In Thomas Mann’s novella Death in Venice, the characters who provide a preview of Aschenbach’s fatal end are:
I. The Graveyard Stranger - This character is significant because he foreshadows death and decay. He appears to Aschenbach in Venice, and his conversation with Aschenbach is laden with themes of mortality and decay, which hint at Aschenbach’s eventual fate.
IV. The Gondolier - The gondolier also plays a role in foreshadowing Aschenbach’s end. He is an ambiguous figure who, along with the eerie atmosphere of Venice, contributes to the sense of impending doom.
The other characters, II. The Governess and III. The Barber, do not directly foreshadow Aschenbach’s end in the same way. The governess is not a prominent figure in this aspect, and the barber’s role is more peripheral.
Therefore, the correct answer is 2 (I and IV are correct) because the Graveyard Stranger and the Gondolier both give clues about Aschenbach’s tragic end.
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