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..
 
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. Father Jerome nevertheless gives an
account of Isabella’s story and asks that they 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 Father Jerome that he must have an heir and
thus asks the priest to persuade Isabella to marry him. To get Father Jerome
on his side, Manfred 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 conversation 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 Father Jerome, hoping to find out more about the youth that
way.

Father 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. Father 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. Theodore and Father Jerome 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 Father Jerome to see who is at
the gate. The priest 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 Father Jerome’s account and the word “usurper”, Manfred’s
rage rekindles and he decides to meet the herald himself, and orders the
priest 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, Father 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. Father Jerome asks where Isabella is and is told that she
retired to her chamber. However, when he reaches the chamber, Isabella is
nowhere to be found. Father 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, Father Jerome and his company arrive and uncover 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 Father
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. Revealing 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 Father 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, Father Jerome does
not contradict this, and Manfred thus begins to reproach him. 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
force her to marry Frederic, but Hippolita replies that her fate is in her
father’s hands.

Hippolita goes to Father Jerome to ask about a divorce.

Father 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. Father 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 Father 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
Father 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 Father Jerome is in support of a relationship between Theodore and
Isabella; that the friar 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”, 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. Father 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.

Father 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.