In this paper I will focus on the character of Geraldine. My reason to do so is that in my several readings of the poem I realized that not only was Geraldine a dark character, she was also the reason and source of all darkness in the poem. With 'dark' and 'darkness' I mean images, situations and sensations that cause terror and are, therefore, source of the sublime.1
             Strong Connection Between Geraldine and the Setting
             The setting ( first seven stanzas) prepares us for the apparition of Geraldine. I use the term 'apparition' because this is the first impression I had about Geraldine and, almost certainly, so does Christabel: 'No doubt, she hath a vision sweet
             What if her guardian spirit 'twere
             What if she knew her mother near?' 2 (96)
             This preparation consists of several visions of darkness which, put together, cause terror:
             Owls hoot; the castle clock strikes; the old toothless mastiff howls, 'Sixteen short howls, not over loud'2 (88). All these sounds are described by Burke as productive of the sublime.1 (133)
             It is the middle of a chilly night and, although it is not dark, a grey cloud spreads on the sky covering a full moon, which is also a terrifying image.Then, we meet Christabel,a 'lovely lady', alone and unprotected in the bare wood , praying beneath a bare old oak. This gives the idea of solitude, silence and vacuity, all sources of terror.1 (121)
             These explicit images of darkness are complemented by something I consider worth mentioning: the questions, apparently addressed to the reader.3I found one of them particularly illustrative for my purposes 'Is it the wind that moaneth bleak?'1(89) This question makes us doubt; If not the wind (a natural element), What? Surely something supernatural! And the supernatural means uncontrollable power and causes terror.
             Thus, when Geraldine finally appears ...