"Berenice-A Tale" and Hellenic Past

Poe's “Berenice” (1835) has been viewed differently from a number of scholars. Over the years, some have attempted to trace back Poe's biography in an effort to fully understand the author and his literary devices. 

The narrator, Egaeus, is a studious young man who grows up in a large gloomy mansion with his cousin Berenice. He suffers from a type of obsessive disorder, a monomania that makes him fixate on objects. She, originally beautiful, suffers from some unspecified degenerative illness, with periods of catalepsy a particular symptom, which he refers to as a trance. Nevertheless, they are due to be married. One afternoon, Egaeus sees Berenice as he sits in the library. When she smiles, he focuses on her teeth. His obsession grips him, and for days he drifts in and out of awareness, constantly thinking about the teeth. He imagines himself holding the teeth and turning them over to examine them from all angles. At one point a servant tells him that Berenice has died and shall be buried. When he next becomes aware, with an inexplicable terror, he finds a lamp and a small box in front of him. Another servant enters, reporting that a grave has been violated, and a shrouded disfigured body found, still alive. Egaeus finds his clothes are covered in mud and blood, and opens the box to find it contains dental instruments and "thirty-two small, white and ivory-looking substances" – Berenice's teeth.

Poe's choice to name his main protagonist Egaeus undeniably hints a Hellenic influence which has not escaped relevant criticism. Be that as it may, even seminal studies such as Silverman's (1992) do not undertake an extensive approach to the Hellenic motifs in the story. Within the next few weeks I will post a relevant essay of mine which is due to be published in April in Verbeia (University of Camilo José Cela). In this paper I reconsider all the Hellenic allusions in "Berenice" while focusing on Berenice and her effect on Egaeus. 

I will soon attend the XIII SAAS Conference at Caceres (Spain) where I will have the opportunity to discuss with Poe experts on the matter. Updates coming soon. 

Works Cited

• Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe. A Biography. Mournful and Never- Ending Remembrance. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1992. Print.