Alexandre Dumas

The Black Tulip Illustrated Alexandre Dumas

The Black Tulip is a historical novel and Romantic poetry, written by Alexander Dumas, pare. It begins with a historical event; the 1672 lynching by Organists of the Dutch Grand Expansionary, Jonah DE Witt and his brother Cornelia, because they were considered rebels against the stallholder William of Orange. During these events there was Tulip mania across the Netherlands. In this scenarios, the main fictional character Cornelius Van Berle, belonged to the natural school, whose motto was: "To despise flowers is to offend God", and thus followed the syllogism: "To despise flowers is to offend God, The more beautiful the flower is, the more does one offend God in despising it, The tulip is the most beautiful of all flowers, Therefore, he who despises the tulip offends God beyond measure". (p. 46, The Black Tulip) The city of Harlem had set the prize of 100,000 Francs to whom could grow a black tulip. At stake was not only the money, but also fame and honour. Also, the gardener would perpetuate his name in history by the tulip's recorded name. The prosperous Cornelius Van Berle, godson of Cornelius DE Witt, starts the liking of growing tulips in his state. Then he takes the challenge of growing the black tulip. But as an act of misfortune, his neighbour, Isaac Box tel - also a gardener - watches his every moves, and fearing his success, starts plotting. Followed by unsuccessful scheming, Box tel moved by envy, denounces Van Berle to Justice, because of Van Berle's relation to the brothers DE Witt, traitors of the nation then. Van Berle is suddenly arrested, and condemned to a life sentence in prison. Dumas uses religious beliefs for dramatic effect, and words as "Fate", "Providence" and "Misfortune". Misfortune plays a major influence throughout Van Berle's life events, but at the end succumbs to be a major act of Providence. Shows that God is always in control, both in sadness as in happiness. Was in such an act, that Van Berle meets the beautiful daughter of the jailer, Rosa Sisyphus.