kierkegaard distinguishes between the reflective don juan, who operates with subtlety and planning, and the immediate don juan, whose seduction is a swift, irresistible force. the immediate don juan must seduce thousands, while the reflective don juan "needs to seduce only one" (p. 108). in the immediate version, seduction is quick, "a matter of a moment" (p. 109). kierkegaard prefers the immediate, musical don juan, as his seductions stem from sheer sensuous desire rather than reflection or manipulation: "the musical don juan is altogether victorious" (p. 109). kierkegaard describes don giovanni not as a character but as an expression of "essential life" (p. 119). his passion incites desire in others, creating a demonic, irresistible force. this demonic essence is tied to his substantial anxiety, which is not reflective but inherent: "in him, it is not a subjectively reflected anxiety; it is a substantial anxiety" (p. 129). giovannis anxiety fuels his relentless pursuit of pleasure, and he dances "over the abyss" of destruction, sustained by this anxiety (p. 130). irony plays a key role in don giovannis demonic nature, particularly in his encounter with the ghostly commendatore. kierkegaard notes the irony of don giovanni, who can overcome any earthly obstacle, being defeated by a supernatural force he cannot kill: "don giovanni can surmount any obstruction, but a ghost...cannot be slain" (p. 120). this encounter reveals the limits of don giovannis demonic power.
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