Contents introduction chapter I. Horace Walpole is one of the influential writers

1.2. Gothic elements in literature
The Castle of Otranto is the first English supernatural novel and one of the most impressive works of Gothic fiction. By combining elements of realistic fiction with the supernatural and the fictional, he creates many plot devices and character types that are typical of a Gothic novel: hidden passages, knocking on trap doors, the beginnings of moving pictures, and self-closing doors. Poet Thomas Gray tells the novel to Walpole that "some of us cry a little and are usually afraid to sleep at night."
Walpole’s “Castle of Otranto” was the first Gothic novel and was the founder of many distinctive features that existed throughout the history of the genre. The early Gothic was distinguished by a renunciation of Enlightenment thinking, which was especially in favor of the intense emotion and supernatural expressed through the drama of the sequence of persecutions. While the passage uses mostly third-person story, Walpole uses free indirect speech to understand the queen’s mind. This is manifested through several rhetorical questions, such as, “Where is he still hiding himself?”. Voting in the princess’s mind helps to express a strong sense of anxiety, adapting the character to the gothic image of the grieving girl. Indeed, her “quick-witted” thoughts reflect the relevance of the “persecution” sequence, a feature of the gothic - still reflected in modern slasher films today - that the persecuted woman escapes persecution goes. In fact, these roles also reflect the established social order, because while the aristocratic “princess” is the protagonist, Manfred and his “houses” - almost like property - are demonized. This reflects the context of early Gothic literature and the rigid social hierarchies that exist. Religious symbolism is also used in the extract, as the princess seeks to rest with the “holy virgin girls” who allegedly protect her. Walpole embodies the idea of ​​virginity equated to purity, combined with the savage and sexually charged nature of persecution. By sanctifying the Queen, he presents her as a morally pure victim who needs to be rescued from the deviant Manfred. Religion is also addressed through the alliterated letters “c” in the line “the monastery is adjoining the cathedral,” resulting in an almost rhythmic quality. Perhaps this emphasizes meanings for Catholicism; Indeed, the passion for Catholic tradition is characteristic of many early English Gothic novels, such as The Monk or Ann Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udulfo, who followed a murderous Catholic priest who preyed on young women. Walpole is no exception to this trend and the extract takes advantage of these modern fears. Perhaps pthe most characteristic Gothic feature is the castle of the same name, which dominates almost every line of the passage. Much of the transition takes place in the “underground areas” of the castle, which is built of “complex monasteries” typical of Gothic architecture. In fact, the original Gothic had to be restored to such an architecture, and indeed the castle of Otranto was inspired by the horrors of Walpole’s own fake Gothic house (Strawberry Hill House). In the story of the Gothic novel, these structures are often the appearance of the owners themselves, so Manfred’s almost anthropomorphized castle has a savage character. In the copy, it is reflected in the “grid” of “rusty” hooks, emphasizing the fragmented and archaic image. Moreover, the vibrations of sound, from the “terrible silence” to the tragic inaccuracy of “wind explosions,” show that nature itself played an antagonistic role. The study of the “long labyrinth of darkness” can also be interpreted from a psychological point of view, as the external environment becomes a way of exploring the dark depths of the mind. The last line, "She was ready to drown in her fear," certainly fits this interpretation, as the princess's inner consciousness is almost claustrophobic and labyrinthine in appearance. Thus begins the long-standing trend of seeing the first Gothic novel as a psychological reflection of the Gothic, where the protagonists have to dig deep into the depths of the castle to explore their deep-rooted fears, perhaps the most famous graphs. described in the study. Castle in Dracula. Indeed, the deep-rooted fear that borders on the melodrama in this passage is succinctly expressed in the phrase "words cannot describe the horror of the princess's condition." Since literature in the mid-18th century was characterized by long sentences, Walpole uses this short simple sentence to add a dramatic effect. Even the narrator is unable to express fear of the situation. In short, this passage contains many familiar tropics, beginning with the clear existence of Catholicism and the hierarchy of society, the quintessence of the early Gothic. It also preserves tropes that have survived in later Gothic literature, such as The Girl in Sorrow (seen through modern horror movies in the 21st century) and the view of a Gothic castle. However, the uniqueness of the piece is that it is the founder of these tropics, which eventually became a major part of the genre and is therefore crucial to the history of the entire genre.
Literary
Otranto usually created the entire Gothic novel genre. It was a hit in its time until the author discovered that it was not a true adaptation of a medieval text, but pure satirical fiction. At the time, critics and the public who praised it called the book superficial, including other discriminatory terms specific to romantic novels that were considered low in Britain at the time. But his impact was dramatic. Writer Clara Reeve responded by writing The Old English Baron, claiming that he took Walpole’s story and adapted it to the times, balancing elements of fantasy with 18th-century realism. He explained:
This story is a literary generation of The Castle of Otranto, written on the same plan with the intention of combining the most fascinating and interesting aspects of an ancient novel and a modern novel. Now the question arises: Do not supernatural phenomena, as absurd as Walpole's, convince ordinary people of their possibilities?
After a number of other novels were added to the emerging gothic genre, teenage writer Matthew Lewis imitated Otranto's formula directly, but exaggerated it so much. "Monk”, some interpreted the novel as a parody.
Screen accessories
Jan Svankmajer directed the surreal short film The Castle of Otranto (1979), based on the novel. It is a lively tabular maceual frame story that is an abbreviated adaptation of the story presented as a cut animation in the style of Gothic art.⁵
Otranto Castle is generally considered to be the first Gothic novel, first published in 1764. Its author is Horace Walpole (1717-1797), but he claims to be a translation of a work published in Naples in 1529 and recently found in the library. "From an Old Catholic Family in the North of England." The novel tells the story of Prince Manfred of Otranto, who seeks to preserve the castle for his descendants in the face of a mysterious curse. At the beginning of the story, Manfred's son Conrad is crushed to death by a giant helmet on the morning of his wedding to the beautiful Princess Isabella. Faced with the loss of his line, Manfred promises to divorce his wife and marry the frightened Isabella.