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The Castle of Otranto · Theme
Religion and Superstition
How The Castle of Otranto develops Religion and Superstition.
The Catholic Church, represented by Friar Jerome, is intertwined with supernatural beliefs, prophecies, and relics, reflecting the tension between faith, superstition, and the manipulation of religion for political ends.
Where it surfaces
- Preface to the First Edition
The preface discusses the use of miracles, visions, and necromancy as faithful to the manners of the dark ages, and suggests the author may have been a priest reinforcing superstition against Reformation ideas.
- Chapter II
Friar Jerome invokes divine will and church authority to oppose Manfred's incestuous and adulterous plans, while Manfred manipulates religious scruples for his own ends.