As the Caterpillar Chooses: William Blake's Hell and the Church's Condescension

Abstract

William Blake’s (1757-1827) work did not see the resounding success in his time as it does today. A vocal critic of the Church, he expressed his ideas in engravings, poems, and prose, creating his own complex Christian-esque history that he felt encapsulated the good of the religion while excluding the unsavory parts of the institutional organization. Over time, his writings have gained more widespread support, with fears of dissent from those in charge dissipating. Through his works “The Tyger,” “The Garden of Love,” and “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,” as well as the writings of Blakeian scholars, Blake’s critiques of the Church are demonstrated to be rooted in his belief that the Church is incapable of trusting its followers, instead prescribing a narrow lens in which worship cannot stray far from.