#hannibal symbolism

[pvt-llewellyn]

I liked how in Hannibal they went so crazy with symbolism that it can be said it’s a retelling of both a modern Faust or Dante’s inferno. It has multitude references to other literary works or art pieces, Ancient Greek mythology, Hindu mythology, Christianity, Japanese beliefs, Native American beliefs, esoteric things like Mind Palaces (which actually are used in magik) , Tarot in the scenes of Hannibal being strung up like Judas/ Christ but The Hanged man reversed. The heart scene which is Three of Swords reversed and the seasons having 13 episodes each. The Death card being #13. There’s probably more but I haven’t noticed them. Then multitude of references to movies, Frankenstein, Wizard of Oz, the band The Doors. Stuff goes wild. Not even to mention the psychology behind like every script sentence and scene.

Oh and when Graham says “I’m not fortunes fool” he is the representation of The Fool card. This story is his new adventure through the major arcana and his new journey to a new life. The ending is like the world, where it shows the ocean or the world, the sky too. The world card being the ending tarot and that scene being the ending of the show

[hannibals-hoe]

Watching Hannibal again and here is a revelation

The window panes are the periodic table elements and notice how Chiyoh is literally standing in between two elements 🤪

[iconsumethesoulsofthedamned]

You and I have begun to blur.

[canniboobies]

wip i’ll never finish😁

[weaponizedducks]

my type is a questionable plot, questionable cgi, and questionable sexualities

[parlapina]

[sabellart]

they gave me a troubled teenage girl daughter figure and really expected me not to relate to her an abnormal amount…..

[sempercredens]

will graham associated with water symbolism to communicate the idea of indefinability and thus fluidity, and therefore subsequent endless potential for transformation regarding his morality, his role in the narrative, even his sexuality given shape to him by hannibal "I want to contain him like an oil spill" lecter my beloved.

[ghostdrinkssoup]

nbc hannibal is packed with ambiguous symbolism and confusing dialogue and at least three layers of subtext but if you ever get lost just remember that hannibal is a malewife pretending to be a girlboss and will is a girlboss pretending to be a malewife and exposing that in each other is what the show is about at its core

[artthatremindsmeofhannibalnbc]

Myeongbeom Kim, Untitled, 2014 Skull, branches

[suchawrathfullamb]

giving you guys the opportunity to headcanon away: how do you think hannibal and will would kiss each other, the first time? not the context or scene but the actual vibe of the kiss

[iidiotcat]

the lure 🍂

[my4ththerapist]

nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING will get me as riled up as religious symbolism

[snoweylily]

Mizumono x Aperitivo

[kuroshika]

i think people misinterpret what i mean when i say will is hannibal's god. we know hannibal is a religious man in the sense that he believes in gods, but does not pray to them.

he has intimate knowledge of them, and believes there could be multiple (as shown by his belief in both christian god and in greek mythos), but he doesn't pray, nor show his religion at all. he is a follower with nothing to follow.

he doesn't like playing god with his kills, not at all. he defies him, even, in that regard. so he doesn't believe himself to be god (though there's a certain god complex that comes with being a surgeon).

and he doesn't believe god to be something overarching and narcissistic — he doesn't believe that god sits in wait and watches violence. his god delivers justice and karma, he believes that he has an itch in his palm to destroy those who are unworthy of the life they've been granted (which, of course, is deliciously reminiscent of how hannibal cannibalizes the 'rude'— those he believes have tarnished the life they've been given).

will does that; at first, by his profiling — when he kills hobbs, when he shoots stammetts, even when he showed no hesitation in trying (twice) to shoot hannibal; then after his becoming, when he has no problem tearing into dolarhyde.

i think that's what attracts hannibal to him — he's blunt (not rude, but that's a subject for a whole different post), he's clever, and he's always had the same urges that hannibal has, boiling just beyond the curtains. he wants people to pay for what they do — and it is not biased in the fact that he tries to make hannibal pay before he understands why he does what he does. he, in hannibal's eyes, is the perfect god — swift, unbiased, and angry (hence his illusion to achilles' anger; the halfgod who could not be bested in battle).

will isn't hannibal's god in the sense of "you are the best, you are the greatest and no one can befell you and you are invincible". he's his god in the sense of "you are the personification of my ideals, you are human but divine in the sense that you may be felled, but you do not go down easily, i love you and worship you for that alone".

he doesn't believe that will is better than anyone, or entirely godly — he believes he embraces his human nature and is still powerful.

[iconsumethesoulsofthedamned]

There’s blood in my hair.