Vathek by William Beckford
"Vathek" is a novel by William Beckford, published in 1786, that delves into the life of an Arabian caliph named Vathek, whose reign is characterized by excess, greed, and a quest for forbidden knowledge. Set against a backdrop of opulence, Vathek builds five palaces, each dedicated to one of the senses, reflecting his indulgent lifestyle. His pursuits lead him to construct a tower for studying the sciences, while his mother, Carathis, engages in dark rituals to gain favor with sinister forces. The story unfolds as Vathek becomes obsessed with deciphering mysterious inscriptions on sabers he acquires from a stranger, which ultimately leads him to commit horrific acts, including human sacrifice.
Throughout his journey, Vathek is drawn to the beautiful Nouronihar, despite her engagement to another, and he resorts to manipulative and cruel tactics to win her over. As the narrative progresses, Vathek and his followers seek the dark secrets hidden in the mountains of Istakhar, but their aspirations culminate in a tragic fate when they encounter the dread lord of darkness, Eblis. The novel explores themes of corruption, the pursuit of knowledge, and the consequences of defiance against moral and spiritual laws. "Vathek" stands as a significant work in Gothic literature and Orientalism, highlighting 18th-century attitudes toward the East while grappling with universal themes of ambition and consequence.
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Vathek by William Beckford
First published: 1786
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Gothic
Time of plot: The past
Locale: Arabia
Principal characters
Vathek , an Arabian sultanThe Giaour , a magician and a prince of darknessCarathis , Vathek’s motherEmir Fakreddin , a noble princeNouronihar , his daughterGulchenrouz , her betrothed
The Story:
Vathek is an Arabian caliph whose reign is marked by turbulence and unrest. A sensuous person, he builds five palaces, each devoted to the enjoyment of one of the five senses, and his fondness for food and women consumes much of his time. In addition to the gratification he finds in the life of the senses, he also tries to master the sciences and the deep, unfathomable secrets of the world beyond. To this end, he builds a huge tower where he pursues his studies in astronomy and astrology. There Carathis, his mother, burns refuse and live bodies to appease the dark powers.
One day, Vathek obtains several mysterious sabers from a hideous, repulsive stranger. These sabers bear letters the caliph is unable to decipher. He offers great rewards to anyone who can read them; but because the punishment for failure is also great, few accept the offer. At last, an old man appears to read the inscriptions. The next morning, however, Vathek discovers that the inscriptions changed. From that time on, the letters on the sabers change daily.
Vathek is in despair. He begs the stranger to return and explain the inscription to him, for he is sure that the letters are the key to the dark kingdom and the riches Vathek hopes to find there. The stranger, who is the Giaour, finally reappears and tells Vathek that only a sacrifice will put the powers in a receptive mood. On a journey with his court, Vathek throws fifty children into a chasm as a sacrifice for the bloodthirsty Giaour. The people are angered by his cruelty and begin to hurl execrations at Vathek, but his guards return him safely to his palace.
Carathis continues her own sacrifices in the tower, to the disgust and anger of the people, who increasingly object to Vathek’s defiance of Mahomet and the Muslim creed. Obeying a message written on a mysterious piece of parchment, Vathek and his court set out on a pilgrimage in search of the mountains of Istakhar, where the secrets of the dark world are to be revealed to him. On the way, they meet the messengers of Emir Fakreddin, a deeply religious prince. For some time, Vathek is Fakreddin’s guest. Although he loathes the prayers and the religious ceremonies observed by his host, he is attracted to Fakreddin’s daughter, the lovely Nouronihar. She is long betrothed to her cousin Gulchenrouz, and their mutual devotion has the approval of the emir and of his people.
Nouronihar so attracts Vathek that he plots to seize her by force. Fakreddin, already scandalized by Vathek’s behavior, is informed of the plot. He and his court determine to outwit Vathek. He administers a drug to the young lovers, and when Vathek sees them in their deathlike trance, he is convinced they are dead. Nouronihar and Gulchenrouz are secretly taken to a safe retreat and looked after by Fakreddin’s servants. When the young people awaken they believe that they really died and that they are now in Paradise.
One day, however, Nouronihar strays from the hidden retreat and is discovered by Vathek. She finally yields to his entreaties and becomes the favorite of his harem. After Vathek and his wives and followers continue their journey, Nouronihar comes to share her lord’s ambition; she, too, wishes to enjoy the pleasures of that strange other world and, like Vathek, she is willing to resort to the most unscrupulous behavior to realize those desires.
At last, after a long journey, the entourage arrives at the mountains of Istakhar and enters the secret retreat of Eblis, dread lord of darkness. There they find all the beautiful and strange wealth they desire. They are given permission to roam through the palace and to enjoy its treasures to their hearts’ content. In the vast domed hall of the palace, they see creatures whose hearts are continually devoured by fire, and they learn that a like fate is to be theirs, for they seek knowledge that no mortal should know.
Carathis is also summoned to the abode of Eblis. Transported on the back of an evil monster, she comes at once to the mysterious palace and is overjoyed to view its secrets at last. Then, before the eyes of Vathek and Nouronihar, her heart catches fire and a consuming flame bursts forth to punish her eternally for her crimes. A moment later, flames begin to burn in the hearts of Vathek and Nouronihar. The fifty children whom Vathek sacrificed are miraculously returned from death and, along with Gulchenrouz, are carried to an earthly paradise. For them, life is perpetual happiness. Not having sought evil, they achieve goodness.
Bibliography
Alexander, Boyd. England’s Wealthiest Son: A Study of William Beckford. London: Centaur Press, 1962. Includes chapters on the origins of Vathek and its connection with the three supplemental episodes that Beckford wrote in the 1820’s, which did not appear in print until 1912.
Cass, Jeffrey. “Homoerotics and Orientalism in William Beckford’s Vathek: Liberalism and the Problem of Pederasty.” In Interrogating Orientalism: Contextual Approaches and Pedagogical Practices, edited by Diane Long Hoeveler and Jeffrey Cass. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2006. Cass’s study of the novel is included in a collection of essays about Orientalism. The essays demonstrate Great Britain’s condescending attitude toward the Near East in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Day, William Patrick. In the Circles of Fear and Desire: A Study of Gothic Fantasy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. One of many studies of gothic fiction that include a discussion of Vathek. Links the work to the “apocalyptic vision” of literary modernism.
Frank, Frederick. “Vathek: An Arabian Tale.” In Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, edited by Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, 1983. A useful essay on the work, which draws interesting comparisons between Vathek and the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Graham, Kenneth W., ed.“Vathek” and the Escape from Time: Bicentenary Revaluations. New York: AMS Press, 1990. Collection of essays interpreting the novel from a variety of perspectives, including discussions of the influence of landscape and architecture on the book; Vathek and Orientalism, fantasy, the gothic, Persian Sufism, and decadence; and the book’s influence on Edgar Allan Poe.
Mahmoud, Fatma Moussa, ed. William Beckford of Fonthill 1760-1844: Bicentenary Essays. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1972. Includes Mahmoud’s essay, “Beckford, Vathek and the Oriental Tale,” which offers a comprehensive analysis of Vathek, and Mahmoud Manzalaoui’s “Pseudo-Orientalism in Transition: The Age of Vathek,” a useful account of the work’s literary-historical context.
Richardson, Alan, ed. Three Oriental Tales. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Vathek is one of the three stories contained in this collection and examination of the Oriental-tale genre. In addition to the text of the novel, this edition contains an introduction with Richardson’s comments about the genre, samples of Orientalist writing that appeared in eighteenth century British journals, and modern critical essays analyzing the three works.
Varma, Devendra P. “William Beckford.” In Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror, edited by Everett F. Bleiler. New York: Scribner’s, 1985. A brief essay that provides information and interesting speculations about the origins of Vathek and its connections to Beckford’s own life.