Suddenly Christabel hears a desperate moan on the other side of the oak tree, at this moment Coleridge puts us in suspense, it cannot just be the wind for there is no wind, this makes it feel almost romantic in an eerie sort of way. At about line fifty-three where it says: ‘Hush beating heart of Christabel! Jesu, Maria, shield her well’ it makes you think something terrible and evil will be on the other side of the tree. However quite unexpectedly there appears an astonishingly beautiful woman dressed in a silk robe of white. Coleridge adds; ‘twas frightful there to see a lady so richly clad as she beautiful exceedingly’ she is frightfully beautiful and almost superhuman like a goddess.
The woman acts as ‘a damsel in distress’ asking for help and sympathy, and Christabel being so innocent and so kind is taken in by this act of deception and offers her hand willingly in help. Christabel asks sweetly ‘How camest thou here?’ and the women replies with a rather unlikely story saying she was abducted by knights who mistreated her and maybe raped or beat her and lay her under the oak only to return later that night. Christabel comforted Geraldine and pitied her bad fortune. She then offers to take her in and protect her in the safety of the castle. Geraldine appears fairly innocent at this point of the poem and there is no reason to suspect her possessing any evil.
Christabel carries Geraldine back to the castle and even lifts her over the threshold of the castle, then as Geraldine has been carried over this she miraculously recovers ‘and moved, as she was not in pain’ I believe Coleridge was trying to hint at something here for evil spirits cannot pass over a threshold unless invited and the ‘damsel in distress’ act was simply an effective strategy to cross the threshold of the castle. However Christabel is too trusting and does not see this she brings her further into the castle into her own quarters to share her bed with Geraldine.
Christabel believes she is ‘so free from danger, free from fear’ and says to Geraldine let us praise the Virgin Mary for this good fortune. But Geraldine is incapable of saying this for she is altogether evil and serves only evil, so she says ‘I cannot speak from weariness.’ Outside and far below the mastiff bitch senses evil is close and lets out an irate howl but only then that Geraldine was so close. As they passed the great hall there were glowing ashes on the hearth but as Geraldine strides past, it lights up licking at the wall and glowed as if the very fires of hell had opened up into the hall. Something about Geraldine acted almost as fuel for ashes and again Coleridge adds this special effect to leave you thinking and mystified.
Christabel continues carrying Geraldine up to her quarters making their way from stair to stair and as she passes the Barons room Coleridge uses these descriptive words that add to the uncanny evil ‘As still as death with stifled breath and now have reached her chamber door’ Coleridge uses alliteration throughout the poem usually using words containing strong syllables and dark words such as death and stifled breath or glimmer and gloom, which again creates this unmistakable sense of evil.
Christabel’s room is dark but still Geraldine can see the beautiful carvings of angels and fair things. Christabel lights the lantern and Geraldine collapsed on the floor. Then Christabel offers a reviving cordial made by her mother full of wild flowers and is therefore said to have virtuous powers. Christabel then goes on talking about her mother and how she died giving birth to her. She then says, ‘O mother dear that thou were here!’ then Geraldine answers in a completely different voice and character ‘I would, she were, off wandering mother! Peak and pine! I have power to bid thee flee.’ I believe that Christabel’s mother intervenes for she gave her own life so Christabel could live and in some way this makes her the guardian angel of Christabel and she protects her. This is when Coleridge really brings the evil out of Geraldine when she cries peak and pine; which is a sort of evil curse, for she is trying to fight off Chistabel’s mother.
Christabel being so innocent and almost naive asks ‘Alas, what ails you poor Geraldine.’ However Geraldine is still struggling against good, and cries ‘Off women off, this hour is mine’ This is the struggle between good and evil in the poem, suddenly the fight stops and Geraldine wipes her brow quite weary and says in a wicked but faint voice ‘tis over now’ and sadly evil prevails. Christabel is far too trusting of this woman and still does not see the evil in Geraldine.
Geraldine seems to be tanned and exotic, obviously not of that country and after drinking the wine she starts to regain her strength, almost as if she has a superhuman power, like a vampire. Geraldine again has this sort of terrifying beauty for she is tall, elegant and very powerful. Geraldine stands up with all her former strength regained and starts to expose her real intention to kill her, however she seems to be merciful and says ‘Even in my degree will try, fair maiden to requite you well’
Geraldine then says, ‘But now unrobe yourself; for I Must pray, ere yet in bed I lie.’ From this it carries on to develop an almost sexual scene where Christabel takes off her clothes and shows her pure and natural beauty. But while she slept she became nervous and agitated, for her instincts tell her something is not right about Geraldine. She sits up and looks at Geraldine admiring her beauty, then as she looks closer she sees her grotesque image, evil and hideous to look at, as Coleridge hints when he says ‘a sight to dream of not to tell’ and leaves it your imagination. At this point Christabel finally sees the true nature of Geraldine. Coleridge also keeps coming in with sudden interruptions such as ‘Oh shield her, shield sweet Christabel’ adding tension to the poem.
Later in the night Geraldine seems to battle with herself and takes a while to make a move on Christabel and it makes you wander that she is not quite so evil. However evil obviously has a strong hold on her for she sits up and says solemnly ‘Ah well a day’ and puts a dreadful curse on Christabel which enables Geraldine to control what she says to others and so will be living a secret which she cannot tell. This is quite unexpected for Coleridge makes you think Geraldine will just kill her but she is intent on torturing her, maybe she has other things in mind.
Finally in the conclusion Coleridge describes Christabel at the start; beautiful, holy and gentle, and then shows the contrast now that Geraldine has her under her spell, she seems changed and frightened even shameful. She is so different from when she was praying under the old oak tree it is hard to recognise her. Coleridge ironically describes Geraldine’s hold over Christabel as a mother with her child.
Coleridge adds; ‘O Geraldine! Since arms of thine have been the lovely lady’s prison’ which makes you see how utterly helpless Christabel really is. There is no escape for her, no one to save her. Slowly Christabel wakes up and weeps, Coleridge now describes her as ‘a youthful hermitess, beauteous in the wilderness’ for she is alone, with no one to help her. But hope remains, for at the end of the poem there is no mention of Geraldine and Coleridge leaves you in bewilderment, not knowing what becomes of poor Christabel, but ends the poem with some positive and hopeful words ‘What if she knew her mother near? But this she knows in joys and woes, that saints will aid if men will call: For the blue sky bends over all’
Chris Corbishley 10A
