8/17/2019 Pride Essay

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 A character’s downfall usually comes as a result of their pride

In bothTis Pity she’s a Whore and Paradise Lost, Book IX the characters’ sins drive

the plot. Although the variety of sins explored in the text is far vaster than pride alone,

it is worth noting that many of the sins described come as a result of a character’s pride;

Giovanni allows himself to be consumed by lust because his pride places him above the

word of God, while for much the same reason, Satan is envious of God, Adam, and Eve.

With the possible exception of Satan, whose downfall occurs prior to his prideful

behaviour in Book IX,every character in both texts can be accused of displaying some

degree of pride, which, in the majority of cases, precedes their downfall.

The central conflict inTis Pity is due, predominately, to Giovanni’s pride in his own

intelligence. The Friar warns him against the dangers of such hubris, explaining that

‘better ‘tis to bless the sun than reason why it shines.’ Here, ‘the sun’ is a metaphor for

God’s creation and his divine plan, and the Friar is warding Giovanni against the

dangerous line of questioning that he follows.