# Gender and Power in The Castle of Otranto

> Theme guide for The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole.

Female characters like Hippolita, Matilda, and Isabella are subjected to Manfred's patriarchal authority, yet they demonstrate resilience, piety, and agency through their resistance, escape, and moral strength.

## Where it surfaces

- [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_of_otranto_se/chapters/ii): Hippolita's submission and Isabella's flight illustrate the limited agency of women, while Manfred asserts patriarchal control over both.
- [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_of_otranto_se/chapters/iv): Hippolita's submission to Manfred's will and her advice that women must obey fathers and husbands highlight the powerlessness of women in patriarchal society.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_of_otranto_se/themes/gender_and_power
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_castle_of_otranto_se/themes