Abo
Abo, the abbot of the unnamed Benedictine abbey, is a figure of immense authority, political acumen, and deep pride in his domain. He is the first to greet William of Baskerville upon his arrival, washing his hands in a golden basin and kissing him on the mouth in a ritual welcome. From the outset, Abo is portrayed as a man who values display and ceremony, a trait William immediately deduces from the richness of the abbey and the abbot's public manner. He is a shrewd diplomat, chosen as the neutral host for a crucial meeting between the imperial legation of Louis the Bavarian and the papal envoys of Pope John XXII, a role that underscores his influence and his delicate balancing act between the two great powers of the age.
Role in the Investigation and the Library's Secret
Abo's primary action in the narrative is to enlist William to solve the mystery of Adelmo of Otranto's death. He does so with great circumspection, revealing that he has heard something under the seal of confession that he cannot disclose, and he hopes William's intellect will uncover the truth without forcing him to break that sacred bond. However, Abo immediately imposes a critical restriction: William may move freely throughout the abbey, but he is absolutely forbidden from entering the top floor of the Aedificium, the library. He explains that the library is a spiritual and terrestrial labyrinth, guarded by a secret known only to the librarian and his assistant, and that its books are not for all eyes. This prohibition, born from a desire to protect the library's treasures and the abbey's traditions, becomes the central obstacle to William's investigation and a direct cause of the escalating tragedy.
Pride, Power, and the Defense of the Abbey
Abo's character is defined by a profound pride in his abbey, its wealth, and its spiritual mission. He proudly displays the abbey's treasure, including a magnificent crucifix and a collection of sacred vessels, and delivers a mystical discourse on how the beauty of gems and gold leads the soul to God through anagoge. This pride extends to his authority; he declares himself "the only master after God, and by His grace" within the abbey's walls. When the investigation threatens to expose the library's secrets, he becomes evasive and obstructive. He attempts to deflect William's attention from the Aedificium by suggesting the cellarer, Remigio of Varagine, as a suspect, and he ultimately dismisses William from the investigation, ordering him to leave the abbey to protect its honor. This act of pride and self-preservation seals his own fate.
The Abbot's Downfall
Abo's downfall is a direct consequence of his attempt to control the uncontrollable. After William reveals that the key to the murders lies in the forbidden book hidden in the finis Africae, Abo confronts Jorge of Burgos. Jorge, realizing the abbot can no longer be trusted to keep the secret, lures him into the hidden passage leading to the finis Africae and traps him there. Abo dies, suffocated within the walls of his own abbey, a victim of the very secrets he tried to guard. His death is a grim irony: the man who sought to preserve the abbey's honor and his own power is destroyed by the hidden knowledge he was too proud to let anyone else uncover. His fate underscores the novel's theme that the obsessive protection of truth can be as destructive as the pursuit of forbidden knowledge.
