Chapters 51-60 Summary
Chapter 51
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Chapter Summary:
As they search for a safe place, and Sophie tries to decipher the cryptex,
Langdon realizes they need help, and decides to take them to visit Sir Leigh
Teabing, a wealthy British Grail historian living in France.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The influence of the past upon the present.
Chapter 52
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Chapter Summary:
When they arrive at Chateau Villette, they must answer three questions at the
gate to be allowed to pass. While these are delivered in a joking fashion, they
serve as a ritual inquisition of their worthiness.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
Chapter 53
Chapter Characters:
Andre Vernet
Chapter Summary:
Vernet calls the Night Manager at the bank. The manager activates a hidden
transponder on the armored truck to allow Vernet to track it down.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The influence of the past upon the present.
Chapter 54
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Sir Leigh Teabing
Remy Legaludec
Chapter Summary:
At the castle Sophie and Langdon hide the cryptex, then meet Sir Leigh Teabing,
who walks in on leg braces and crutches.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The influence of the past upon the present.
Chapter 55
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Sir Leigh Teabing
Chapter Summary:
Teabing explains the meaning of the Holy Grail to Sophie. As he does, Teabing
points Sophie to lines from Da Vinci's journals:
"Many have made a trade of delusions
and false miracles, deceiving the stupid multitude."
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us.
O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Teabing argues that these lines indicate Da Vinci and others objected to the lies in the Bible. Teabing then retells the history of the Church as a history of deception (telling outright lies) and conversion of pre-existing religious practices and symbols for its own purposes. He then walks Sophie through a viewing of Da Vinci's The Last Supper, pointing out that the Holy Grail can't be the cup Jesus and the disciples shared there because there were many cups at the table. Instead, "The Holy Grail is not a thing. It is, in fact…a person."
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The centrality of human relationships, especially male-female
relationships.
The influence of the past upon the present.
Chapter 56
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Sir Leigh Teabing
Remy Legaludec
Chapter Summary:
Teabing walks Sophie through the meaning of basic symbols. ^ stands for male,
and V for female, due to the shapes of their respective genitals. The V becomes
a chalice, to represent the womb. The chapter ends with Teabing guiding Langdon
and Sophie to see Da Vinci's painting of the woman who is the Holy Grail, "A
woman who carried with her a secret so powerful that, if revealed, it
threatened to devastate the very foundation of Christianity!"
As he does so, his servant Remy Legaludec is watching television, and sees a broadcast about Langdon and Sophie.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The centrality of human relationships, especially male-female
relationships.
The power of belief, and the need to believe.
Chapter 57
Chapter Characters:
Silas, the albino monk
Jerome Collet
Chapter Summary:
Lieutenant Collet receives a tip from the Bank of Zurich telling him where
Sophie and Langdon are. As he heads for Chateau Villette, Silas sneaks up
outside.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The power of belief, and the need to...
(This entire section contains 955 words.)
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believe.
Chapter 58
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Sir Leigh Teabing
Chapter Summary:
Teabing explains The Last Supper to Sophie, arguing that the figure seated to
the right of Jesus, "at the place of honor," is Mary Magdalene. Teabing claims
that "The Church needed to defame Mary Magdalene in order to cover up her
dangerous secret—her role as the Holy Grail." He says that she was not a
prostitute, but rather Jesus's wife, and that "Not only was Jesus Christ
married, but He was a father." The chapter ends with Teabing arguing that the
name of the Holy Grail—Sangreal—actually means "Sang Real."
Sophie realizes that "Sang Real literally meant Royal Blood," which convinces
her that the Grail really does mean the blood of Christ: his family
lineage.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The centrality of human relationships, especially male-female
relationships.
The influence of the past upon the present.
Chapter 59
Chapter Characters:
Bishop Aringarosa
Chapter Summary:
Bishop Aringarosa calls Opus Dei headquarters in New York, asking if there were
any messages. There was one, which he expects to be from the Teacher, but which
is from the French police.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The influence of the past upon the present.
Chapter 60
Chapter Characters:
Robert Langdon
Sophie Neveu
Sir Leigh Teabing
Remy Legaludec
Chapter Summary:
Back at Chateau Villette, Teabing explains the history of the Grail more fully,
saying that the pregnant Mary Magdalene fled at the time of the crucifixion.
She was protected by Jews, and gave birth to her daughter Sarah in France.
Teabing then argues that the search for the Grail is actually a search for Mary
Magdalene 's tomb, which will contain documents telling her story. He also
argues that the Priory had another duty: to protect the bloodline of the Holy
Grail, which led into the Merovingians, who founded Paris.
As Sophie is speculating about what this means to her, Teabing's servant Remy interrupts them.
Chapter Themes:
The human world is encoded with meaning.
The centrality of human relationships, especially male-female
relationships.
The power of belief, and the need to believe.
The influence of the past upon the present.