Lamia

• 'But seal with oaths, fair God!' 


  • Lamia makes Hermes swear - knows she is doing wrong to the nymph
  • she's clearly aware she is doing something that shouldn't happen & is unnatural
  • going against morals & therefore hasn't learnt from mistakes from when she was punished before - inherently cruel - set up as a villainous character
  • shows her agency as she is aware she is doing wrong
• 'Nor they grew pale, as mortal lovers do' 


  • Hermes & the nymph don't die as they are immortal, whereas Lamia becomes mortal because she loves a mortal
  • this marks her error in judgement
  • human love is not timeless as death gets in the way
• 'She writhed about, convulsed with scarlet pain: A deep volcanian yellow took place' 


  • transformation described with violent, brutal, painful imagery indicating the danger of entering this relationship - making error of judgement
  • she is enduring pain & suffering, giving up her identity for a man that doesn't know she exists
  • highlights her obsessiveness & delusion in believing this is a good decision for her to make
• 'Lycius! Gentle Lycius!' 


  • His name is first word she speaks after transformation - perhaps love is deep & genuine, making her deserving of pity. 
• 'She saw the young Corinthian Lycius charioting foremost in the envious race' 


  • Lycius is introduced as a winning chariot racer who likes winning prizes & public displays
  • Lycius clearly doesn't appreciate privacy & secrets which is what their relationship would rely on, yet this doesn't occur to Lamia, highlighting her blindness
  • Lycius' hubristic personality contradicts the secrecy their relationship depends on therefore making the tragic outcome inevitable
  • error of judgment for both
• 'Swooned murmuring with love, pale with pain' 


  • Lycius is already love-sick
  • relationship is embedded with feelings of illness & negativity - reflects manipulation & lies it is based from
• 'By blinded Lycius' 


  • put under her spell & believing lies
  • losing identity as he is manipulated - loses rational thinking
  • Lamia's selfish motives - blinds him for her benefit
• 'So noiseless, and he never thought to know' 


  • love & passion blinds us to logic, reason & practicality
  • intense emotions cloud judgement
• 'There they reposed, where use had made it sweet, with eyelids closed' 


  • moment of happiness
  • Lamia is at her peak power - she has got what she wanted
• 'That but a moment's thought is passion's passing-bell' 


  • if you take a moment to think about passion it's gone
  • high of passion is temporary - not logical - based on romanticism
• 'Let my foes choke, and my friends shout afar' 


  • Lycius wants a public wedding
  • reminder of Lycius' identity as a public figure - impossible for him to give this up
  • massive error of judgement as if wedding is public their relationship will be destroyed
  • Lycius is reckless in keeping their relationship & doesn't take into account the dangers or Lamia's wishes to stay private
• 'She burnt, she loved the tyranny, and all subdued, consented to the hour' 


  • Keats suggests men exerting power/ control over women is enjoyable - more she begs and pleads, more he enforces his ideas
  • error of judgement - Lamia agrees to wedding - though this is evidence that she enjoys his control & is not a victim of it
• 'Feigning a sleep; and he to a dull shade of deep sleep in a moment was betrayed' 


  • Lycius is entering his marriage deceived & in a relationship solely based on lies - doesn't know who his wife truly is
  • although he may seem happy being married, this is undermined by the deception of Lamia which adds a sinister layer to their relationship
• 'In pale contented sort of discontent' 


  • Lamia's emotional turmoil - not happy but trying to make best of situation
  • being forced by Lycius to take part in a wedding she doesn't want & is suffering by having to give up her own needs & input in their life together
  • Lycius robs her from having control over her life & their marriage & she is essentially losing her identity as she is forced to five up what she wants
• 'Lycius blushed, and led the old man through the inner doors broad-spread' 


  • Lycius allows Apollonius into the wedding because as a public figure he cares of other people's opinions & doesn't want to upset A
  • this goes against Lamia's one wish & is therefore betrayed by Lycius who again puts own needs above hers
  • Lamia = victim of Lycius - he doesn't respect her wishes & denies her control over her own wedding
• 'Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings' 


  • science & enlightenment kills joy - reflects how philosophy will end up killing Lamia
  • love won't last & eventually the truth about Lamia will come out
  • Lamia = victim of philosophy - evokes sympathy for her
• 'Lamia no longer fair, sat there deadly white'


  • Appolonius' gaze robs Lamia of her beauty & as the illusion is breaking down, her human form is breaking down
  • Lamia begins her tragic downfall - suffering from losing herself & subsequently losing Lycius as the truth is being revealed
  • sympathy for Lamia - Apollonius has stolen attention from their wedding & ruined relationship - before this they were both somewhat happy together so does this really need to change?
• 'Then with a frightful scream she vanished: And Lycius' arms were empty of delight' 


  • marks end of illusion & therefore end of relationship
  • evokes feeling of emptiness
  • tragedy of ending evokes sadness as Lycius suffer from the loss of love which causes his death