lewis's conviction of religious extremism, more than can be linked to his criticism of male sexual transgression. Premarital sex was common among male nobility in the 18th century – men visited brothels to avail themselves of prostitutes – and although frowned upon, it was treated as an open secret and without Catholic morals, males were not shunned. By staying true to that context, through Ambrosio's rebellious transgression and the way his overtly religious value system counterproductively leads him to commit crimes, the theme of religious hypocrisy and anti-Catholicism is reinforced and the condemnation of male sexuality becomes secondary to this end. Women in the novel, however, are not favored with the same treatment, and Lewis openly condemns and demonizes those who transgress prevailing ideals of chastity and praises those who conform. Transgressive female sexuality is epitomized through the character of Matilda, who is introduced as the male Rosario, admits to being female, and is later revealed to be a demon. She seduces Ambrosio with her initial, apparent modesty and later rebukes his values ​​of chastity by telling him that «her vows of chastity were unnaturalcelibacy; man was not created for such a state; and if love were a crime, God would never have made it so sweet, so irresistible! (The Monk, page 238) and that he should "banish those clouds from his brow" (The Monk, page 238). It directly undermines the central ideals of Catholicism and blatantly departs from the expectations of an 18th century woman in her assertiveness and awareness of her sexuality (Huges, 2014). She demonstrates a keen sense of self-awareness and competence, as she knows what she wants and uses all means at her disposal to get it: she successfully tempts Ambrosioa to sleep with her, and later aids his sexual predation on Antonia, both through despicable means of manipulation that associations with the Devil. She thus becomes the embodiment of everything that is anti-religious and anti-feminine; her advances on Ambrosio are described in very sexist terms as she takes the lead in their sexual relationship, leaving Ambrosio "trembling and weak" (The Monk, page 247) as she becomes more "masculine" and despoiling of the previous "feminine" of Ambrosio. virtue and sexual innocence. Allusions to the Devil are made constantly through her actions, an example of which is her asking Ambrosio for a rose as a sign of her affection which leads to a snake biting him and him almost dying – allowing her to seduce him in his vulnerability. (The Monk, page 56) This indulgence in temptation can be associated with the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis, where Eve, herself persuaded by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit, in turn tempts Adam to do the same, and both they face God's punishment for their transgression. This finds a strong parallel in Matilda, the woman, who tempts Ambrosio, the pious man, to go against God's will – an act of defiance that ends disastrously for the latter. Through the fluctuating gender and demonic representation of Matilda, Lewis makes his position on female sexuality very clear and the novel opposes female sexual transgression. It is implied that to take on roles of power – as Matilda does – women must corrupt their virtue, and such behavior of rejecting gender ideals is almost demonic and not conducive to anyone's long-term happiness. This view is reinforced through the depiction of Beatrice – the Bleeding Nun – who promotes associations between women who go against the status quo with sin and death. A prostitute when she was alive, Beatrice "abandoned herself freely to the impulse of her passions, and seized the first opportunity to procure her own gratification" (Il Monaco, page 180) thus becoming a clear rebel against the prevailing prescriptions of docile and docile female behavior. virtuous. Unlike the guilty Ambrosio, she took pleasure in her transgression and, although forced into the alliance by her parents, "professed herself an atheist" (The Monk, page 180) and "took every opportunity to mock her monastic vows, and full of mockery". the most sacred ceremonies of religion" (The Monk, page 180). His breaking of vows of chastity and plotting murders to pursue his sexual desires are analogous to Ambrosio's doing the same to Antonia, and his atheism furthers the dissociation of religious faith from sexual liberation – an element common to the narratives of many of them. the characters of the novel. Beatrice, ultimately killed by her lover, is condemned to haunt the Earth as the Bleeding Nun, and her fate illustrates the eternal suffering that female transgression entails. In the 18th century, women were expected to be devoid of any form of sexual desire; even if they desired marriage it was out of a desire to become mothers rather than to achieve.. 2016.