A mythical figure that wants to seduce Agnete and lure her into the ocean. Kierkegaard engages in a lengthy examination of the story of the Merman and Agnete, considering various endings to the story—whether the Merman could save himself by marrying Agnete, have faith that the divine might save Agnete, or hide from Agnete forever to save her—to explore demonic and divine approaches to repentance and whether silence is best.
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Merman Character Timeline in Fear and Trembling
The timeline below shows where the character Merman appears in Fear and Trembling. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Problema 3: Was it Ethically Defensible of Abraham to Conceal his Purpose from Sarah, from Eleazar, from Isaac?
...will share a similar story that has to do with the demonic: Agnete and the Merman. The Merman is a seducer who lures innocent women to the ocean and then drags...
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Johannes says that if the Merman chooses to repent alone, he’s choosing to be a concealer; on the other hand, if...
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The Merman can save himself from the demonic in two ways: stay hidden and hope the divine...
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The Merman uses all his strength making the movement of repentance and so he can’t make the...
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