73 pages • 2 hours read
Horace WalpoleA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
The statue of Alfonso the Good in the Church of St. Nicholas symbolizes Otranto’s noble past and rightful ownership. Alfonso, the heroic past ruler of Otranto, was poisoned by his chamberlain Ricardo, who usurped the throne and eventually passed it to his grandson Manfred, Otranto’s current illegitimate ruler. During the course of the narrative, the statue sheds various pieces of armor, which magically manifest at various points in the castle—supernatural events that suggest that the castle is haunted by Ricardo’s past misdeeds. As pieces of the statue kill Manfred’s son, assist the true heir Theodore, and prevent Manfred from marrying a new wife who could bear heirs, the spirit of Alfonso cleanses Otranto of Manfred’s corrupt rule.
The statue enacts the prophecy that rulers who outgrow the castle will be ousted—a prediction of doom that Manfred fears but finds hard to interpret. However, Hippolita instructs Matilda on several occasions to honor and worship the statue of Alfonso—a prescient suggestion that implies that Hippolita remembers who is the rightful heir.
9th-12th Grade Historical Fiction
View Collection
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Books that Feature the Theme of...
View Collection
British Literature
View Collection
Challenging Authority
View Collection
Daughters & Sons
View Collection
European History
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Fantasy
View Collection
Fear
View Collection
Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
Medieval Literature / Middle Ages
View Collection
Mystery & Crime
View Collection
Politics & Government
View Collection
Power
View Collection
Religion & Spirituality
View Collection
Revenge
View Collection
The Future
View Collection
YA Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
YA Mystery & Crime
View Collection