The Triumph of Death: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Triumph of Death" explores the complex dynamics between its major characters, particularly focusing on George Aurispa, a wealthy young Italian. George grapples with the duality of love and despair as he becomes involved with Hippolyte, a beautiful married woman who leaves her husband for him. Their relationship is marked by intense passion but is overshadowed by George's fears of succumbing to the same hedonistic lifestyle that led to his father's downfall. Hippolyte, initially frigid, transforms into a fervent lover under George's influence, but her struggle with mortality, compounded by her epilepsy, adds a layer of tragic vulnerability to her character.
The story also delves into the past of George's family, particularly the influence of his father, Signor Aurispa, a notorious sensualist who abandoned his wife and children for fleeting pleasures. In contrast, Signora Aurispa, George's mother, evokes sympathy as she endures the emotional fallout of her husband's choices. Through these interwoven character arcs, the narrative raises poignant questions about love, legacy, and the perilous nature of desire, ultimately culminating in a dramatic and tragic conclusion where George's internal conflicts lead to his and Hippolyte's demise.
The Triumph of Death: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Gabriele D'Annunzio
First published: Il trionfo della morte, 1894 (English translation, 1896)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Italy
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: Nineteenth century
George Aurispa (ah-ew-REES-pah), a wealthy young Italian independent of his family. He takes the beautiful Hippolyte as his mistress but comes to distrust her and his love affair with her as leading him into the same kind of gross sensuality that had ruined his father. His distress leads him to consider suicide and, later, the murder of the woman who has overpowered his emotions. Finally, he leaps to his death on a rocky coast, taking his mistress with him in his embrace.
Hippolyte (eep-POHL-ee-teh), a beautiful married woman who falls in love with George Aurispa. She leaves her husband and returns to her family to take George as her lover, but she is disturbed many times by the thought of her mortality, a thought frequently suggested to her by an inclination toward epilepsy. From being almost frigid, she becomes, through George Aurispa's lovemaking, a passionately sensual woman.
Signor Aurispa, George's father. He is a worldly man who leaves his wife to take up with a mistress, by whom he has two illegitimate children. He squanders his fortune, though he refuses to help his wife and their daughter. He is regarded by his wife and son as a gross sensualist.
Signora Aurispa, George's mother. As a woman deserted by her husband, she has her son's deep sympathy. It is partly her unenviable position that enables her son to see that he is slipping into the same kind of sensuality that ensnared his father.