A Sympathetic Devil

There are elements of the Western in Don Giovanni. Or perhaps it would be the reverse--there are elements of Don Giovanni in the Western. Don Giovanni is on the edge of civilization; he cannot become part of it, really. It is not the pursuit of justice even outside of the law, however, that prevents his assimilation into the society. Rather, it is his own insatiable appetite for women. But there is something to love--his refusal to be manipulated by women, his swordsmanship and bravery (he scared away three men simultaneously in a sword fight), his daring. And in an world that is devoid of much passion and eros, this is an important corrective. The ending, however, is entirely fitting. It is the statue of a man he killed--the statue of a woman he wronged-who finally takes vengeance. Here we see a wonderful representation of the society as enduring through time and including even the dead. How appropriate that his punishment is through this father of the city. But I wonder if there isn't something Milton-esque about this, too--the devil ought to be in hell, but he ought to be an interesting devil.