Critical Comment on The Monk

Axel Sánchez Goiz

Savaged for its profanity, The Monk, has set itself as a masterpiece of Gothic fiction, thanks to its

themes of sexuality and lust and incest, which during its tiem of publication were considered

taboo to speak so lightly; even more, its critic towards institutions such as the Catholic church,

alerting of the repression that comes from them, though not being as often critizied as the erotic

aspects of the novel, offer an critical view of religion and its aftermath.The novel concerns two

plotlines: the downfall of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, and the romance of Raymond and

Agnes, a nun. Ambrosio conveys special interest not only for its protagonic role but also for its

portrayal of anti-catholicism. As an abbot, he is respected for his virtue and his “respect” for

chastity. Ambrosio represents the naiveté of the catholic dogma who, his followers being

sheltered from the world in their religious institutions, are easily corrupted by the world and its

temptations, the perfect case being Ambrosio’s plotline. That Ambrosio was easily corrupted by

sexual temptations is linked to its seclusion from the outside world and its lack of knowledge in

regards to sex, an aquisition not so uncommon amongst people. An interesting aspect of the

novel is how through metaphors and gendered language it suggests a feminization of monks by

making them appear as virtuous and chaste, traits that, at the time The Monk was published, were

akin to femininity. By doing so The Monk reveals the downside of such virtuousness and chastity

by showing how they become susceptible to hypocrisy and temptation by their naiveté. Thi is

further shown through Rosario, a young girl in disguise, who reveals her true name as Matilda

after disclosing herself, is seen to almost undergo a role reversal with Ambrosio, being the

dominant party in the relation, which further exemplifies Ambrosio’s inexperience. Sexual
experience is seen as the forbidden apple that tempts Ambrosio to fall. Matilda’s femme fatale

archetype is further developed through Amborsio’s ignorance. Ambrosio’s downfall is a

consequence of his virtuous traits which easily make him succumb to Rosario/ Matilda.

Published during the French Revolution, The Monk can be viewed as a representation of political

and sexual anxieties from its time, and how Catholicism, in its search for chastity and

virtuousness, easily allowed its followers to succumb to sexual practice which came from the

vows they made.