An important component of fiction is characterisation. But what does characterisation do for a story? It allows the reader to create a picture of the characters in a story in his mind and to empathise with the protagonist and secondary characters. Moreover characterisation moves the story of a literary text onward because fascinating characters and their actions are interdependent to the whole plot. This essay will look into the structural design of characterisation and how the principle of characterisation is significant in the unfold of the story.
The dramatis personae in The Castle of Otranto can be separated into primary characters, secondary characters and minor characters. The main characters occupy Manfred, the illegitimate Prince of Otranto, the villain; Matilda, his daughter; Isabella, the intended wife of his son, Manfred´s foster daughter, and Theodore, first a mysterious stranger and later revealed as the real Prince of Otranto. These characters are the most important characters because they appear frequently in the narrative and their actions and behaviours keep the plot in motion. The important secondary characters include Hippolita, Manfred´s devoted wife; Jerome, the friar and Frederic, the believed to be death Marquis of Vicenza, Isabella´s father. Minor characters, but nevertheless quite interesting and important ones for the outcome of the story, are the servants Diego and Jaquez and last but not least, the chambermaid Bianca. Additional characters like Conrad, the son of Manfred, and Alfonso´s ghost will not be considered in the essay. The first one dies in the beginning and never appears alive but he has to be mentioned because his death triggers the story off. The second one functions as kind of watchdog who reminds and threatens mostly Manfred and the domestics by causing supernatural events in the castle.
---Bibliographie
>Mandell, Laura (ed.). 2007. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole [1764] and The Man of Feeling by Henry Mackenzie [1771]. New York: Longman.
>Napier, Elizabeth. 1984. The Failure of Gothic. Problem of Disjunction in an Eighteenth-century Literary Form. New York: Oxford University Press.
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Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Form and Function of Characterisation in The Castle of Otranto
- Dramatis Personae in The Castle of Otranto
- Characterisation in The Castle of Otranto
- Explicit-Authorial Description of Characters
- Implicit-Authorial Characterisation
- Manfred and his Characterisation
- Theodore's Characterisation
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to analyze the structural design of characterisation in Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto and explore how this principle shapes the development of the narrative. It will examine the various techniques employed by Walpole to present and develop characters, including direct descriptions, dialogue, and actions.
- The interplay between characterisation and plot development
- The use of implicit and explicit authorial techniques in character portrayal
- The significance of names and their relation to character traits
- The impact of characterisation on the novel's themes of ambition, fate, and morality
- The function of secondary and minor characters in supporting the main narrative
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The essay begins by outlining the main characters in The Castle of Otranto, categorising them into primary, secondary, and minor characters. It then delves into the various forms of characterisation employed by Walpole, highlighting the prominence of figural technique which reveals characters through their actions and dialogue. The essay then analyses the explicit-authorial descriptions provided by Walpole, focusing on how these initial descriptions foreshadow the characters' later actions and motivations. This is followed by an examination of the implicit-authorial technique, particularly the use of interpretive names, where the meaning of the characters' names provides insights into their personality and fate.
The essay then focuses on the characterisation of Manfred, the main antagonist of the story, exploring his motivations, ambition, and the way his actions shape the narrative. This analysis examines the various ways in which Manfred's character is revealed through dialogue, actions, and the reactions of other characters. Finally, the essay examines Theodore, the story's protagonist, highlighting his noble nature, virtue, and the way his character serves as a foil to Manfred's ambition and ruthlessness.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay focuses on characterisation, plot development, implicit and explicit authorial techniques, interpretive names, gothic fiction, ambition, fate, morality, and the significance of secondary characters in shaping the narrative of Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto. It further examines the role of dialogue, actions, and commentary by other characters in revealing character traits and motivations.
- Quote paper
- Susanne Huse (Author), 2007, The form and function of characterisation in "The Castle of Otranto", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/86886
