DEMONS
I. Plot
Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor, was called by Maximillian Kohler, the
director of CERN to investigate the death of a fellow scientist and to retrieve the
stolen canister of the highly explosive antimatter from their laboratory. An
important mark was found on the body of the scientist – the ambigram of the word
“Illuminati.”
Robert, together with Vittoria Vetra, the late scientist’s adopted daughter,
headed to Vatican City where the election of new pope is being held in search for the
canister. They were told that four of the cardinals were kidnapped and about to be
murdered. Robert confirmed that the Illuminati is the one responsible of these
events. Being an Illuminati expert, he figured out the Path of Illumination which
they used to locate the four cardinals and the canister.
The four cardinals were found dead in the churches involved in the said path.
They were killed through the use of the primordial elements: earth, air, fire, water.
Camerlengo Ventresca retrieved the canister and took it to the sky with a helicopter
where it exploded. Ventresca was safe and landed on the ground with a parachute.
It was then revealed that the camerlengo is the one behind the actions people
thought were made by the Illuminati. With so much guilt, he burned himself to
death. Cardinal Mortati, the dean of the College of Cardinals was elected as the new
pope. Robert and Vittoria headed to the Hotel Bernini and had a rest.
II. Characters
❖ Robert Langdon – a professor of religious iconology at Harvard University who
was tasked to investigate and retrieve the stolen canister of antimatter; a
middle-aged man often described as someone wearing a Mickey Mouse watch
❖ Vittoria Vetra – the adopted daughter of the murdered scientist, Leonardo
Vetra, who was the main companion of Robert Langdon in searching for the
stolen canister
❖ Maximillian Kohler – the director of CERN; a paralyzed but feared man who
sits in a powerful and advance electronic chair
❖ Leonardo Vetra – a CERN physicist who was working with the antimatter;
murdered as his eye was stolen to unlock the chamber protecting the canister
of antimatter
❖ Cardinal Ebner – one of the four kidnapped cardinals (preferiti); a cardinal
from Germany who was killed by forcing soil into his mouth
❖ Cardinal Lamasse – one of the preferiti; a cardinal from France who was
killed by puncturing his lungs
❖ Cardinal Guidera – one of the preferiti; a cardinal from Spain who was burned
to death
❖ Cardinal Baggia – one of the preferiti; a cardinal from Italy who was drowned
at a famous fountain sculpture
❖ Hassassin – the one who kidnapped the cardinals and Camerlengo Ventresca’s
sidekick
❖ Camerlengo Ventresca – the camerlengo who heads the apostolic camera; the
son of the late pope who was produced through artificial insemination; the
man behind the actions people thought were from the Illuminati
❖ Commander Olivetti – the commander of the Swiss guards who died by trying
to save one of the four kidnapped cardinals
❖ Cardinal Saverio Mortati – the dean of the College of Cardinals; elected as the
new pope after the exposure of Camerlengo Ventresca’s secrets
III. Exposition
Leonardo Vetra, a CERN physicist, was found dead inside his laboratory,
seared with an ambigram of the word “Illuminati” on his chest. His eye was
removed and used to open a chamber and steal a canister of antimatter inside
which would explode if not returned after 24 hours. Maximillian Kohler, the
director of CERN, called Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor and Illuminati
expert, and Vittoria Vetra, the daughter of the murdered scientist, to retrieve the
canister.
IV. Setting
Although the setting started at CERN, a science laboratory at Geneva,
Switzerland, majority of the novel occurred at the Vatican City during the election
of a new pope.
V. Conflict
Man vs. Man. The main character, Robert Langdon, fought with the Illuminati
(which appears to be Camerlengo Ventresca) by deciphering chains of codes to save
the people in Vatican City including the College of Cardinals before the whole city
gets blown out by the antimatter.
VI. Rising Action
The canister was taken to an unknown dark site as shown in the camera
attached to it somewhere in Vatican City where the conclave is present for the
election of a new pope due to the death of the current one. Robert and Vittoria
immediately flew to the city. Four cardinals known as the preferiti who were the
candidates for the papacy were kidnapped and will soon be murdered by a man
labeled as “Hassasin”. Robert thought of the Path of Illumination as their guide in
searching for the canister which he also assumed to be related on how the cardinals
will be murdered. With his illuminati expertise, he theorized that the path is
marked by sculptures of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an Illuminati artist. Upon knowing
the clues to the markers through the Galilleo Galilei’s book, “Diagramma”, they
went in search for the preferiti, hoping that they would also find the canister with
the assistance of Camerlengo Ventresca and the Swiss guards led by Commander
Olivetti.
The path appeared to be the four churches in Rome with the sculptures of
Bernini, depicting the four primordial elements: earth, air, fire, and water. They
went to the four churches where the cardinals were murdered through the following
elements. Cardinal Ebner was asphyxiated by forcing soil into his mouth, Cardinal
Lamasse had punctures on his lungs, Cardinal Guidera was burned alive, and
Cardinal Baggia was drowned into a fountain. On the chest of each cardinal is also
an ambigram of the primordial element which corresponds to the way on how one
was killed.
VII. Climax
Ventresca claimed that God had given him a sign and found the canister
underground. The canister was taken to the air by a helicopter with Ventresca and
it is where the explosion occurred, harming no one. Miraculously, the camerlengo
survived the explosion, reaching the land with a parachute. The cardinals thought
of electing the camerlengo as the new pope as they have seen an actual miracle.
Maximillian arrived at the Vatican City to confront camerlengo. He was shot by the
Swiss guards and died shortly after handing Robert a video tape.
VIII. Falling Action
Before everything else, it was revealed that the camerlengo poisoned the pope
who happened to be his father due to the pope’s acts on uniting science and religion
which he is highly against with. The video tape given by Maximillian showed how
camerlengo deceived the Swiss guards to shoot him. It was confirmed that
Camerlengo Ventresca was the one responsible for the chaos in the city. Due to all
the regrets, hatred, and guilt, Ventresca burned himself.
IX. Resolution
Cardinal Mortati, Dean of the College of Cardinals, was elected as the new
pope. Robert and Vittoria went to the Hotel Bernini to rest from their exhausting
and thrilling experience during that day. Robert Langdon was given the “Illuminati
diamond” which was the sixth brand of the Illuminati and considered as the most
brilliant of all.
X. Mood
The novel’s action-packed story provides a thrilling mood which makes the
readers get hooked to the story as it progresses. For instance, as Robert Langdon
rushes to another place to save a cardinal from dying, this scenario gives the
readers a spine-chilling experience as he is also in a race against time.
XI. Tone
There is an inconsistency on the tones of the novel as it changes as the story
progresses. Overall, the author widely used a violent tone as the novel is dominated
by acts of violence which result to brutal murders and other horrifying events.
XII. Symbolism
❖ Illuminati – It is a secret brotherhood that was known to be extinct years
ago. From the murder of Leonardo Vetra to the theft of antimatter, majority
thought that it was the Illuminati who did those. These actions were
considered as something that favors religion and harms science. In the novel,
Illuminati was used to expose the flaws of the Catholic Church where they
tried to kill and make science fail just to strengthen the people’s faith in God.
❖ Ambigrams – The novel presented six symbols which were used to sear the
chest of someone who was murdered. What is special with these symbols is
that it reads the same when turned upside-down. It was used to represent
the fact that the truth will always be exposed no matter how you view it.
❖ Antimatter – This substance was discovered by science, proving that God
created things with their own exact opposite. It was used to represent the
way to unite Science and religion but due to Ventresca’s hate with Science, he
used it to show how harmful the scientific community can be as when it
comes in contact with air, it explodes stronger than a nuclear bomb.
XIII. Genre
❖ Science-fiction, Mystery-thriller
XIV. Dialogue
“Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us. Each of us now is
electronically connected to the globe, and yet we feel utterly alone.” This came from
the camerlengo as he blames Science for what it has done to our society. What
makes this line very special for me is that it is timeless. It does not only apply to
what we are currently experiencing but also to what is ahead of our world’s
technological state. Even if this line was directed to Science at that time, we can
relate it to the present condition where technology has truly made ways for us to
connect by removing what is truly important – personal interaction.
XV. Theme
❖ Clash between Science and Religion