The Castle of Otranto and the Mysterious Mother

Works of Gothic greats like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe remain revered in English class settings, yet lesser known outside the classroom. Fret not! This reviewer is here to recommend, for those enamored with the Gothic and those who are not, a tale that blends Shakespearean tragicomedy with a mysterious tale of murder, love, and ghosts in a castle reminiscent of feudal times. The Castle Otranto was inspired by author Horace Walpole’s pseudo-castle Strawberry Hill House; as well as the medieval history surrounding the character of villainous Manfred. When supernatural tragedy overturns the wedding of his sickly son Conrad and princess Isabella of the neighboring kingdom, Manfred fears the longevity of his bloodline is ending. He resorts to gross means—pursuing the princess Isabella himself—to retain his claim to the castle Otranto. Isabella is perturbed by Manfred’s pursuit and is helped by his daughter Matilda and a young peasant, who hide her in various parts of the castle. While hiding Isabella learns that her father Frederic has stronger claims to Otranto and has begun pursuing its princess…. Meanwhile, apparitions appear to the men with omens about the identity of the true prince of Otranto, threatening their lordship and claims to the castle. The increasingly mad actions of Manfred spin chaos and humor throughout that concludes in tragedy, and new love between the peasant and (one of) the princesses. Much of this tale is a game of chase—literally. Isabella and Matilda are scheming against and evading each other’s fathers, while Manfred is frequently interrupted in his pursuits by absurd apparitions that scorn his wickedness. The hilarity of the novel can be equated to a modern-day episode of Scooby Doo, with added Gothic tropes: Isabella and Matilda disappear behind doorways as seconds later Manfred enters the hall they exited; the characters leap with fear on hearing scary noises, contemplating moonlight, or apparitions; the peasant proves himself heroic (and a bit lovestruck) as he guides the princesses through underground passageways, and then by competing in verbal gymnastics against Manfred: “Oh, heavens! cried Isabella, it is the voice of Manfred! Make haste, or we are ruined! and shut the trap-door after you…as the peasant hastened to follow her, he let the door slip out of his hands…the falling door had been heard by Manfred, who…hastened thither…. Thou art a resolute villain for thy years, said Manfred…I suspect thou dost but trifle with me: thou has not told me how thou didst open the [trap-door]. I will show you, my lord, said the peasant; and taking up a fragment of stone that had fallen from above, he laid himself on the trap-door, and began to beat on [it]; meaning to gain time for the escape of the princess…” (85-87). For those familiar with the Gothic or have curiosity for works outside of Stoker and Wilde, Otranto is an ideal text that excites by its humor and absurdity; and informs readers in classic tropes of the Gothic—recalling Burkean concepts of the sublime, or the notion of receiving pleasure from that which is vast, obscure, powerful, or infinite—like the supernatural. This sublime tale that quickened the hearts of its first audiences with terror and romance is sure to raise genuine emotive responses even in the current literary era.