The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Masterpiece
2 The Castle of Otranto
Publication History and Authorship
The book was first published on December 24, 1764 (500 copies), with a second edition following on April 11, 1765.
In the first edition, Horace Walpole concealed his identity under the pseudonym “William Marshall.”
The book was presented as a discovered manuscript, a common practice in 18th-century fiction, purportedly a medieval text authored by “Onuphrio Muralto” in Italian and translated into English by Marshall.
The preface argued for the narrative’s authenticity based on its realism, despite its magical and supernatural elements.
After the success of the first edition, Walpole revealed his identity and included a new preface and the subtitle “A Gothic Story” in the second edition.
Walpole later explained the origins of the narrative, linking it to his antiquarian project at Strawberry Hill in the 1750s.
In the second preface, Walpole claimed to have created a new kind of romance, blending elements of the supernatural, psychological realism, medieval chivalric romance, and the modern novel.
Innovation and Style
The Castle of Otranto‘s brevity, pace, and control contrast with the detailed descriptions and digressions found in novels by authors like Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson.
The novel adheres to the “rules of drama,” observing the three unities of action, place, and time.
The action is restricted to three locations: the castle, the convent, and the forest, giving the novel a theatrical quality.
Its five-chapter structure mirrors that of a Shakespearean tragedy, organized in five acts.
Walpole reproduces the narrative conventions of dramatic tragedy: chapters 1 and 3 develop the main plot (Manfred’s story), chapters 2 and 4 the subplot (the romantic love story centered on Matilda), and chapter 5 provides resolution.
Themes and Characters
Manfred’s legitimacy to the throne is questioned by his subjects, who attribute his severity as a ruler to fear, exacerbated by an ancient prophecy.
Manfred’s plan to secure an heir is disrupted by a phenomenal incident, bringing the fears surrounding the ancestral prophecy to life.
The gigantic helmet is the first sign of the supernatural, followed by other occurrences like a sighing portrait and a giant leg appearing in the castle galleries.
These supernatural events contribute to an enigmatic atmosphere of conjecture.
The arrival of knights from the Holy Land bearing an enormous sword with another prophecy adds to the mystery.
Walpole’s character types, such as the tyrannical Manfred, the victimized Hippolita, the bland hero Theodore, and the passive heroine Isabella, were influential in the Gothic tradition.
Despite criticism of these characters as superficial, Walpole defended their depth.
Matilda exemplifies sentimental passion, falling in love with Theodore before knowing his aristocratic origins and refusing to abandon him despite her father’s imprisonment of him.
Sexuality is a significant motivating force in the novel, often manifesting as a destructive ruling passion, as seen in Manfred’s lust for Isabella.
Manfred’s killing of Matilda (mistaking her for Isabella) leads to the castle’s collapse, symbolizing the destruction of his lineage.
The appearance of Alfonso’s immense form, with all the supernatural armor pieces assembled, signifies the restoration of the true line of inheritance.
The novel concludes with a sense of melancholy, as Theodore mourns Matilda’s death and finds little consolation in his marriage to Isabella.