# Passion and Obsession in Béatrix

> Theme guide for Béatrix by Honoré de Balzac.

Characters are driven by intense, often destructive passions—Calyste's infatuation with Béatrix, Camille's unrequited love for Calyste—which lead to suffering, manipulation, and dramatic personal crises.

## Where it surfaces

- [Béatrix](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/b_atrix_se/chapters/b-atrix): Calyste's immediate and intense attraction to Béatrix exemplifies the theme of overwhelming passion that borders on obsession.
- [Part I: Dramatis Personae](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/b_atrix_se/chapters/part-i-dramatis-personae): Calyste's overwhelming and unrequited love for Béatrix is a central focus, causing him emotional torment and despair.
- [Part II: The Drama](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/b_atrix_se/chapters/part-ii-the-drama): Calyste's obsessive love for Béatrix drives the plot, leading to extreme actions and emotional turmoil.
- [Part III: Retrospective Adultery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/b_atrix_se/chapters/part-iii-retrospective-adultery): Calyste's irrational and persistent obsession with Béatrix, despite his marriage to the virtuous Sabine, drives the chapter's emotional conflict.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/b_atrix_se/themes/passion_and_obsession
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/b_atrix_se/themes