Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why did Coleridge choose to include separate conclusion sections in the poem? Do they add or detract from the overall effect of the main sections?
- How do you think Sir Leoline's grief over his wife's death contributed to the decisions he made?
- What would have happened if Christabel's mother were still alive? How would the story change and why do you think so?
- Based on how the story begins to unfold, what do you think Coleridge had in mind for the final two sections that he planned but never wrote? How would the story end? What parts of the poem lead you to your answers?
- How does Coleridge's use of repetition help or hinder the reader's understanding of the story?
- How valuable is bard Bracy's role in the story? Could he have done anything to change the outcome of the situation? Why or why not?
- In your view, what is it that makes "Christabel" so unsettling for the reader?