The Castle of Otranto

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Hippolyta is a figure from ancient mythology.

• What is the rhetorical purpose of giving the character “Hippolita” this allusive name? (topic sentence)
• Offer plot detail and characterization from the text, as well as evidence from outside sources about the mytho-historic figure of Hippolyta that support your interpretation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this allusion relates to the text’s portrayal of Women as Weak, Distressed Possessions.

2. Manfred is clearly an evil character, but he does have clear and understandable motivations for his behavior.

• Does Walpole intend for the audience to sympathize with Manfred at any point, or is he thoroughly villainous despite his understandable motivations? (topic sentence)
• Offer at least three pieces of textual evidence that support your interpretation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the degree of sympathy created by Walpole’s characterization of Manfred relates to the text’s thematic concern with the way Divine Power Rewards Bloodlines and Noble Behavior or its stylistic Blending of Medieval Romances and the Novel.

3. The novel focuses primarily on the descendants of two men: Ricardo and Alfonso.

• What is the rhetorical function of portraying several generations of these two families? (topic sentence)
• Offer at least three pieces of textual evidence that support your argument.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the portrayal of the two families reinforces the novel’s thematic claims about how Divine Power Rewards Bloodlines and Noble Behavior.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. What is this text’s view of “legitimate” power? Why is Manfred not a legitimate ruler, and what makes Theodore and Isabella more legitimate? Is there a difference in this text between legitimacy and justice—that is, can power be legitimate without being just? What does the text convey about the relationship between God’s authority and human authority? Write an essay in which you analyze the text’s messages about legitimate power. Show how these messages support the novel’s thematic concerns with Divine Power Rewarding Bloodlines and Noble Behavior and Women as Weak, Distressed Possessions. Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.

2. How is darkness used symbolically in The Castle of Otranto? Does it seem to represent just one idea, or is it more complex than this? How do the text’s diction, imagery, and figurative language convey the significance of darkness? Write an essay in which you analyze the symbolism of darkness in this novel. Show how this symbolism supports the novel’s thematic concern with Divine Power Rewarding Bloodlines and Noble Behavior or Blending Medieval Romances and the Novel. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any quoted material.

3. Read Horace Walpole’s brief collection of short-short stories, Hieroglyphic Tales. What do these stories reveal about Walpole’s sense of humor? Where do you see common elements with The Castle of Otranto, and where do you see significant differences? How does reading Hieroglyphic Tales shed light on the “camp” elements of The Castle of Otranto? How do the styles of the two pieces compare? Write an essay in which you take and defend a position regarding the relationship of these two texts: How does each shed light on the other, and what larger ideas about Walpole’s writing are suggested by studying the two texts in juxtaposition? Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout both texts, making sure to cite any quoted material.