Ring Rose

July 22nd, 2007 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

ring rose
What is the significance of the rose with the ring at the tombstone? In Phantom of the Opera?

You know at the end of the movie the phantom (Gerard Butler) puts a rose tied to a ring onto Christine Daae's (Emmy Rossum) grave. I need this answer for film study. A good answer needed please

Erik, the Phantom, has always been symbolized by the rose with a black ribbon tied to it: it's both beautiful and dangerous, with blood-red petals and blood-spilling thorns. It represents him, in all his twisted and poignant beauty. The ribbon is a symbol of his devotion to the receiver- his love, admiration, attraction, etc are attached to the embodiment of himself, the rose. The ring represents all the love Erik ever harbored for Christine- a wedding ring, symbolizing love and devotion lasting an eternity, even if he gave it to her forcefully and without the option to refuse and still live happily. When Christine chooses Raoul, however, and gives the ring back, Erik keeps it for the rest of his life, never abandoning the unrequited love he felt for Christine, until she dies. Finally, he is released from his life-long attachment to her. So the ring, a symbol of unwavering love and devotion, is tied with all the attraction Erik ever felt for Christine (via the black ribbon) and left, with the physical representation of Erik's soul, the rose, at Christine's tombstone. This can be interpreted two ways: one is that Erik has finally said goodbye to his beloved after many years of one-sided love. The other is that this is a momentous symbol of his undying and eternal love, that though death separates them, his heart and soul will always belong to her, and the marriage that never happened in life (because she shunned his passionate, violent existence) can be consummated in death.

Good luck on your study. Hope this helps.