« C’est une histoire singulière et terrible… » La Morte amoureuse ou la fascination romantique pour les vampires

The present paper focuses on La Morte amoureuse [Clarimonde] by Théophile Gautier telling the story of a young priest who just before his ordination falls in love with a beautiful and mysterious courtesan. Nevertheless, he neglects his love and sets off to the parish entrusted to him. One day he is asked to visit a dying woman who turns out to be his beloved. Unable to restrain his desire, the priest kisses the dead Clarimonde, who comes back to live. Afterwards, she pays him a visit every night and takes him to Venice where they live a voluptuous life. Unable to stand the double existence of a priest and a young lord, the protagonist accepts to destroy the corpse of his beloved, which ends their relationship. Alternative to God’s love, mysterious Clarimonde, evil or vampire, becomes an interesting concept reflecting the Romantic dreams andanxieties. Key words : Gautier, Clarimonde, vampire, Romanticism, God, love, death