A study of Symbols in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons

Abstract

Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons (2000) showcases a long-standing tension between the Illuminati and the Vatican respectively. Several religious and historical symbols have been introduced in the book to portray the centuries-old rivalry between the representative agencies of science and religion. This research tries to unfold the meanings of the cryptic symbols as they are crucial to understanding the historical context of the epic clash between knowledge and faith. Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of religious and historical symbology, offers to help CERN, the European nuclear research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. With the highly explosive antimatter stolen and the four cardinals, most likely succeed to dead Pole, abducted, speculation exists regarding whether the Illuminati, once-thought to be defunct, really are back to avenge all persecutions perpetrated by the Catholic churches against men of sciences. As the plot unfolds, it is revealed that camerlengo, who acts as the Illuminati ringleader in the name of Janus, and his aide Hassasin are involved in all these cases of abduction and killings. Moreover, Langdon is faced with a challenge of decoding several symbols including the All-Seeing Eye on one-dollar bill, ambigrams of primordial elements, and several other pagan and occult symbols along the Path of Illumination. Langdon, however, successfully deciphers the meaning of the symbols by navigating sealed crypts, dangerous catacomb, deserted cathedral and the most secretive vault in and around the Vatican with their proper historical and religious references. These symbols and their meanings are central to understanding to the age-old antagonism between the two opposing forces, namely science and religion, as presented and interpreted in the novel.I. Symbols, Brown and His W