Passion and Nature in De Monfort

Throughout our study of the gothic novel much of our focus has been on the nature and expression of the passions.  Though for such characters as Manfred, the Marquis, and the Abate, passion appears to be a demonstration of patriarchal authority, later texts seem to move away from this model, viewing passion as something entirely other.  Passion becomes something outside of the self, an outward representation of one's internal anxieties.  This is seen in Christabel and Victoria, and again in Joanna Baillie's De Monfort, where the titular character carries anxieties that ultimately are displaced into his hatred for Rezenvelt.  Baillie attempts to create a humanized depiction of the passions, something she discusses in her Introductory Discourse.  While I find there to be some discrepancies between her theory and her portrayal, De Monfort ultimately becomes a reimagination of the gothic protagonist, a character whose "other" seems to arise from anxieties about the social order and his own masculinity.

Clearly an influence on Byron and what would come to be known as the Byronic hero, De Monfort is proud, suspicious, and brooding.  He is untrusting and unable to apologize for his actions, correcting his wrongs through acts of sudden kindness rather than ever admitting to them.  Though he is seen as such throughout the play, those who know him constantly refer to his natural goodness.  It is because of this, his servant's, friends', and sister's respect for him, that readers are able to sympathize with  him.  He is often apathetic and cold, but can be driven to violence or a temper through the mention of Rezenvelt.  Rezenvelt becomes such an enemy to De Monfort because he represents a shift in the social order of power and masculinity.  Though initially poor, Rezenvelt gains wealth and respect equal to that of De Monfort, and his humor and friendliness make him well liked by De Monfort's peers.  Thus the power given to De Monfort by his class and rank are deeply threatened by the flexibility of Rezenvelt's situation.   

Bested by him twice in duel and continually made jest of, De Monfort's masculinity feels threatened by Rezenvelt's presence as well.  As he becomes more consumed with hatred and fear, Baillie employs gothic imagery to signal De Monfort's submission to his passions.  This is seen most explicitly in act IV, scene III, where De Monfort and Rezenvelt give dramatically different interpretations of the same woods.  What De Monfort hears as "hollow groans the earth beneath [his] tread" and "things horrid, bloody, terrible," Rezenvelt hears as a "night-bird greet[ing] [him] on [his] way," whose "hooting is in harmony with such a scene as this" (56-57).  The gothic imagery portrays De Monfort's dissociation with reality, his final surrender to his dark other.  This transition is finally prompted by the fear of losing his sister by marriage to Rezenvelt, a rumor viciously spread by the jealous Countess Freberg.  Orphaned as a child, De Monfort and Jane became close in youth, and Jane becomes the moral center for De Monfort's character.  To lose her to Rezenvelt would be the ultimate loss of his identity and he decides to kill Rezenvelt rather than let this happen. 

To read more about the use of otherness in De Monfort, click here. 

Discussion Questions: 

1) How does Baillie's execution of De Monfort compare to the theories in her Introductory Discourse? What is she trying to show through her characterization of De Monfort and does she show it successfully?

2) How does De Monfort's control of his passions compare to other literary figures we have read thus far?