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Tihana Kaera
Leonarda Lovrovi
Modern English Practise II
7th May 2015
Dan Brown: The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows
symbolist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu involved in a series of strange
events including murders and a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the
possibility of Jesus Christ having been married to Mary Magdalene.
The story begins with the murder of the Louvre curator and Priory of Sion Grand
Master Jacques Saunire. The murder is committed by an albino Catholic monk named Silas
and ordered by someone only known as the Teacher, who wishes to discover the location of
the "keystone", which is crucial to the search for the Holy Grail. After the discovery of
Saunire's body, the police summon Harvard Professor Robert Langdon, who is in town on
business. The professor is summoned to help the police decode the cryptic message Saunire
left during the final minutes of his life. But the real reason of the professor's arrival is the
suspicion of the police captain Bezu Fache of the professor's innocence. This information is
revealed to the professor Langdon by the police cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, who is also
Saunire's estranged granddaughter. Deciphering the code written next to the Saunire's body,
which leads them to a depository bank, and escaping the police, Langdon and Neveu find the
keystone in the safe deposit box. Langdon and Neveu take the keystone to Langdon's friend,
Sir Leigh Teabing, an expert on the Holy Grail. After proving the authenticity of cryptex, the
trio sets off to Britain. During the flight they open the cryptex only to find another smaller one

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inside it. In the meantime, Neveu reveals the source of her estrangement from her grandfather.
Arriving home unexpectedly, Neveu witnesses a spring fertility ritual involving sexual
intercourse between her grandfather and an unknown woman. By the time they arrive at
Westminster Abbey to search the tomb of Isaac Newton, Teabing is revealed to be the Teacher
for whom Silas is working. Teabing reveals his wish to use the Holy Grail, which he believes
is a series of documents proving that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and bore children,
in order to ruin the Vatican. Teabing than threatens Langdon with gun to solve the second
cryptex's password. But Langdon secretly opens the cryptex, removes its content and destroys
it in front of Teabings eyes. At that moment Bezu Fache, who by now knows Langdon is
innocent, arrives at Westminster Abbey and arrests Teabing. The final message inside the
cryptex leads Langdon and Neveu to Rosslyn Chapel where all the secrets will be revealed
The story of The Da Vinci Code explores an alternative religious history. The central
point of the plot is the assumption that the Merovingian kings of France were descended from
the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. In this book we get an interesting and
different insight into the Christian religion. Brown is explaining that the Holy Grail is not a
physical chalice, but a woman, Mary Magdalene, who carried the bloodline of Christ. He
represents us the Priory of Sion, a secret society which was formed to keep the secret of the
existence of the Christs bloodline, implying that the Christ and Mary Magdalene had
children. Some of Browns theories are based on Da Vincis paintings, especially The Last
Supper. Through The Last Supper Brown shows proof of the marriage between Jesus and
Mary Magdalene, placing her on the painting instead of one of the Apostles. This idea is
supported by the shape of the letter "V" formed by the bodily positions of Mary and Jesus, as
"V" is thought to be the symbol for the sacred feminine. The reason for this is the belief that
Da Vinci himself was the Grand Master of Priory of Sion. Although these theories presumably
are not true, they certainly make a reader to think about church dogma and question them.

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This book completely amazed me with the satisfying, most unexpected twists. I would
definitely recommend it to everyone who enjoys stories imbued with mystery and conspiracy.
This novel will definitely get your pulse racing.