Madness and Obsession

Where it surfaces

• The King in Yellow

  The narrator's descent into obsession after reading The King in Yellow, leading to psychological unraveling.

• The Repairer of Reputations

  Hildred's obsession with The King in Yellow drives him to madness, distorting his perception of reality and leading to grandiose delusions.

• I

  The narrator's intense fascination with the sound of armor and his defense of Mr. Wilde's sanity suggest underlying obsession and potential madness.

• II

  Hildred's obsession with Mr. Wilde and his grand plan, coupled with hints of his own past institutionalization, underscores a theme of mental instability.

• III

  The narrator's feverish visions of The King in Yellow, the Pallid Mask, and Carcosa reflect a descent into madness driven by repressed emotions and forbidden knowledge.

• In the Court of the Dragon

  The narrator's mental state deteriorates from exhaustion and the influence of The King in Yellow, leading to hallucinations and a sense of inescapable doom.

• The Yellow Sign

  The narrator's fixation on the mysterious woman and the play 'The King in Yellow' drives him toward madness and a grim fate.

• I

  The narrator's obsessive scraping and frustration with the painting, which seems to decay under his hands, hints at a creeping madness.

• III

  After reading the book, the narrator and Tessie become obsessed, speaking in a dull monotone about the King and the Yellow Sign, leading to their demise.

• The Jester

  The jester's repetitive, obsessive mutterings about the journey and stabbing suggest a mind consumed by a singular, traumatic event.

• Rue Barrée

  The poem's speaker expresses an aching, passionate desire that borders on obsession, declaring that nothing else in the world matters but the beloved's physical presence.

• V

  Selby's drunken, irrational determination to see Rue Barrée drives him to climb a building and break into her room, illustrating a descent into obsessive behavior.