Castle Of Otranto Quotes

Horace Walpole’s creation of arguably the first gothic novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764 features the now well known convention of the tyrannical father. The tyrannical father is often described as a man with complete power and authority who misuses his status in order to oppress and exact cruelty on others, most often his own family and more specifically his children. This convention is personified within Walpole’s novel in the form of Manfred, the primary antagonist and lord of the Castle of Otranto, whose actions revolve around his fears of his family line ending before its time due to the death of his only son Conrad and therefore losing the lordship of Otranto. These actions include, but are not limited to: obsessively pursuing Isabella,

However there is a particular focus on the fear felt by Isabella as a direct consequence of Manfred’s “…horrid measures he had conceived…his odious purpose” (p. 26) - something that stems from his pursuing of Isabella with the intent to marry her whilst she sees him as a father figure instead. She even raises this point in order to object to their ‘incestuous’ union when she states “her own misfortune in not becoming the daughter of such wise and noble Princes, whom she shall always respect as Parents” (p. 45). This sense of fear for Isabella is inescapable as she must remain in Otranto with Manfred pursuing her constantly and realises that everyone who attempts to protect her is threatened. As for his true-born daughter Matilda, she appears to be juxtaposed with Isabella in regards to her reaction and treatment towards Manfred – always remaining the loyal and dutiful daughter who feels no fear towards her father and “begged the assistants to comfort her father” (p. 100) after he had stabbed her. Thus Manfred truly fulfils his convention as the tyrannical father and ensures that all the characters within the novel now truly fear his madness and