1
The Pit and the Pendulum

• Edgar Allan Poe

2
Contextual Setting of The Pit and the Pendulum
The Spanish Inquisition1478 - 1834
3
The Spanish Inquisition

• Spain had just suffered a civil war.
• Queen Isabella came to rule with her husband King
  Ferdinand.
• Spain was comprised of 3 major religious groups
  Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim.
• King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decided to
  unite the country under one religion
  Catholicism.

4
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain
5
The Spanish Inquisition

• Spanish Jews and later Muslims were forced to
  accept Christianity.
• Most historians agree that the motivation for the
  Inquisition was greed.
• The Spanish Inquisition was halted briefly in the
  early 1800s when Napoleons army invaded
  defeated Spain.
• Napoleon named his brother as Spains new ruler.
• It lasted until 1834.

6
The Spanish Inquisition

• Jews and Muslims were accused of converting to
  Christianity only to save their property.
• Anyone could accuse anyone else of heresy.
• Once they were found guilty, their property was
  confiscated.
• They were imprisoned, tortured, and executed.

7
(No Transcript)
8
The Spanish Inquisition

• Tomas de Torquemada, a Dominican priest, presided
  over thousands of trials and about two thousand
  burnings at the stake.
• Auto da-fe literally means act of faith in
  Portugese.
• Torquemada would perform this religious ceremony,
  which consisted of a Mass and death sentence,
  before the executions.
• 15,000 to 20,000 were tried during this time.

9
The Pit and the Pendulum

• The setting of the story is a Spanish prison in
  the 1820s.
• At the end of the story, General Lasalle and the
  French army enter Toledo, a city in Spain.

10
Works Cited

• The Inquisition Power, Greed, and Suffering.
  Elements of Literature. Orlando Holt, Rhinehart,
  and Winston, 2008.
• NALLE, SARA TILGHMAN. "Inquisition, Spanish."
  Europe, 1450 to 1789 Encyclopedia of the Early
  Modern World. The Gale Group Inc. 2004.
  Encyclopedia.com. 31 Mar. 2009 lthttp//www.encyclo
  pedia.comgt.

11
The Pit and the Pendulum

• Literary Elements

12
Point of View

• 1st Person Narrative
• Nameless Prisoner

13
Conflict

• Protagonist
• Nameless Prisoner

• Antagonists
• His Insanity (Inner Conflict)
• His Tormentors (External Conflict)

14
Themes

• Untimely Death
• Isolation
• Torture
• Survival (Will to Live Vs. Desire
  to Die)

• Fear
• Loss of Time
• Persecution

15
Genres

• Fiction
• Horror
• Gothic Supernatural horrors and atmosphere of
  unknown terror extreme emotions (anger, fear,
  surprise, etc.)
• Poe is given credit for being the father of the
  detective story.

16
Style

• Use of Latin French
• Minimal use of characterization, plot, and
  atmosphere
• Interest in what happens to people rather than
  the individual
• Continually uses a male protagonist
• Famous for use of suspense

17
Symbols

• Pit - Hell
• Pendulum - Slow, approaching death time ticking
  down
• Father Time Zeus father, Cronus, controller of
  time
• Darkness the unknown, ignorance
• Rats a potential problem turned positive
• Unseen Tormentors Personal demons