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Poetry · Chapter
CXLVIII explained
A brief aphoristic chapter suggesting that divine creation of beauty is immediately countered by diabolical record-keeping, implying a cosmic balance or corruption.
What happens
A brief aphoristic chapter suggesting that divine creation of beauty is immediately countered by diabolical record-keeping, implying a cosmic balance or corruption.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Self-Deception
The devil's register implies that beauty may be a form of deception or temptation, tracked by evil.
Key passages
“When God makes a beautiful woman, the devil opens a new register.”
Whenever a beautiful woman is created, the devil begins a new account of her influence or sins.
Highlights the theme of inherent corruption or moral accounting tied to beauty.