In A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, Edmund Burke explains his theory of the sublime. One specific passage that stood out to me was when Burke discussed the idea that obscurity is necessary to depict the sublime. Burke points out how any sort of apprehension or tension vanishes when the reader is able to familiarize themselves with what is going to happen. “To make anything very terrible, obscurity seems in general to be necessary. When we know the full extent of any danger, when we can accustom our eyes to it, a great deal of apprehension vanishes.” (Burke). I agree with this idea that Burke presents because as a reader, when there is obscurity and elements that are unknown, it increases the level of interest and passion that a reader has for the story, which creates an appreciation for the sublime.

Obscurity is presented in many different ways in The Castle of Otranto. There are several moments throughout the story where there is little clarity as to what will happen next. There was increased tension and apprehension throughout these moments because of the unknown elements. For example, in the opening of the story, there is a great deal of confusion as to what happened to Conrad. No one can seem to find him. All of a sudden, the servant who was sent to find Conrad “came running back in a frantic manner, his eyes staring, and foaming at the mouth.” (The Castle of Otranto, pg. 28). This immediately creates tension and apprehension for both the characters and the readers. What could have possibly happened to Conrad that made the servant react the way that he did? The obscurity of this moment peaks the interest level of the reader, thus creating an appreciation for the sublimity of the story.