Castle Of Otranto Analysis

In Gothic Literature it is common for the setting to be taken place in a castle. This castle could be haunted ruined, abandoned, etc. The authors used this setting to make the character or reader feel fear, terror, and suspense. With the setting taking place at a castle it gives a dark and uneasy mood that anything could take place at any given time “...Gothic gave Romantic writers and readers a way to describe accounts of terrifying experiences in ancient castles and ruined abbeys-experiences connected with subterranean dungeons, secret passageways, flickering lamps, screams, moans, ghosts, and graveyards.” (Greenblatt, 584) In “Castle of Otranto” and “Sir Bertrand” it shows that the architecture of the buildings and environment influence the plot by setting the atmosphere, giving the character/reader a mixture of emotions, and adding suspense. The reader feels suspense and terror while reading the excerpts but thrive on that sensation to continue. While reading these two texts the reader would think that the characters would avoid terrifying situations but
Depending on how the character feels towards the setting will determine the outcome of the plot. In the poem “Castle of Otranto” princess Isabella is running inside the castle trying to hide from the prince who has bad intentions such as wanting to force her to marry him so he can continue his hereditary. While running away Isabella is holding fear within her which make the surroundings around more noticeable in fear of being discovered, “The lower part of the castle was hollowed into several intricate cloisters; and it wasn’t easy for one under much anxiety to find the door that opened into the cavern.” (Walpole, 588). The description of the setting already gives the reader an idea that it’s a dangerous