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Universidad Pedagogica Nacional

Literatura anglófona 1

Laura Estéfani García PizanoStudy guide on “Ligeia”

o! does t"e s#ea$er descri%e Ligeia #"ysically and &entally' ("at is "er #resentcondition'

)n general* t"is Edgar +llan Poe,s s"ort story is a%out a &an !"o cannot forget "is %eloved

deceased first !ife Ligeia- e is t"e narrator of t"e story and t"e only source fro& !"ic"

t"e reader receives infor&ation a%out "er- +ccording to "i&* Ligeia !as a very attractive

!o&an not only #"ysically %ut &entally- o!ever* t"is infor&ation is not trusty %ecause

t"e &an is totally o%sessed !it" "er !ife* "e says to "ave a terri%le &e&ory* and "e is

addicted to o#iu&-

+s a &atter of fact* t"e s#ea$er descri%es Ligeia as an e.ce#tional lady- S"e see&ed to a

Gree$ goodness- S"e !as tall and t"in- S"e "ad !"ite and s&oot" s$in li$e ivory* a lovely

face* %lac$ "air and dar$ eyes- /"e latter !ere for "er "us%and t"e &ost stri$ing features of 

t"e !o&an- e coares t"e color of "er "air !it" a raven- e ad&ires its naturally !avy

for&- 0egarding "er eyes* t"ey !ere also %lac$* dee# and %rig"t* decorated !it" long

eyelas"es-

oreover* t"e &an affir&s t"at t"e intensity of "er eyes c"anged de#ending on t"e

!o&an,s &ood- 2n one "and* Ligeia !as #assionate and s"e "ad a strong c"aracter- 2n t"e

ot"er* s"e !as a##arently cal& and 3uiet- 4es#ite "er %eauty* s"e could #ass unnoticed

!"en #assing or co&ing so&e!"ere %ecause "er &ove&ents !ere gentle- )n ter&s of 

$no!ledge* t"e Lady !as %rilliant- S"e studied all sciences5including eta#"ysics5 and

s#o$e %ot" ancient and &odern languages in a #erfect !ay-

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+s "as %een noted a%ove* t"e s#ea$er gives a very detailed descri#tion of t"e %eauty and

intelligence of Ligeia- /"e &an #resents "is !ife as a #erfect !o&an- Nevert"eless* "e does

not re&e&%er neit"er "o! "e &et "er nor "er last na&e- +##arently* t"at is %ecause "e "as

a %ad &e&ory after so &uc" suffering- /"is suffering &ig"t refers to t"e loss of "is %eloved

!"o died %ecause of a terri%le illness- 6ut #er"a#s t"e &an !ould not re&e&%er t"is

infor&ation %ecause it !ould &a$e to Ligeia &ore "u&an t"an divine-

/"e coarison of Ligeia !it" a goddess s"o!s "o! dee# in love !it" "er t"e narrator is-

/"e &an loved "is !ife so &uc" for "er #articular 3ualities and "er #erfection $e#t

 #ertur%ing "i&* even after s"e died- )n addition* t"e narrator is consu&ing o#iu& all t"e

ti&e and "e is not really sure of !"at "e #erceives- 7onse3uently* "e &ig"t %e "allucinating

or drea&ing of an ideal !o&an-

Su&&arizing* t"e s#ea$er "as a %ad &e&ory* is coletely o%sessed !it" Ligeia* and

consu&es o#iu&- /"erefore* "e #resents an idealized descri#tion of t"e !o&an- +s "e is t"e

only c"aracter !"o "as a voice in t"e story* "e is a%le to &ani#ulate infor&ation according

"is interest- /"en* "e,s version a%out Ligeia is "ard to trust-