There are, furthermore, extreme landscapes as thick forests and rugged mountains often containing caves. atmosphere The atmosphere of the whole story seems threatening and mysterious due to some inexplicable events as ancient prophecies and curses coming true, visions or other supernatural occurrences which sometimes can be elucidated. Furthermore, the buildings are in many cases full of crypts, catacombs, dungeons, trap doors and secret underground passages.

>setting The action usually takes place in some ruined castle or abbey in a remote and dark time, like the Middle Ages.

Some of these elements are mentioned below. This aim could be achieved by the usage of particular elements, which appeared in almost every gothic novel. Writers of that period wanted, moreover, to wind up the reader? s feelings. Finally, the author? intention was to evoke fear and terror, but also grandeur, and to make people be reverential. So the gothic novel provoked a rebellion against the predominant ideal of order and unity, which caused a lot of annoyance and was a socially subversive force for many critics. The emergence of this new development in literature implied the assumption that there was a need for sacred and transcendent forces due to the denial of the existence of supernatural forces by the modern enlightened society. Though the gothic novel had many critics, it became unexpectedly successful due to the fact that it signified morality, beauty, a lack of reason and feudal beliefs which formed, at that time, a sharp contrast to the actual values of the Age of Enlightenment.Ĭonsequently, the gothic novel functioned as a mirror of 18th century conventions and values. This form of writing dominated British literature during this period and can be described as a hybrid between novel and romance, also encompassing drama and poetry. The first gothic novel appeared in 1764, when Horace Walpole? s “The Castle of Otranto” was published.įrom this time on to approximately 1820 there was an explosion of gothic writings, which almost turned into addiction, especially for the female readership, who were craving for popular entertainment. Therefore “gothic” had a pejorative connotation, which, nevertheless, changed in the middle of the 18th century into a word being related to supernatural and fantastic events. Introduction – The Gothic Novel In the first half of the 18th century the word “Gothic” was mainly related to the Nordic invaders, the Goths, who were disliked because of their barbarous behaviour and their brutal invasion. Gothic Elements in The Castle of Otranto. “The Castle of Otranto – A Gothic Novel“ 3. The Castle of Otranto – A Gothic Novel Picture of the Title Page of the Second Edition A Dossier by Luisa Hiller, Johannes Klein, Benjamin Priebst, and Claudia Haack Table of Contents: 1.

The castle of otranto a gothic story