"The Castle of Otranto"

Paper Summary:

This paper presents a brief textual analysis of the second chapter of Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto". Beginning with an introduction of the passage and a resume of the events, the paper focuses on explaining the major lines of tension established in the work, with a brief reference to every character involved and an example of Walpole's theatrical effects. The paper contains examples from the text and some quotes from critics.

From the Paper:

"Matilda and Theodore become, from that very passage on, interdependent. Theodore is not persecuted for his virtues and does not suffer because of his sincerity. On the contrary, he is an innocent victim of the consequences of events beyond his control, just as Matilda will later become the sacrifice for her father's evil indifference. Theodore consciously moves from exile to isolation (he claims "May she be happy, whatever becomes of me!") and the same thing is true for Matilda - her feelings are "treated as womanish panic", she is at once "ordered to be carried to her apartment". Her helplessness in the face of her father, interested only in the preservation of his descendants, has more power than Manfred's "harsh injustice", his "force", his "rage", his "vain curiosity" and his "wrath". And in that, she is just like Theodore who, no matter how much humiliated, seems a stronger and more sensitive character."

More papers on "The Castle of Otranto":

• Book Review # 47421 : "The Castle of Otranto"
• Book Review # 94992 : "The Castle of Otranto" and "Two Cultures"
• Analytical Essay # 30820 : "The Castle of Otranto"."

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