Essay Questions

Why is Ventresca killing himself shortly after being considered for the position of the Papacy?

Ventresca has been a close aid of the Pope for many years and he has also worked with Swiss guards. The Pope dies under mysterious circumstances and the Vatican is on the race to appoint a new Pope. However, the four potential cardinals to succeed the Pope are missing. Langdon and Ventresca continue to search for the missing cardinals but later they find them dead. They have been killed by the Illuminati. Now the only potential person remaining for the position of the Papacy is Ventresca. Ironically, it is later discovered that Ventresca is the one who killed the late Pope through poisoning. After realizing that everybody has known his secret, Ventresca feels guilty and he decides to kill himself because he cannot withstand the shame and culpability.

How sardonic is Illuminati branding in the Angels and Demons by Dan Brown?

As discussed in the Angeles and Demons, element branding is a ritual conducted by religious leaders as a way of religious revenge. There is a sharp difference between religion and science in the text because the learned scientists do not believe in religion. Similarly, religion opposes science because it claims that there is no God. Branding bishops and cardinals with various elements symbolize rebellion of religion by science. It is ironic that a bishop is branded with an element and then presented to the alter. The readers realize that the Vatican is a unique place of worship because strange things are happening there including the death of the bishop and the murder of the four cardinals.

What is the emblematic meaning of the catholic church as explained by Dan Brown?

The catholic church symbolizes two things. Firstly, the church epitomizes a credence structure. This forms a crucial part of the plot and the reader can conceptualize the belief system in the Catholic Church. Further reading of the text reveals that the catholic church is not only a belief system but it is also characterized by potential corruption and fraud to gain power. Secondly, the catholic church embodies authority. For instance, the Catholic Church is headed by a powerful Pope guarded by top security men from the Swiss Army. The process of getting a new Pope is also complicated and that is why people like Ventresca are suspected of killing the Pope so that they ascend to power.