The Phantom of the Opera Literary Devices

Key Examples in The Phantom of the Opera

Explanation and Analysis—Prologue:

The Prologue opens with a narrative frame in which the narrator says he will explain the mysterious events at the Opera House. This frame creates a sense of place in history and a sense of reality around an otherwise fantastic story. The story returns to its frame in the Epilogue, as the narrator suggests a tantalizing bit of fictional history in its first footnote:

I mentioned this undertaking again to M. Dujardin-Beaumetz, our gracious under-secretary for Fine Arts, only forty-eight hours before the publication of this book [...] I told him that the state had a duty to dispel the legend of the Phantom of the Opera and establish the facts of Erik’s existence. But for that we need – and this would be the culmination of my investigation – to gain access to his lair. Musical treasures may still be buried there.

The Phantom of the Opera: Frame Story 1 key example

Key Examples in The Phantom of the Opera