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{{work}}
{{Infobox book
[[File:TheMonk_7253.jpg|frame|Pride goeth before the fall indeed.]]▼
| title = The Monk
| original title = The Monk: A Romance
| image = TheMonk_7253.jpg
| author = Matthew Gregory Lewis
| central theme = Pride opens the door to the other sins
| elevator pitch = A prideful monk is seduced by an apprentice of his, and soon his obsessions and his eroding morals damage the people on his orbit.
| genre = Gothic horror
| publication date = 1796
| source page exists =
| wiki URL =
| wiki name =
}}
First published in 1796, '''''The Monk''''' is considered a classic of [[Gothic Fiction]] and one of the most influential novels of the genre, though some also consider it to be something of an [[Affectionate Parody]] as well. It was published almost thirty years after ''[[The Castle of Otranto]]'', which is considered to be the first Gothic novel. The author, Matthew Gregory Lewis, was a [[Teen Genius|nineteen-year-old]] English diplomat who penned the novel in a mere ten weeks. The book became an instant success, scandalizing and entrancing the reading public. None of his other works were nearly so successful as this first effort. Indeed, the work was so strongly identified as [[One-Hit Wonder|Lewis's greatest success]] that he was, and is, referred to as [[Only Known by Their Nickname|"Monk" Lewis]].
Madrid, Spain, in the time of the [[Spanish Inquisition]]. Mere minutes after the cathedral doors open, the pews are packed with people who have come to hear the famous monk Ambrosio give his sermon. Ambrosio is young, [[Sexy Priest|handsome]], and considered incorruptible because he has never broken a rule of his order. But Ambrosio, for all his holiness, is a proud man. In the crowd waiting to hear Ambrosio are a [[The Ingenue|young girl]], Antonia, and her [[Maiden Aunt]], Leonella, who meet a pair of young and gallant men, Don Lorenzo and Don Christoval. Antonia and Lorenzo fall in [[Love At First Sight]] and Lorenzo vows to marry her.
After his sermon, Ambrosio meets a [[The Apprentice (trope)|young student of his]] named Rosario, but it seems to him that Rosario is out of sorts today. Indeed, Rosario tells him a sad story of [[I Have This Friend|his sister]] Matilda who loved a man who spurned her, and she died. When Ambrosio is sympathetic to Matilda's tragedy, Rosario reveals that [[Sweet Polly Oliver|he is actually Matilda]] and [[Stalker with a Crush|Ambrosio is her beloved]]. Ambrosio tells her to leave the monastery at once, but her determination to [[Driven to Suicide|kill herself]] if she has to leave makes him waver. Slowly but surely, Matilda convinces Ambrosio that she should be allowed to stay, even though she's a woman. That it would not be a problem for them to love each other. That it would not be a sin to [[Sex Is Evil and I Am Horny|break their vows of chastity]].
But this is only the beginning of Ambrosio's descent into sin, and soon all of their paths will collide tragically. [[It Got Worse]] is an understatement.
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An e-text is available from [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/601 Project Gutenberg.]
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Anguished Declaration of Love]]: Matilda makes one to Ambrosio, but later events make this confession of hers suspect.
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* [[Cruel and Unusual Death]]: Even for a woman as heartless as the prioress. She gets ripped to shreds by an angry mob.
* [[Deal with the Devil]]: Towards the end when Ambrosio finds himself in way over his head, Matilda tells him if he will give his soul to Satan, he can be saved from the angry mob. Ambrosio accepts.
* [[Defiled Forever]]: {{spoiler|Antonia's}} rapist's enabler cites this as a reason to kill her, and she tells her suitor that she doesn't mind dying since being raped means she couldn't have married him. However, other female characters like Marguerite (who was raped by her second "husband") and Agnes (who became pregnant not only out of marriage, but while she was a nun) defy this trope and manage to have happy lives afterward; in fact, Marguerite's parents are specified as overjoyed to have her back and dissuade her from entering a convent.
* [[Demons]]: Matilda very likely is one.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Antonia's father dies before the events of the story, leaving her to be raised in relative poverty and obscurity.
* [[
* [[Door Stop Baby]]: The only thing anybody knows about Ambrosio's origins.
* [[Driven to Suicide]]: Matilda swears that if she can't have Ambrosio or at least be near him, she will kill herself. This threat goes away later for reasons unexplained.
* [[Dumbass Has a Point]]: Despite the fact that Leonella is generally ridiculous, she immediately dislikes Ambrosio and points out that his sermon was severe, stern, and frankly terrifying, all of which hint his true nature before be becomes the viewpoint character.
* [[Eye Scream]]: As part of Ambrosio's fate.
* [[Faith Heel Turn]]: Ambrosio.
* [[Fatal Flaw]]: Ambrosio commits the sin of pride long before he starts committing any of his truly deplorable acts. It is his pride that allows him to believe himself holy while he continues to sin.
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* [[Romance Novel]]: The subtitle is "A Romance." And to be fair, one couple actually does get together in the end.
* [[Satan]]: He makes an appearance.
* [[Sex as Rite-
* [[Sex Is Evil and I Am Horny]]: Pretty much Ambrosio's attitude when he first sleeps with Matilda. The guilt goes away really quickly.
* [[Sexy Priest]]: Ambrosio is described as being very attractive, and is obviously popular with the ladies of his congregation.
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* [[Villain Protagonist]]: Ambrosio, who was never a particularly nice or forgiving person to begin with, quickly falls from what grace he had and over the course of the story gets involved in [[Black Magic]], [[Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil|rape]], and murder.
* [[Villainous Crush]]: Ambrosio's deepening obsession with Antonia.
* [[What Is This X You Speak Of?]]: Contains one of the very first examples of this trope:
{{quote|"'Father, you amaze me! What is this love of which you speak? I neither know its nature, nor if I felt it, why I should conceal the sentiment.'"}}
* [[Wounded Gazelle Gambit]]: Matilda pretends that she is poisoned and dying in order to break Ambrosio's defenses down so he will sleep with her.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Historical Fiction Literature]]
[[Category:Classic Literature]]▼
[[Category:Horror Literature]]
[[Category:The Monk]]▼
[[Category:Literature]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monk, The}}
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