My heart still hurts

nightingalecottage:

Could Crowley be the ultimate romantic?

(aka why this character is imprinted into our souls, as in Aziraphale’s as well)

ALT

I was thinking about Anthony J. Crowley, as people do, wondering why I became so fond of a demon snake in sunglasses from a fantasy comedy. Yes, he’s a cool demon snake in sunglasses shaped as David Tennant, and that’s might be enough, but other than that… how could this happen? What charm does this character exude that attracts so many of us? (Yes, Aziraphale, I’m talking to you too.) There’s not a right answer - people relate to fictional characters for multiple reasons. But I want to talk about the undeniable aura of romanticism that Crowley embodies and that, more or less consciously, many of us perceive.

First of all, when I talk about romanticism, I don’t mean the term in a sappy, cheesy kind of way. l’m referring to the magnetism of those larger-than-life characters, who are capable of great feelings, actions and passions, often misunderstood and with a sense of self-loathing, but kind-hearted and willing to perform acts of self-sacrifice. Is it really possible for our demon snake to have some traits of the romantic hero archetype? Let’s see.

ALT

Troubled past. Since romanticism and tragedy are usually connected in fiction, it isn’t uncommon for romantic characters to have a tragic past. Crowley was once a powerful angel, a star maker, but he was also naïve, childish and a little bit silly. We see him admiring the stars, giggling and wrinkling his nose. He was innocent. He was sure he was loved by God. Then he dared to ask some questions and Heaven rejected him, cast him away from his stars and gave him eyes like those of a snake to prevent him from seeing those same stars clearly again. This heavy trauma, never truly overcome, is still affecting Crowley’s present: the cynicism, the weariness, the distrust, but also his vulnerability are consequences of that. The worst part?

“I only ever asked questions. That’s all it took to be a demon in the old days. Great Plan? God, you listening? Show me a Great Plan. Okay, I know you’re testing them, you said you were going to be testing them. You shouldn’t test them to destruction. Not to the end of the world.”

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My heart still hurts