Castle of Otranto

1. In this story women play a big role in the story not so much as making the decisions but being the objects the decisions are based about. When the women in the story were presented they were to do whatever they were told by their men in their lives. They were thought to be true and pure like angels, even with this thought they still we not able to be apart of the man society. This to me is saying that women of that time were good to have around and look at but when comes down to the real important stuff they were not suppose to be apart of.

2. Well this book does have a little chivalry to it but not until the end when Theodore comes into a bigger role. The whole beginning of the story I think is to portray how bad of a person Manfred is and it is odd of that time period to have this so called knight and for him not to act knightly at all. I think this is to set up for the hero to come in and show what a knight should be like compared to this tyrant who no one but his wife seems to like and she is, from the previous discussion, bond to him and feels she loves him. When Theodore shows up he on two different occasions tells Isabella that he would rather die a thousand deaths fighting to save her. This might be a little exageration on the whole chivalry idea but it does show the difference in the characters portrayed in the story, with Manfred and Theodore.

3. This conclusion was a little different than I saw coming when I was reading the story. It gave you the idea that somehow Theodore and Matilda would end up together and rule the land that was proven to be Theodore's in the first place. When she was killed and him not wanting to marry Isabella it does give you this feeling the author does not like the idea of marriage since throughtout the book he broke up every marriage in the story. This could be a way to make the story better in the authors eyes or Walpole's personal beliefs were that of marriages do not work even when you love someone it is never a happy ending and you will end up alone one day.