TERM 1 TASK-8

THE GOTHIC NOVEL (G.N)

Who invented the G.N?What was the tittle of the first G.N?When was it first published?

• Gothic fiction began as a sophisticated joke. Horace Walpole first applied the word ‘Gothic’ to a novel in the subtitle – ‘A Gothic Story’ – of The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764. When he used the word it meant something like ‘barbarous’, as well as ‘deriving from the Middle Ages’.

Which basic elements of the horror do you remember from the introductory lesson?

Write a minimum of ten

1. Setting in a castle

2. An atmosphere of mystery 

3. An atmosphere of suspense 

4. An ancient prophecy

5. Omens, portents and visions

6. Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable things 

7. High overwhelming emotion

8. Women in distress 

9. Women threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male

10. Secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms...

Choose one of the topics on DISCOVERING LITERATURE and write a post

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR STORY

1.Who is Edgar Allan Poe? When and where he was born? What was he famous for?

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, critic and editor best known for evocative short stories and poems that captured the imagination and interest of readers around the world. His imaginative storytelling and tales of mystery and horror gave birth to the modern detective story. 

Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Did he get married?

Poe married his cousin Virginia when she was 13 and he was 24.

2.How did he die?

Poe died on October 7, 1849. His final days remain somewhat of a mystery. Poe left Richmond on September 27, 1849, and was supposedly on his way to Philadelphia. 

On October 3, he was found in Baltimore in great distress. Poe was taken to Washington College Hospital, where he died four days later. His last words were "Lord, help my poor soul."

At the time, it was said that Poe died of "congestion of the brain." But his actual cause of death has been the subject of endless speculation. 

3.Name some of his most famous works

'The Black Cat'

Poe’s short story “The Black Cat” was published in 1843 in The Saturday Evening Post. In it, the narrator, a one-time animal lover, becomes an alcoholic who begins abusing his wife and black cat. By the macabre story’s end, the narrator observes his own descent into madness as he kills his wife, a crime his black cat reports to the police. The story was later included in the 1845 short story collection, Tales by Edgar Allan Poe.

'The Raven'

Poe’s poem “The Raven” in 1845 in the New York Evening Mirror, is considered among the best-known poems in American literature and one of the best of Poe's career. An unknown narrator laments the demise of his great love Lenore and is visited by a raven, who insistently repeats one word: “Nevermore.” In the work, which consists of 18 six-line stanzas, Poe explored some of his common themes — death and loss.

'Annabel Lee'

This lyric poem again explores Poe’s themes of death and loss and may have been written in memory of his beloved wife Virginia, who died two years prior. The poem was published on October 9, 1849, two days after Poe’s death, in the New York Tribune. 

Later in his career, Poe continued to work in different forms, examining his own methodology and writing in general in several essays, including "The Philosophy of Composition," "The Poetic Principle" and "The Rationale of Verse." He also produced the thrilling tale, "The Cask of Amontillado," and poemssuch as "Ulalume" and "The Bells."


ALFRED HITCHCOCK

1.What’s his nickname?

The Master of Suspense, or Cocky.

2.What was his most famous horror film?

His most famous horrror film was “Notorious” (1946)

3.What was his main contribution to horror?
He certainly changed the way we watched films. Before Psycho, you simply turned up at the picture house and watched the film from whichever point it was at. You stayed till you’d seen the beginning of the next screening, and then left. Hitchcock was the first director to demand absolute commitment to the story. Psycho had set start times, and audiences were begged not to give away the ending.

COMIC RELIEF

What is the comic relief and why is it used in horror films?

-Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episode interposed in the midst of serious or tragic elements in a drama. Comic relief often takes the form of a bumbling, wise cracking side kick of the hero or villain in a work of fiction. A sidekick used for comic relief will usually comment on the absurdity of the hero's situation and make comments that would be inappropriate for a character who is to be taken seriously. Other characters may use comic relief as a means to irritate others or keep themselves confident.

-Sometimes comic relief characters will appear in fiction that is comic.This generally occurs when the work enters adramatic moment, but the character continues to be comical regardless. Greek tragedy did not allow any comic relief within the drama,[1] but had a tradition of concluding a series of several tragic performances with a humorous  satyr play Even the Elizabethan critic Sidney following Horace’s ArsPoetica pleaded for the exclusion of comic elements from a tragic drama. But in the Renaissance England Marlowe among the University Widsintroduced comic relief through the presentation of crude scenes in Doctor Faustus following the native tradition of Interlude which was usually introduced between two tragic plays. In fact, in the classical tradition the mingling of the tragic and the comic was not allowed.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_relief