Luxury

The bishop's vision for his tomb is simple, really. Think Scrooge McDuck meets Donald Trump. And then top it all off with a neon sign that says "In your face, Gandolf!" We never really get the full backstory on why our speaker is so determined to rub it in his dead rival's face, but it is clear that he thinks a "nothing but the best" approach is the best way to win the afterlife. Oddly, there's no real mention of heaven here. The bishop is too busy rattling off a list of the most luxurious decorations he can imagine.

• Lines 20-25: Sure, Gandolf may have tricked the bishop and gotten a better location for his tomb, but he's still got a view of the pulpit from where he'll be. He's also going to have a nice slab of basalt to mark his eternal resting spot.
• Lines 29-30: The bishop wants columns of rare "peach-blossom marble." It seems that, what he lacks in location, he'll be making up for in bling.
• Lines 42-44: That's not all. The bishop also wants a giant piece of lapis lazuli that's "Big as a Jew's head cut off at the nape,/ Blue as a vein o'er the Madonna's breast." Well now—those are two pretty offensive similes. The bishop's focus on luxury items brings out the worst in him.
• Lines 68-69: By the time we get to these lines, the bishop's insistence on getting jasper for his tomb is not as surprising. We know that he wants the good stuff to show up his rival Gandolf. Still, he says that getting him this pricey stone is how his sons might show that they love him. That's a bit harsh, if you ask us. What about a hug and a thoughtful card?
• Lines 74-75: There's a materialistic quid pro quo going on here. If his sons get the top-shelf materials for his tomb, then the bishop promises to use his divine influence to get them horses and manuscripts and good-looking women—luxuries all around.
• Lines 102-103: The bishop can give, and he can also take away. If he doesn't get the luxurious tomb, his sons won't be getting his fancy villas.
• Lines 107-108: The bishop doesn't just want a vase on his tomb; he wants it filled with grapes. No detail is too small to be overlooked in his attempts to shame Gandolf with his luxurious tomb.