Information about The Castle Of Otranto

The Castle of Otranto

Title page from the third edition
Author	Horace Walpole
Country	England
Language	English
Publisher
Publication date	1764

The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace Walpole. It is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, initiating a literary genre which would become extremely popular in the later 18th century and early 19th century. Thus, Castle, and Walpole by extension is arguably the forerunner to such authors as Charles Robert Maturin, Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker, and Daphne du Maurier..

History

The initial 1764 edition was titled in full The Castle of Otranto, A Story. Translated by William Marshal, Gent. From the Original Italian of Onuphrio Muralto, Canon of the Church of St. Nicholas at Otranto. This first edition purported to be a translation based on a manuscript printed at Naples in 1529 and recently rediscovered in the library of "an ancient Catholic family in the north of England." The Italian manuscript's story, it was claimed, derived from a story still older, dating back perhaps as far as the Crusades. This Italian manuscript, along with alleged author "Onuphrio Muralto," were Walpole's fictional creations, and "William Marshal" his pseudonym.

The plot of The Castle of Otranto begins as Conrad, son of Manfred of the house of Otranto, is crushed by a giant helmet on his wedding day, also his birthday. Because of the marriage's political connections, Manfred seeks to divorce his wife, Hippolita, and marry Conrad's betrothed, Isabella. Amid speculations about an "ancient prophecy" claiming "the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it," Manfred's proposed union to Isabella is disrupted by a series of supernatural events involving many oversized limbs, ghosts, mysterious blood, and a true prince.

In the second and subsequent editions, Walpole acknowledges authorship of his work, writing: "The favorable manner in which this little piece has been received by the public, calls upon the author to explain the grounds on which he composed it" as "an attempt to blend the two kinds of romance, the ancient and the modern. In the former all was imagination and improbability: in the latter, nature is always intended to be, and sometimes has been, copied with success..." There was some debate at the time about the function of literature, that is, whether or not works of fiction should be representative of life, or more purely imaginative (i.e. natural vs. romantic). The first edition was well received by some reviewers who understood the novel as belonging to medieval fiction, "between 1095, the era of the first crusade, and 1243, the date of the last," as the first preface states; and some referred to Walpole as an "ingenious translator." Following Walpole's admission of authorship, however, many critics were loath to lavish much praise on the work and dismissed it as absurd, fluffy, romantic fiction.

In his 1924 edition of The Castle of Otranto Montague Summers showed that the life story of Manfred of Sicily inspired some details of the plot. The real medieval castle of Otranto was among Manfred's possessions.

Plot summary

Chapter 1

Manfred, prince of Otranto, is impatient about marrying his son Conrad, a “homely youth, sickly, and of no promising disposition” (17) to the marquis of Vicenza’s daughter Isabella. Hippolita, Manfred’s wife, is worried about marrying the young prince off so early (he is only 15), but her husband ignores her concern, merely pointing to “her own sterility, who had given him but one heir” (17). Manfred seems quite hasty about the wedding, probably – as his tenants and subjects assume – because of his “dread of seeing accomplished an ancient prophecy” (17):

That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it. (17)

The wedding ceremony is fixed for Conrad’s birthday. However, when everything is ready for the “divine office”, Conrad is missing. Manfred sends a servant to look for his son, but the servant returns “breathless, in a frantic manner, his eyes staring, and foaming at the mouth” (18), telling him about a giant helmet in the court. When Manfred reaches the helmet, which his servants are trying to raise, he finds Conrad “dashed to pieces” (18), buried under the helmet, “an hundred times more large than any casque ever made for human being, and shaded with a proportionable quantity of black feathers” (18). However, Manfred seems more concerned about the helmet than about his son’s death. While Hippolita and Conrad’s 18-year old sister Matilda mourn the death of their son/brother, and Isabella – although not sad about the loss of her future husband, for whom she had had little affection – joins in their grief, Manfred’s only concern is the casque in the court. A young peasant appears, who realizes a strong resemblance between the casque and that of the black marble figure of Alfonso the Good, one of the former princes, in the church of St. Nicholas. Manfred is furious about this statement. But before he can punish the young peasant, some spectators come back from the church to which they had run and inform Manfred that the statue’s helmet is missing. Manfred accuses the peasant of being a necromancer and gives orders to imprison him without food underneath the casque in the court. He then locks the gates of the castle and retires to his chamber. Meanwhile, Hippolita is worried about Manfred and sends Matilda to see to him. But Manfred, telling Matilda that he does not want a daughter, sends her away. The girl, deeply hurt, returns to her mother and tells her that her husband is well to calm her down. A servant appears, informing Isabella that Manfred wants to see her. Obeying, Isabella goes to see Manfred. It is now evening, and the servant accompanying her is carrying a torch. However, when they reach Manfred’s chamber, he orders the servant to take away the light and sends him off. He then tells Isabella about the importance of keeping up his line, cursing Hippolita for her “unfruitfulness” (24) and thus having decided to divorce her, and offers himself as Isabella’s new husband now that his son has died. Isabella is terrified and starts from him. Manfred rises to pursue her, but suddenly sees “the plumes of the fatal helmet” at the window. Shortly after, the portrait of his grandfather utters a deep sigh, which distracts Manfred for a moment. Isabella sees her chance and escapes, while the portrait quits its panel. Manfred is asked to follow the painting to a chamber into which it enters, but before Manfred can enter, the door closes. He thus decides to pursue Isabella, who has meanwhile escaped into a subterranean vault that leads to the church and convent of St. Nicholas. In the labyrinth, she encounters the young peasant, who helps her escape through a secret trap door before Manfred, whom they can already hear, reaches them. When he does, the peasant has to explain how he could escape from the helmet-prison and Manfred also questions the youth about Isabella. The peasant pretends to not know anything about her, trying to win time for Isabella’s flight. While the two are discussing, two servants come and tell Manfred that while they were trying to find Isabella in the great gallery, they saw the limbs of a giant in armor in a chamber close by. Manfred is determined to find out more about these strange events, and the peasant offers his help. Suspecting that Isabella might be hiding in his wife’s chamber, Manfred goes there first and then tells Hippolita to call the chaplain. He then continues his search. When he returns from the vault, he finds Hippolita and the chaplain, who tell him that they have examined the chamber and found nothing. Manfred once again decides that he must marry Isabella and, having given orders to guard the castle and having locked the peasant in a room, he retires to his chamber.

Chapter 2

Matilda has retired to her apartment and is now waiting for the return of her damsel Bianca, whom she had sent to enquire about Isabella’s whereabouts. The two discuss Matilda’s attitude towards men and her plan to join a convent. Bianca wants her mistress to get married instead, and Matilda admits that she has always been very fond of Alfonso the Good’s picture and that she believes that somehow her destiny is linked to him. They also talk about some “fatal secret” (38) that Hippolita is obviously keeping. Soon, the two women begin to hear strange noises coming from the chamber beneath, and Bianca immediately believes that it must be a ghost; that the castle is “certainly haunted” (38). However, they find out that it is the young peasant who is causing the noise. Through Matilda’s open window, she begins to converse with the youth, who enquires about Isabella and what has become of her. The two women suspect that he must be in love with her, and Matilda is a little disappointed as she thinks that Isabella would confess anything to her but she had never mentioned the young peasant. Before they can learn more from the peasant, a servant suddenly appears and informs the two women that Isabella has been found in the convent of St. Nicholas. Meanwhile, Manfred is at Hippolita’s apartment to find out more about Isabella’s whereabouts. Father Jerome comes to the apartment to talk to Manfred and Hippolita about Isabella; he wants to ask Hippolita whether she knows the cause of Isabella’s retirement to the convent. Before she can answer, however, Manfred interrupts the father, eagerly trying to avoid his telling Hippolita of the circumstances. Jerome nevertheless gives an account of Isabella’s story and asks to leave her at peace. Once again, he begins to hint at details concerning Isabella, but Manfred again interrupts him and Hippolita, realizing that Manfred does not want her to hear the father’s words, leaves. Manfred then tries to convince Jerome that he must have an heir and thus asks Jerome to persuade Isabella to marry him. To get Jerome on his side, he even hints at an unlawful marriage between Hippolita and himself, telling the father that Hippolita is actually related to him in the fourth degree. Father Jerome is now unsure what to do and tries to win time. Manfred then asks Jerome who the youth is, whether he is Isabella’s lover and Jerome, thinking that this might help Isabella, affirms Manfred’s assumption. At this, Manfred becomes furious. He orders the peasant to be brought before him and begins to interrogate him about his connection with Isabella. During this interrogation, Matilda and Bianca are on their way to Hippolita’s apartment. They overhear the men’s talk and suddenly realize a strong resemblance between the peasant – whose name is Theodore – and the picture of Alfonso. When Manfred utters the verdict (Theodore is to be beheaded), Matilda faints and Bianca exclaims that the princess is dead. Matilda is carried away and Manfred orders Theodore to kneel down to receive his punishment. Theodore asks to be allowed to confess to someone and Manfred grants his wish, calling Jerome, hoping to find out more about the youth that way. Jerome tries to convince Manfred to spare the youth, but Manfred is determined to have him beheaded. As Theodore kneels down to receive his punishment, his shirt slips down and discovers the “mark of a bloody arrow” (51). Suddenly, Jerome recognizes the mark and realizes that Theodore is his son. Jerome tells the story and reveals that he is in fact the count of Falconara (Sicily). He begs for Theodore’s life and Manfred says that he will give the boy’s life in return for Isabella. Jerome and Theodore object, wanting to save Isabella. Before anything is decided, a trumpet is heard, announcing someone at the gate. At the same time, the sable plumes on the helmet in the court begin to nod “thrice, as if bowed by some invisible wearer” (53).

Chapter 3

Manfred is terrified at these events and begs Jerome to see who is at the gate. Jerome tells Manfred to release Theodore first, then he will do as he wishes. Manfred agrees. It is a herald from the “knight of the gigantic sabre” (54) and he wishes to speak “with the usurper [Thronräuber] of Otranto” (54). At Jerome’s account and the word “usurper”, Manfred’s rage rekindles and he decides to meet the herald himself and orders Jerome to bring Isabella from the convent. He takes Theodore hostage to assure that the friar will do as he is told. Manfred admits the herald to his presence, who tells Manfred that, in the name of his lord Frederic marquis of Vicenza, the knight of the gigantic saber “demands the lady Isabella, daughter of that prince, whom thou hast basely and traitorously got into thy power, by bribing her false guardians during his absence: and he requires thee to resign the principality of Otranto, which thou hast usurped from the said lord Frederic, the nearest of blood to the last rightful lord Alfonso the Good” (55). Otherwise he will challenge him in combat “to the last extremity” (55). Manfred reflects about his state: “Frederic’s ancestors had assumed the style of princes of Otranto, from the death of Alfonso the Good without issue: but Manfred, his father, and grandfather, had been too powerful for the house of Vicenza to dispossess them. Frederic (…) had married a beautiful young lady, (…) who had died in childbed of Isabella. Her death affected him so much, that he had taken the cross and gone to the Holy Land, where he was wounded in an engagement against the infidels, made prisoner, and reported to be dead. When the news reached Manfred’s ears, he bribed the guardians of the lady Isabella to deliver her up to him as a bride for his son Conrad; by which alliance he had purposed to unite the claims of the two houses.” (56) This motive had also given him the idea to marry Isabella himself now; and he thus wants to obtain Frederic’s consent to this marriage. He thus invites the knight to the castle. Meanwhile, Jerome is still agitated and does not know what to do. He returns to the monastery where he is then informed that apparently Hippolita is dead. Jerome asks where Isabella is and is told that she retired to her chamber. However, when Jerome reaches the chamber, Isabella is nowhere to be found. Jerome decides to return to Manfred to convince him of his innocence. Manfred is welcoming the knight and his train, which is carrying an enormous sword. Again, the plumes on the helmet in the court are agitated. Manfred tries several times to get the knight to disarm and to speak but the knight refuses. Suddenly, the gigantic sword falls to the ground, next to the helmet, and is now immovable. Manfred fears for his fate. Having reached the hall, Manfred again asks numerous questions but does not receive any answers. Thus, Manfred begins to talk, soon turning to business: he defends his right to the throne, but the knight only shakes his head. Manfred then tells the knight (trying to evoke pity) that his son has died and that Isabella is therefore at liberty. He goes on, telling that his marriage to Hippolita is unlawful and that he will soon be freed from this relationship. He emphasizes his determination to restore the line of Alfonso and therefore suggests that it would be best if he and Isabella got married. At this moment, Jerome and his company arrive and discover to the strangers the truth about Isabella’s flight. The knight reproaches Manfred and asks him about the circumstances. Manfred makes up a story and Jerome is too worried about his son’s life to contradict. However, one of his brethren explains what happened, and the group moves off in search of Isabella. At the same time, Matilda grabs the chance and frees the peasant, as all servants and guards are involved in the search for Isabella. In the course of their interview, Theodore and Matilda discover their devotion for each other, but Matilda reminds the peasant of Isabella. Theodore, however, does not know who she is talking about; he had assumed that it was Matilda whom he had assisted in the vault. Matilda equips Theodore with her father’s armory and, exchanging expressions of devotion once more, helps him to escape. Theodore repairs to a cave in the forest where he suddenly meets Isabella, who is hiding there. Discovering to her that he is on her side, he promises to protect her from Manfred. At this moment, a person in search of Isabella arrives and Theodore wants to prevent him from entering the cave. He finds the knight talking to a peasant outside the cave. The two engage in combat and Theodore wounds the knight. Soon, however, the two men discover their error: that they are both enemies of Manfred. The knight asks for Isabella, and when she arrives, he informs her that he is Frederic, her father. They conduct Frederic to the castle to take care of his injuries.

Chapter 4

The troop arrives at the castle and is met by Matilda and Hippolita, who gives orders to take care of Frederic’s wounds. Isabella realizes that Theodore and Matilda have affections for one another. Frederic informs Hippolita and the others of his story: that while being imprisoned, he had a dream about Isabella being in danger. Fortunately, the confederate princes paid his ransom and he immediately set out for the wood he had seen in his dream. There, he encountered a hermit who told him about a secret: a spot where he should dig. In this spot, Frederic discovered a gigantic saber with the following words written on the blade:

Where’er a casque that suits this sword is found, With perils is thy daughter compass’d round: Alfonso’s blood alone can save the maid, And quiet a long-restless prince’s shade. (73) Manfred and Jerome arrive. When Manfred sees Theodore, he believes him to be the spectre of Alfonso. Hippolita tells him that it is only Theodore, and Manfred asks him how he could escape. Theodore indirectly implies that it was his father who freed him. Astonished, Jerome does not contradict this, and Manfred thus begins to reproach Jerome. Upon this, Theodore wants to defend his father and thus surrenders himself and gives his sword to Manfred. Everyone is touched, even Manfred, who, however, still also dreads Theodore for his resemblance to Alfonso. Manfred tells Theodore to rise to his feet and asks him to tell his story: At the age of five, Theodore and his mother were taken from Sicily to Algiers, where his mother died shortly after. She left him a note telling him that he was the son of the Count Falconara. Theodore remained in slavery, but one day he was delivered by a Christian ship whose captain took him back to Sicily. However, he soon had to find out that his father’s estate had been destroyed and his father had retired to a monastery somewhere in Naples. Theodore tried to find him and thus eventually came to Otranto. Frederic asks Manfred to pardon Theodore and everyone retires to their chambers. Matilda and Isabella are both agitated over Theodore: Matilda believes that he has affections for Isabella and jealously decides to talk to Isabella; Isabella thinks that Theodore might have affections for Matilda and hopes that she might not respond to this, and that he might like Isabella instead. She decides to persuade Matilda to take the veil. The two girls discuss Theodore: Isabella tells Matilda that if she was really her friend she would not have sympathies for the man who tried to kill her father. Matilda defends her friendship and Theodore. She also informs Isabella of Theodore’s resemblance to Alfonso’s picture. Eventually, Isabella overcomes her jealousy and tells Matilda about Theodore’s affections for her and leaves him to Matilda. Hippolita enters and informs the two girls that in order to avoid the destruction of two houses, she has decided to give Matilda to Frederic as a wife. The girls are shocked, and Isabella finally tells Hippolita and Matilda the truth about Manfred’s plans to divorce Hippolita. Hippolita is shocked with grief and decides to accept the divorce and to retreat to the monastery instead. However, they are all aware that it is in Frederic and Manfred’s hands to decide. Matilda breaks down and desperately implies that she will take the veil. Hippolita asks Isabella to inform her about Matilda’s unhappy secret and the two girls tell her about Theodore. Hippolita then forbids contact between Matilda and Theodore. Matilda begs her mother not to have to marry Frederic, but Hippolita replies that her fate is in her father’s hands. Hippolita goes to Jerome to ask about a divorce. Jerome finds out about Theodore’s affection for Matilda and is determined to make him conquer his passions. After a night of “visions of love”, Theodore is late for his meeting with his father at Alfonso’s tomb. Jerome is angry and tries to convince Theodore that he should forget about Matilda. They reach the tomb, but before Jerome can tell his son about the virtuous Alfonso, Hippolita arrives to talk to Jerome. Theodore is asked to leave, and Hippolita tells Jerome about her plans to marry Matilda to Frederic – an idea which the friar dislikes – and to take the veil – for which Jerome reproaches her. In the mean time, Manfred has proposed a double marriage to Frederic, who eagerly listens to the offer, as he has strong affections for Matilda. Content about this outcome, Manfred hastens to Hippolita’s chamber to extort her compliance. Learning that she is at the convent, Manfred suspects that she might intend to stay there to obstruct the divorce; he also assumes that Jerome might be encouraging her. Manfred thus hastens to the convent. Outraged, he and the friar exchange sentiments of resentment. Suddenly, three drops of blood fall from the nose of Alfonso’s statue. Hippolita tries to reason with Manfred and once again offers to accept the divorce. They return to the castle.

Chapter 5

Walking with Hippolita back to the castle, Manfred is troubled: he suspects that Jerome is in support of a relationship between Theodore and Isabella, that Jerome might depend on a secret support from Frederic, he wonders whether the simultaneous appearances of Frederic and Theodore might not be a coincidence, and, furthermore, he is troubled by Theodore’s resemblance to Alfonso. He once again tries to convince Hippolita of a divorce and she again consents. Manfred has realized how passionate Frederic is about Matilda and he decides to use Matilda to his advantage to get what he wants from Frederic. On his way to the marquis’ apartment, Manfred meets Bianca and bribes her to tell him everything about Isabella’s affections for Theodore. Before he can enmesh Frederic regarding Matilda, Bianca bursts into the room, announcing that a giant hand has appeared. Manfred tries to prevent her from going into detail, telling Frederic that she is delirious, but the marquis believes her and wants to know more. She begins to compare the new event to the one earlier when the limbs of the giant were discovered for the first time. Frederic is curious since this is all new to him. Bianca is surprised about his ignorance and says that maybe he also does not know about the prophecy. Again, Manfred interrupts, trying to present Bianca as a “silly wench” (91). Frederic begins to suspect that strange things are happening and he thus rejects Manfred’s proposal of a double marriage. Manfred tries to pacify him and almost succeeds. A banquet is held: Manfred seats Frederic next to Matilda and himself between his wife and Isabella. He tries to intoxicate Frederic with wine but he refuses to drink much – only Manfred does. When the banquet is over, Frederic retires to his chamber, pleading weakness, but allows Manfred to accompany Isabella to her chamber. As soon as everybody has disappeared, Frederic goes to see Hippolita to make her consent to the divorce, hoping that this will bring him Matilda. He enters her oratory and sees a person kneeling before the altar. When he asks for Hippolita, the person turns around and discovers to him “the fleshless jaws and empty sockets of a skeleton, wrapt in a hermit’s cowl” (93). The specter turns out to be the one from the wood where Frederic had found the giant saber. He reproaches Frederic for following his carnal desires instead of his original quest and, before he vanishes, tells him to forget Matilda. Frederic drops to the floor in agony. At this moment, Hippolita enters and thinks that she has found a dead man. He discovers himself to Hippolita and she asks what the matter with him is. But Frederic rushes out of the room. When he returns to his chamber, he finds Manfred at his door, “flushed by wine and love” (94), who wants to waste time with him. Offended, Frederic retires to his apartment and locks his door. Manfred, enraged at this, goes out to the court where he meets his spy from the convent. The spy tells Manfred that Theodore is “in private conference” with an unknown lady from the castle. Manfred suspects that it is Isabella, who had just driven Manfred from her. Provoked and enraged, Manfred rushes to the church. Hiding, he overhears two people talk and furiously, he stabs his dagger into the woman’s bosom – discovering that it is Matilda. Theodore’s cries draw some monks to their aid and while some assist the dying Matilda, the others try to prevent Manfred from harming himself. Jerome enters and reproaches Manfred for what he has done. Matilda asks for Manfred’s forgiveness; ashamed, he guiltily confesses that he came for Isabella but murdered his daughter instead. He asks for his daughter’s forgiveness and she grants it. They carry Matilda to the castle. Hippolita, who has heard about the catastrophe, meets them on their way but faints when she sees the procession. Isabella and Frederic are equally overwhelmed. When Hippolita recovers, Matilda takes both her parents hands and locks them in hers. Manfred curses the day when he was born. Eventually, Matilda is about to die. Desperate, Theodore asks his father to unite the two in marriage, revealing to everyone who he really is: the prince of Otranto. Matilda dies. Isabella accompanies Hippolita to her apartment. In the court, they meet Manfred, who is in bitter agony when he learns of Matilda’s death. At this moment, the walls of the castle are

thrown down with a mighty force, and the form of Alfonso, dilated to an immense magnitude, appeared in the centre of the ruins. Behold in Theodore, the true heir of Alfonso! said the vision: and having pronounced those words, accompanied by a clap of thunder, it ascended solemnly towards heaven, where the clouds parting asunder, the form of saint Nicholas was seen. (99)

Everyone falls “prostrate on their faces, acknowledging the divine will” (99). Hippolita and Manfred are ashamed, and Manfred explains how the situation came about: he says that Alfonso had died in the Holy Land and that his grandfather Ricardo, who had been Alfonso’s chamberlain, had poisoned Alfonso, making himself his heir by a fictitious will. However, Ricardo was henceforth haunted by his guilt, and he thus promised to saint Nicholas that he would found a church and two convents if he reached Otranto alive. The saint accepted the sacrifice and told Ricardo that his posterity should reign in Otranto “until the rightful owner should be grown too large to inhabit the castle” (99) and as long as there should be a male heir. Manfred says that he is the last one left in the line and he resigns the dominion to the rightful prince. Jerome then fills in the rest of the puzzle: that his wife, the mother of Theodore, was actually the daughter of Alfonso, who had been to Sicily once. The next day, Manfred signs his abdication and he and Hippolita join the two convents. Frederic gives his daughter to Theodore, who, after eventually overcoming his grief for Matilda, accepts her.

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