The Castle of Otranto

                In the spirit of my favourite holiday (Halloween) I decided to read The Castle of Otranto, which is widely considered to be the first gothic novel. It was written in 1764 by Horace Walpole who was the dilettante son of the British Prime Minster Robert Walpole.  Horace Walpole took a keen interest in medieval culture going as far as to claim in the novel’s anonymous first edition that the story was a translation of a newly rediscovered medieval Italian text. Following the success of the first edition Walpole revealed his authorship and the true origin of the story in the second edition. This caused some controversy as critics who had praised the ‘medieval tale’ turned against the text in embarrassment at being caught out by a forgery. The second edition as well as revealing the true origin of the text also set forth Walpole’s artistic agenda: he sought to fuse the old medieval romance, which he saw as fantastical but lacking psychological realism, and the new romance (what we would know today as "the novel"), which he saw as realistic but lacking a sense of the magical.

                The tale is based in medieval statelet of Otranto where Manfred, the local prince is hosting the wedding of his son and heir. Unfortunately the celebrations are cut short when the bridegroom-to-be is crushed by a giant helmet which falls mysteriously from the sky. I quiet enjoyed the sheer randomness of this scene as one of the most terrifying aspects of the supernatural is surely its sheer unpredictability and capaciousness.  This sets in motion a train of sinister and bizarre events which terrifies the family and prompts them to explore the dark secrets of the castle. The loss of his son has a particularly devastating effect on Manfred who is driving insane by grief and as we later discover guilt.

                The novel is a brisk and enjoyable read which has scenes that are rich in terror and suspense, however it can be uneven in places. The horror elements of the novel are strongest in the beginning and end while the middle seems to be more characteristic of a medieval romance. Granted the middle of the novel also upholds a sense of mystery but a palatable sense of fear is not as strongly felt.  The medieval romance influence is particularly strong in the novel; we have such motifs as the fair unknown, damsels in distress and a trial of combat. I am not sure if Walpole achieved his aim of fusing medieval fantasy with the psychological realism of eighteenth century novels.  The principle male characters do seem to have some degree of realism, even Manfred who falls deeper into insanity throughout the novel displays a certain twisted logic in his actions. However the female characters are a serious flaw in the work: they are not believable characters. There are depicted as perfect wives and daughters who only care about the wellbeing of the story’s males and this constant selflessness makes the characters completely unbelievable and unsympathetic.  I am aware that Walpole was relying heavily on medieval tales which had a rather exalted view of aristocratic ladies, however the ladies in medieval romances were often much more complex and interesting than the characters which Walpole presents in his tale.  

                In summary The Castle of Otranto is a well paced and enjoyable novel which skilfully drip feeds the reader information in order to keep him/her invested in story. There are moments of true fear in the novel and the story’s constant twists and turns guarantee that it stays an interesting read throughout. Walpole’s endeavour to create a medieval romance in the eighteenth century is somewhat successful as his story does competently execute various romance tropes however it never truly recreates the feel of a medieval romance. While Walpole does not perfectly emulate the old style he creates something brand new: the gothic novel. This new genre would go on to have a profound impact on the literature of the eighteenth century and beyond.