OVERALL ANALYSES

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Robert Langdon

Keeping with the idea of male and female as a complimentary, essential pairing, Brown provides us with two protagonists. Robert Langdon is the male protagonist. He is a Harvard professor who finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery. As protagonist, Langdon must overcome the novel’s major obstacle, which is to solve the clues left by Saunière. Solving these clues means something different to Langdon than it does to Sophie; however, their purposes are complimentary. For Langdon, solving the clues will hopefully answer his questions about the Grail--a life long enigma for him.

LangdonÂ’s efforts are stalled by the novelÂ’s antagonist, Sir Lee Teabing, who intends to use him to find the Grail and dispose of him. For Langdon the resolution comes when Marie tells him the Grail documents were never meant to be released. LangdonÂ’s belief that the Sangreal documents should not be used to destroy religious faith is confirmed. In the Epilogue Langdon does find the Grail, but because of the outcome of his quest he is satisfied to know where it is. He does not have to obtain the documents.

Sophie Neveu

Sophie is the female protagonist. She, like Langdon, seeks to solve the clues left by her grandfather. Unlike Langdon, Sophie has just learned about the folklore surrounding the Grail. Sophie hopes that in solving the clues she will learn the truth about her family--an enigma that has followed her throughout her life. Antagonist, Lee Teabing, also acts as a deterring force for Sophie. In keeping her from the Grail, he keeps her from her family, who are still alive.

SophieÂ’s resolution comes at Rosslyn Chapel, where she is reunited with her grandmother and brother. Neither Sophie nor Langdon could be successful on the quest without the other. Sophie supplies necessary information about her grandfatherÂ’s past as well as cryptology; Langdon supplies necessary information about symbology and Grail history. Together, female/male, yin/yang, chalice/blade, they are able to achieve their goal. The reader should note that Teabing, who worked only with men, was not successful.

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