Themes & patterns

The book explores the destructive power of obsessive love, as the Duke of Dorset and the entire undergraduate population of Oxford become hopelessly enamored with Zuleika, leading to mass suicide.

Zuleika is portrayed as a narcissistic character who thrives on male admiration, using her beauty and conjuring skills primarily for self-display, while the Duke's pride and self-image are central to his tragic decisions.

The narrative contrasts the aristocratic Duke of Dorset with the humble Noaks, highlighting class distinctions in Oxford, and Zuleika's rise from governess to celebrated figure underscores social mobility and its tensions.

Death is romanticized as a grand gesture of love, with the Duke and hundreds of students choosing suicide to prove their devotion to Zuleika, treating it as an artistic and noble act.

Zuleika's identity as a conjurer symbolizes the theme of illusion and performance in life, as characters adopt roles—the Duke as a tragic hero, Zuleika as a heartless enchantress—blurring reality and theater.

Zuleika wields immense power over men through her beauty, reversing traditional gender dynamics, yet she remains objectified and ultimately isolated, highlighting the paradox of feminine influence.

The gods manipulate events with ironic detachment, as seen in the Duke's fall on orange peel and the tragicomic mass deaths, emphasizing the absurdity of human passion against cosmic indifference.

Oxford's ancient, medieval setting clashes with Zuleika's modern, flashy presence, and the narrative satirizes the tension between timeless academic traditions and contemporary frivolity.