Clara Reeve provides a good description of what Borace Walpole was attempting to accomplish in the narrative of The Castle of Otranto. Walpole writes this narrative in an attempt to “…unite the various merits and graces of the ancient Romance and the modern Novel.”(Reeve 1) In order to accomplish this, Reeve believes that Walpole had to provide a story that excites the reader with absurdities and engages their emotions while remaining somewhat plausible. With this in mind, it is easier to understand what Walpole makes such dramatic decisions in the development of his story.
It may seem absurd to have what seems to be a primary character be killed off within the first five pages, let alone to have him be crushed by a gigantic helmet (Walpole 2). Upon the first reading, this comes across as an inclusion of comedy into the narrative and sets one up for a story filled with comical occurrences. After reading Reeve’s passage however, we are ushered to see this exaggeration as Walpole’s failed attempt at seamlessly mashing the extraordinary with the ordinary. Unfortunately, rather than creating a sense of awe in the reader and bringing us in closer, he has detached us from the narrative and diminished the depth of the story.
With the understanding that the seemingly comical elements of this Novel were meant to feel natural, we can now return to the reading choosing to see it as such. Now, the enormous helmet does not seem like humor, but is simply another step in the progression of this story. We can now look for the next layer in this story and can analyze the passages in search of the deeper meaning behind it all. Rather than laughing at the existence of a sword so large that it takes one hundred men to lift it, we can ask ourselves WHY Walpole included this sword to begin with; we can search for the message that Walpole is sending us.
When I reanalyze the incident with the helmet, I can now see the great symbolism behind it’ occurrence. The helmet, which serves to protect one in the field of battle, has now killed Walpole’s only living hope for immortality. His bloodline, which he cares for more than anything else, has now been placed in danger by this object, which would normally serve to protect. This use of irony on Walpole’s behalf is one of the portions of this narrative that are overshadowed by his inability to blend the extraordinary with the ordinary.
