A History of Gothic Literature

The Castle of Otranto is considered the first work of gothic fiction due to its establishment of gothic tropes, such as the supernatural, old castles, secret passages, paintings moving on their own, and doors closing by themselves.

The latter part of the 18th century saw an explosion of gothic literature. Ann Radcliffe’s works were some of the most popular in the 1790s. Her novels, such as The Romance of the Forest, and The Mysteries of Udolpho, were considered to be of a more feminine style, where rationality prevailed, instead of supernatural horror. The supernatural events in her novels ended up having mundane explanations.
Early Gothic works often had medieval settings. Ancient castles perfectly contributed to the themes of entrapment and constraint in these stories.
In fact, Gothic literature is associated with the Gothic Revival architecture of the period. Gothic writers associated old medieval buildings with what they thought as a terrifying period – characterized by harsh laws and mysterious, torturous and superstitious rituals. The medieval settings of extreme beauty in Gothic works reflect the genre’s appreciation of extreme emotions and the sublime.

Sources:

Music:
Shostakovich - Chamber Symphony For Strings In C Minor, Op 110a
Mahler - Symphony No. 7 in E Minor - Scherzo

[deforeestwright]

Very good job. . .but fact check: Glenarvon was written by Lady Caroline Lamb, not Claire Claremont.

[katieflaxbeard]

Thank you so much! The Brontes are my favorite authors and Gothic literature as a whole has been my desired area of study! Glad I found your channel

[returnoftheromans]

A very good analysis! As you talked of Darwin's theory, it reminded me of HG Well's "Time Machine, " which, in of itself, is considered to be sci-fi. But, it also parallels Frankenstein and the speculation of how humans came to be through scientific means as you were saying. (Or, in Well's story, what the future might look like as evolution plays out). Just interesting how ideas can bleed so easily throughout the ages and how they are all so intertwined. Some of what Wells includes as Gothic elements are a confined space (underground) as well as feelings of discomfort at the brute-like "humans" living in the underground spaces, much like what one first feels at encountering Frankenstein's monster.
Edit: you mentioned "The Yellow Wallpaper!???" Ahhh!!! I just ordered the story not that long ago, as it kept coming up, and I had to know what the hype was about. And I am obsessed!!!! Love that little book to pieces! It was such a short, easy read, too.

[jimcoyle]

Thank you very much for this comprehensive review of Gothic Literature.

[ernestjanzen]

A wonderful video, really well explained. I got a lot out of it, and will likely give it a few rewatches. Thank you!

[luigibeyer]

The Abbey in The Oakwood, what an amazing painting!

[anneroy]

I seem to recall Jo March (Little Women) reading The Castle of Otranto & dramatically acting some scenes out for her sisters ...

[cerberus]

That was enjoyable. I think you could have also included the novella 'Justine' by the Marquis de Sade and the novel 'Salammbo' by Flaubert. Talk about heroines in distress!

[StephaniedeBritoLeal]

I would love to have a list of the novels and shorts mentioned in the video ❤ it's an amazing recap of gothic lit! Congratulations

[HollyFormolo]

Thanks for the inspiration as I'm adding more books to my wish-list now

[BeeWhistler]

That wasn’t how The Yellow Wallpaper grabbed me. It seemed like a story about the harm of the patriarchy and the medical practices of the time against a woman’s mental health.

[EpicGeopolitics]

This was awesome. Many thanks for making this. Really thorough introduction and i really reckon ima go check these novels out. Dorian Grey was my gateway novel!!! Looking forward to more releases from your channel!!

[jetthayward]

thanks for the great video, thisll help me with my castle of otranto essay due next friday lol

[nicolascaldasabreu]

Amazing video, congratulations 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[nicholaschiazza]

As regards to horror, Ann Radcliffe didn't know what she was talking about.

[SueLyons]

👍 'horror... freezes and annihilates the senses' 👍

[stargazingsea]

could you believe that this was the butterfly effect behind five nights at freddys

[carbonc]

Not too bad ... Thanks for the upload.

[travelswithro]

I don’t think The Castle of Otranto was intended as a farce. Rather it was harking back to an earlier era where things were less modern.

[lucagrochi]

Thank you for this work; also, your voice is beautiful