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· Name: Abulhasan H. Aabedi
Roll no: 01
· Topic: Dan Brown’s use
of Symbols, anagrams, cryptic language and codes in the novel “The Da Vinci
Code”
· Paper no.13 The Da Vinci
Code
· Class: Semester 04
· Enrollment
no.:2069108420180001
· Batch: 2017~19
· Submitted to Department
of English MK Bhavnagar University.
Introduction:
The writer of the novel “The Da Vinci Code” Daniel Gerhard Brown is born
in June 22, 1964. He is an American author well known for mystery and thriller
series of Robert Langdon, “Angel and Demons”, “The Da Vinci Code”, “Inferno”,
“The Lost Symbol” and “Origin”. His novels are all about conspiracy theory,
symbols, key, cryptography, codes and Art. There are many novels adapted into
films like The Da Vinci Code, Angels& Demons, and Inferno. And his books
have been translated in 57 languages. Further, his books The Da Vinci Code and
Angels and Demons were highly controversial because of an interpretation of Christianity
for instance, interpretation of Marry Magdalene.
About the novel:
The Da Vinci
Code is about murder mystery of Jacques Saunier a curator of Louvre museum who
shoot by Albino Monk Silas, in which police summon Professor Robert Langdon to
reveal the secret of the murder. So, Robert Langdon and the granddaughter of
Jaques Saunier, Sophie Neveu interprets the codes and symbols left by Saunier.
But Bazu Fache thinks that Langdon is murderer and try to catch him but Sophie rescues
him and she understands her grandfather’s intends and it leads them to
depository bank of Zurich in which Saunier deposited one cryptic box which is
about the map of Holy Grail.
After that
Langdon and Neveu visit Sir Leah Teabing a well known religious Historian to
take help to decode this cryptic. That time sir Teabing tells about the secret
of Holy Grail that she was the wife of Jesus and she was with Jesus at the last
supper. Furthermore, they both visit various places to decode this message or
code. But later on Teabing cheats Langdon and want to reveal the secret of
Marry Magdalene and destroy the faith of Catholic Church. But at the end police
arrested Teabing, Sophie got his family and Langdon also reaches to the secret
of Holy Grail. So, lastly we can say that the novel is multi narrative, there
are many controversies within the story like the controversy of Priory of Sion
and Opes dei, Marry Magdalene, Bloodline of Marry, etc.
In the
present novel “The Da Vinci Code” Dan Brown used codes, symbols, cryptic
language, anagrams, and puzzles to make conspiracy novels into realistic
history. He rationalize all these codes and use logically with the help of
great professor Robert Langdon, Cryptographer Sophie Neveu and religious
historian Leah Teabing. Let’s discuss these all things in details and see how
Dan Brown uses this with logical and rational way.
Symbols:
Symbols are objects, Characters, figures or colors used to represent
abstract ideas or concepts.
Chalice: The Holy Grail: The Holy Grail is an ancient
symbol generally known as cup that caught Christ blood. This cup lied on the
table of last supper but here Dan Brown uses it as a female figure because it
shaped like womb of woman. So, when Langdon goes to Teabing for help that time
Teabing explains that Holy Grail is not cup but it is Marry Magdalene who
present in the last supper with Jesus.
Pentacle:
Pentacle also is an ancient symbols stand for peace, harmony and cosmic
order. Every point of the pentacle has different meaning and these are written
round the circle: The all, spirit, the Divine. Intelligence and the Arts.
courage and strength and last emotion and intuition. Since ancient times these
all been guiding forces for the good of humanity. So, in the novel when Saunier
shot by Silas that time Saunier draws this pentacle on his chest with his own
blood.
Painting of Monalisa: Da Vinci’s Monalisa is also a one
of the clues which Langdon states is an expression of the artist’s belief in
the Sacred feminine. Monalisa is not any person, but a cryptic reference to the
Egyptian gods Amon and Isis. Mona is an anagram and Lisa a contraction of Isa
meaning Isis. In the novel, Professor Robert Langdon reveals secret that Da
Vinci painted the Mona Lisa in opposition to the Churche’s suppression of Mary
Magdalene’s true identity.
The Last Supper: The Last Super is used very
interestingly symbols by Dan Brown as a major clue in the novel. Brown
discovered this symbol and interprets that sitting at Jesus;s right hand is
Mary Magdalene, not as is commonly believed, the apostle John. In addition, the
Holy Grail a cup from which Jesus drank is a conspiracy left out the painting.
Here, Brown rationally weaves medieval legends with high Renaissance art to
suggest that Holy Grail which became the subject of endless search by medieval
knights was not a cup but marry Magdalene herself, the human vessel for Jesus’
blood line.
Codex: Dan Brown used the Codex in a
rational way. The Codex is a manuscript used before 4th century made
of papyrus. It is use for secret message that may need to be hastly destroyed
as it corrodes easily. Da Vinci also used to write the secret in the Codex.
The Vitruvian Man: It was painted by many artist of
the Renaissance and since, this was supposed to show the perfect human
dimensions and is indicative of the divine number Phi. In The Da Vinci art, the
Vitruvian man represents creative genius, art, music, film, and literature and
the Amazing people who created them, their names and creations hidden in
anagrams. In the present novel, Jacques Saunier lied down in the shaped of
Vitruvian man so, here Brown connects logically to reach secret and through
Langdon he tries to decode this art.
Red Hair: Red hair is stand for Holy Blood.
In the book Dan Brown used the character of Sophie Neveu as bloodline of Mary
Magdalene. Robert Langdon praises her red Hair. So, it is said that Marry
Magdalene also had a red hair and it represent the Holy Blood. Hence, Brown rationalizes
this symbol to connect Sophie as descendent of Marry Magdalene.
Saunier’s Knight: The Knight sits in the office of
Jaques Saunier an ironic symbol used by Brown. Knight is supposed to protect
the Holy Grail but this Knight which Teabing has bugged betrays the Grail. So,
here Brown connects this Knight with sir Teabing and conveys that all knights
are not trusted because like Teabing, people are trustworthy. At first glance
Teabing seems good person but when plot moves his identity turn into cheats.
Hnce novel says that things are not always what they seem.
Conclusion:
To sum up, we can say that the novel is all about the symbols, codes,
cryptic language and anagrams which are used by Dan Brown rationally and
logically to interpret Christianity. Dan Brown has great interest in the
puzzles and codes from the childhood so he used these all things in the
conspiracy novel to read history of Christianity. Interestingly, he used all
the things with rationality and logically so people can reread the history of
Christianity in different way or we can say alternative story of Christianity.
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