Box 5

Box 5, the Phantom’s requested seat in the opera house. Did he demand Box 5 because it was the best seat in the house? Was it because the box had a secret entrance that allowed him to come and go at will? Perhaps there is deeper symbolism. After all, the Phantom demanded that the box was his alone, to be kept empty and not shared with another.

If we just focus on the number itself, there are symbolic meanings that can be attributed to the Phantom. Biblical interpretation relates the number five to bondage or prison. The musical staff has five lines. Some roses have five petals. The pentagram has five sides (representation of magic or Lucifer). Humans have five senses. The Opera Ghost supposedly lived five stories under the Opera House.

Is the box just about the number or does it have a deeper meaning? If the opera house was the Phantom’s domain since childhood, and he was the ultimate ruler of it, Box 5 may be a symbol of his throne of authority and dominion. From his seat in Box 5, he could see the stage, Christine, and the domain he had power and control over.

When Raoul sat in his box, the Phantom wanted to know why his box was not kept empty as instructed. Assuredly, Raoul seated in the Phantom’s box was a threatening act, a sign that Raoul was usurping the Phantom’s claim, invading his territory, and gaining power over Christine. His domain was under attack, his throne threatened. Was that the reason why next he kills? Did he kill to reassert his authority over his domain because his instructions were not obeyed?

Perhaps if the Phantom were here, we could enter his darkened mind and ask the true reason why he insisted on Box 5. What are you thoughts? Was it just the best seat in the house or perhaps the symbolic throne of his domain -- the Opera Populaire.

If you're at an opera and have the fortune to sit in Box 5, let us know how the view is, please. I'm sure we'd all be curious to know.

The Phantom's Student

NOTE: Since posting this article, I have found someone who has been in Box 5! Read the article about the Opera House in Paris written by Ladyghost.