The Castle of Otranto (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Horace Walpole
- First Published: 1765
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fantasy—heroic fantasy
- Time of Work: The late medieval period (twelfth century)
- Setting: The principality of Otranto in Italy
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy, Gothic fiction
- Subjects: Love or romance, Murder or homicide, Supernatural, Escapes, Mistaken or secret identity, Inheritance or succession, Castles, Ambition, Heroes or heroism, Italy or Italians, Middle Ages, Giants, Princes or princesses, Twelfth century
- Locales: Italy
The Plot
In The Castle of Otranto, recognized as the first gothic novel, Horace Walpole combines supernatural occurrences and heroic behaviors associated with the Romantic tradition to tell the story of Manfred, prince of Otranto, whose zeal for satisfying his own lusts for power and sexual gratification lead to his downfall. The tale opens on the wedding day of Manfred’s son Conrad, who is betrothed to the countess Isabella. Before the ceremony, a giant helmet falls from a parapet, crushing Conrad. A peasant, Theodore, claims that the helmet is like that on the statue...
[The entire page is 1239 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
