The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern
Contents
The Hanged Man
Overview
The circus presents “The Hanged Man,” an aerial spectacle staged without nets, forcing the audience to confront the illusion of real danger. A tuxedoed man appears to fall to his death before stopping at eye level and bowing, turning panic into astonished applause. The tent’s design emphasizes controlled risk and mastery of illusion within Le Cirque des Rêves.
Summary
The chapter describes a circus tent filled with aerial performers, lit by dozens of glowing round lamps hanging overhead like planets.
With no safety nets, the audience watches from directly beneath the acrobats as feather-costumed girls spin on ribbons, chairs serve as trapezes, and cage-like spheres rise and descend while performers move in and out of the bars.
At the center, a man in a tuxedo hangs by one leg tied with a silver cord. He slowly extends his arms, spins faster until he blurs, then abruptly drops; the crowd scatters in alarm until he stops at eye level, still suspended, and calmly removes his hat to give an inverted bow.
Who Appears
- The Hanged Man (performer)Tuxedoed aerialist suspended by a silver cord; stages a terrifying near-fall and inverted bow.
- Unnamed aerialistsRibbon spinners and cage-sphere performers who fill the tent with netless aerial feats.
- The audienceSpectators positioned directly beneath the performers; panic during the staged fall, then recover.