Fear and Trembling

by

Søren Kierkegaard

Eleazar Character Analysis

Abraham and Sarah’s faithful servant. Because Eleazar was so close to Abraham, Kierkegaard questions how ethical it was for Abraham to prepare to sacrifice Isaac without telling Eleazar or Sarah. Kierkegaard arrives at the conclusion that because Abraham couldn’t explain the situation in a way others could understand, it was okay for him not to tell anyone—faith is often unintelligible and difficult to explain.
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Eleazar Character Timeline in Fear and Trembling

The timeline below shows where the character Eleazar appears in Fear and Trembling. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Speech in Praise of Abraham
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
Infinite Resignation Theme Icon
...answer his call. Abraham woke up early and, without saying a word to Sarah or Eleazar, took Isaac to Mount Moriah and prepared to sacrifice him on an altar. Without hesitation,... (full context)
Problema 3: Was it Ethically Defensible of Abraham to Conceal his Purpose from Sarah, from Eleazar, from Isaac?
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
...universal) can ethically justify concealment, then Abraham can be rightly condemned for not telling Sarah, Eleazar, and Isaac about God’s demand. Johannes proposes to look at the question in an aesthetic... (full context)
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
The Unintelligibility of Faith Theme Icon
Johannes turns his attention back to Abraham, who didn’t tell Sarah, Eleazar, or Isaac about God’s command to sacrifice Isaac. Aesthetics says that it’s okay to be... (full context)