The Importance of Women in the Castle of Otranto

Throughout The Castle of Otranto, a certain underlying

theme becomes evident. One cannot help but notice the
important role that women play throughout the entire
book. Every major event that takes place in the novel
involves, happens because of, or affects a woman in some
way. While the reader may not notice this on an initial
reading, the role women play becomes very evident. Upon
recalling the strange happenings of the book, one can
easily trace their causes and effects back to Hippolita,
Isabella, Matilda, or Bianca. Each of these events create
momentum for the story to move onward. Everything
relies on what just happened, and the women of the story
propel these happenings, and thus send the plot into
motion.
Isabella is the driving force behind almost every
interesting action in The Castle of Otranto; she incites the
actions of almost every character at least once throughout
the book. One of these instances occurs when Isabella
sneaks around underneath the castle, trying to escape
from Manfred. As she makes her way to the trap door, she
happens upon Theodore. Theodore helps her through the
trap door, but it slams behind her, leaving Theodore to be
found by Manfred. Had she not been there, Manfred may
have never discovered Theodore. If Manfred hadn't found
him, the plot would be immensely affected in ways that are
impossible to comprehend. Theodore would not have been
connected to Isabella in any way; thus Manfred would
have no reason to suspect him has her lover. Regardless of
this speculation however, Isabella's character serves an
important purpose by happening upon Theodore. If she
never had shown up, Theodore would have no reason to
repeatedly save her later in the book. Isabella brought
Theodore into the book as a main character, and several of
Walpole's plot twists wouldn't have been possible without
him.
Isabella is not the only woman who affects the outcome of
the book, however. Hippolita also plays a crucial role
throughout in the novel. Hippolita acts as an enabler to
Manfred. She basically forgoes all of her values and beliefs,
solely for the purpose of keeping Manfred happy. If
Hippolita were firmer in her beliefs and values, many
events in the story would not have happened, or at least
not as easily. One of the critical events that drives
Manfred's frenzy becomes shows itself with the divorce of
his wife. Had Hippolita not been so quick to agree with his
wish, Manfred would have been preoccupied with that
situation. As doubtful as it may be, Hippolita might have
slowed him down, or at least turned more people against
him, had she not given in to his wishes so readily.
Yet again, another woman's role becomes evident in the
book. While considered a main character, Matilda does not
seem to have too great of an impact throughout most of
the story. Although she was the daughter that nobody
cared about in the beginning, one cannot possibly ignore
the role she plays at the end. By meeting Theodore
underneath the castle, Matilda sets the stage for her own
murder. If it were not for the death of Matilda, Manfred
would not have ended up retiring to a convent with
Hippolita; consequently, Theodore receives the rights to
the castle. By falling in love with Theodore, Matilda seals
the entire ending of the book.
Throughout the book it, one can notice that characters
who play seemingly smaller roles can still affect the
outcome of the story so profoundly. Although Matilda
provides a mediocre example of affecting the outcome,
Bianca demonstrates it even better. Although Bianca
seems to be even less of a main character than Matilda, her
actions greatly affect the happenings of the book. If it were
not for Bianca, it is unlikely that Matilda and Theodore
would have ever met. If they had not met, Matilda would
never have been stabbed. The reader is left to contemplate
a never-ending list of possibilities and possible outcomes,
enhancing the plot, and keeping the novel captivating. Not
only would Matilda have never been stabbed, Theodore
also would not be alive if it were not for Bianca. If she had
not screamed at just the right moment, Theodore would
have been executed, and once again, the book would have
had to end completely differently.
Another dimension is added to the book through the
constant wondering and working out of different
possibilities. Not only do the women of the book help to
fuel the storylines, they also make you think while you are
reading. The women in the story are crucial to both the
plot, and each other. The actions of each woman in the
story not only affect the actions of the other characters,
but also of the other women. The four main women
depend on each other immensely, and if even one were
missing, the story would not be communicated as
effectively. Throughout the plot, they play off of one
another, and thus complicate storylines and sub-plots even
further. The mental aspect makes for an entrancing story,
and is only one aspect of many that make The Castle of
Otranto a truly enjoyable read.