This is the second chapter in the story of Elizabeth Bathory that's presented in Cruelty and the Beast. Here we see the effect that the abandonment of her repressive lifestyle has had on her: her newfound wild side is literalized in vibrant clothing, her dark beauty now attracts the stares and applause of others. There is a dark side to this, however, in that she becomes more and more fixated on the torture of prisoners.
Her constant indulgence in sensual pleasure leads her into an intense narcissism, and she becomes enamoured with her own reflection. It is mentioned that she eventually sells her soul for eternal beauty, though it is not clear if this is literal or just a figurative representation of her strong desire to retain her beauty forever. She persists in her acts of torture, and (growing increasingly unstable) she starts to believe that the blood of her victims, when applied to her skin, will prolong her beauty.
Having forsaken all virtue, she makes herself vulnerable to all sorts of dangerous passions that are described as having their way with her. This all seems quite unpleasant to us, but she recalls the rape that occured in her childhood, and is too far gone to stop at this point. The song ends with the image of her power and influence growing right along with her perverse activities.
This song is amazing. Dani's frantic writing in the middle of the song, when she goes insane, is a great way of letting the writing style represent what the character is going through.
This is the second chapter in the story of Elizabeth Bathory that's presented in Cruelty and the Beast. Here we see the effect that the abandonment of her repressive lifestyle has had on her: her newfound wild side is literalized in vibrant clothing, her dark beauty now attracts the stares and applause of others. There is a dark side to this, however, in that she becomes more and more fixated on the torture of prisoners. Her constant indulgence in sensual pleasure leads her into an intense narcissism, and she becomes enamoured with her own reflection. It is mentioned that she eventually sells her soul for eternal beauty, though it is not clear if this is literal or just a figurative representation of her strong desire to retain her beauty forever. She persists in her acts of torture, and (growing increasingly unstable) she starts to believe that the blood of her victims, when applied to her skin, will prolong her beauty.
Having forsaken all virtue, she makes herself vulnerable to all sorts of dangerous passions that are described as having their way with her. This all seems quite unpleasant to us, but she recalls the rape that occured in her childhood, and is too far gone to stop at this point. The song ends with the image of her power and influence growing right along with her perverse activities. This song is amazing. Dani's frantic writing in the middle of the song, when she goes insane, is a great way of letting the writing style represent what the character is going through.