Imagine a decaying castle on a desolate moor, a dark and stormy night, a terrified heroine fleeing through a gloomy corridor, and a sense of supernatural dread hanging in the air.
Faglig kvalitetssikret av lærere og toppstudenter · Følger læreplanen (LK20) · Sist oppdatert 2026-07-16
Introduction
Imagine a decaying castle on a desolate moor, a dark and stormy night, a terrified heroine fleeing through a gloomy corridor, and a sense of supernatural dread hanging in the air. These are the classic ingredients of Gothic literature. The Gothic tradition is a genre of literature that combines elements of horror, death, and romance. It emerged in the late 18th century and has had a profound and lasting influence on fiction, film, and popular culture ever since. The Gothic explores the dark side of human nature, our fascination with the mysterious and the supernatural, and the things that haunt us from both without and within.
Learning objectives
After reading this article, you should be able to:
- Define the Gothic tradition and identify its key characteristics.
- Describe the typical setting and atmosphere of a Gothic novel.
- Identify common character archetypes found in Gothic literature.
- Explain how the Gothic explores psychological themes like hidden desires and madness.
- Provide examples of classic Gothic novels and their modern descendants.
The Origins and Key Characteristics
The Gothic literary tradition began in England with Horace Walpole's novel The Castle of Otranto (1764). The novel, subtitled "A Gothic Story," was set in a medieval castle and was filled with supernatural events, a tyrannical villain, and a damsel in distress. It was an instant sensation and established the key conventions of the genre.
Gothic literature was a reaction against the order, reason, and rationalism of the Enlightenment era. It instead embraced the irrational, the emotional, and the supernatural. Key characteristics of the genre include: …