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How do the settings in The Castle of Otranto reflect the characters' emotional states?
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The settings in The Castle of Otranto reflect the characters' emotional states by mirroring their inner turmoil and illegitimacy. The old, dark, and dilapidated castle represents Manfred's unstable psyche and illegitimate claim to power. As Manfred's actions grow more desperate and morally corrupt, the castle itself reacts violently, symbolizing his internal decay and the chaos within his family.
The Castle of Otranto was published in 1764 by English writer Horace Walpole. The novel is recognized as the first in the gothic literature genre. The narrative centers around the character Manfred and his family who inhabit the castle. Following the death of Conrad, an interwoven tale of marriage, fear, power, and mystery unfolds within the castle and its dark depths.
The primary setting of the narrative is the castle itself. The castle is old, dark, and in serious need of repair. This description can be used to depict the souls of the characters, most specifically the psyche of Manfred.
Manfred does not have a legitimate claim to power, and his actions are driven by the terror associated with not legitimizing his power. When he tries to marry his son to Isabella to solidify his power, the castle itself strikes back, killing Conrad by dropping a large helmet...
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on his head. Within the first few pages, the reader understands that the castle is more than a setting and is really more of a character within the plot.
The castle’s desolation and dilapidation is also mirrored in Manfred’s emotional state. After Conrad’s death, Manfred decides to leave his wife Hippolita and marry Isabella himself. Manfred turns his back on his wife and ostracizes himself because he does not think Hippolita has given him a good heir to legitimize his power. Manfred’s decision to pursue Isabella represents a sick breakdown of character, which physically manifests in the gloomy and collapsing castle.
This novel is widely recognised as being one of the most famous Gothic novels in the English language, as it contains all of the critical ingredients necessary for a Gothic novel. Gothic novels normally contained naive and innocent heroines who were entrapped by evil and dastardly males who had sexual designs on them. A young, brave and upright hero battles to save her and the setting is normally based in a ruined castle, an abandoned abbey or a place that is far away from civilisation and the rest of humanity.
The setting is a key aspect of Gothic fiction, as it highlights the way that Gothic literature exaggerates human emotions. Being so far away from the restraining influence of civilisation, the responses of the characters--the hysteria of the damsel in distress, for example-- is that much more acute. It highlights the way in which Gothic novels are psychological novels, and the responses of the characters are extreme emotional and passionate responses that move them beyond the realms of normal experience and into the hinterland of the unconscious and psychological realm of emotions and passions. You might find this a useful way of examining the range of extreme emotions as expressed in this novel, perhaps especially the hysteria of Isabella.