Predators Far and Near: The Sadean Gothic in Penny Dreadful

In Episode 3.2 of Penny Dreadful the character of Justine is introduced, in reference to the title character of the Marquis de Sade’s 1791 novel Justine. But while Sade’s Justine is an eternal victim, in Penny Dreadful the character’s fate is changed, under the tutelage of season regulars Lily Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. In the show’s reimagining of Sade, certain features of his work are adapted and revised. This subplot is the first to directly cite Sade’s work, but this chapter argues that his influence has always been present in the series. References to Sade’s transgressive philosophy can be found throughout Penny Dreadful, primarily expressed through characters such as Justine, Lily, and Dorian, who fit the mold of the Sadean libertine. The series itself is situated as a Sadean text, melding high and low cultural forms through its appropriation of penny dreadful literature within the context of contemporary “quality television,” which echoes Sade’s merging of philosophy with pornography and violence.