To what extent do you think that gothic literature is characterised by a fascination with death?

Some may argue that gothic writing is characterised by a strong focus on death because of the way it affects the characters in each text. Whether they die themselves, or lose someone else to death, it appears that gothic writing is fascinated with the ways death can affect our psyche or behaviour. However, there are other key themes that many gothic texts appear to be fascinated by, such as ambition, sin and transgression.

  It initially appears that The Pardoner’s Tale is fascinated by death due to the ways the protagonist uses death in their rhetoric. The Pardoner is presented as having a great insight into our fear of death, and uses this to extort money from his audience. In his tale, death is personified as an unstoppable supernatural predator: a “privee theef” that takes any life he chooses. Thousands have been “slain” by the opening of the tale, and by the end the three rioters have also died by their own hands. This cyclical structure suggests that this gothic text is fascinated by death, as the Pardoner repeatedly relates to his audience how death “took” anybody at any time. Furthermore, the Pardoner subtly suggests that death is not confined to the tale, and creates a lot of terror, when he hypothetically states that “paraventure hir breke a nekke atwo”. Thus, it appears that The Pardoner’s Tale is characterised by death, and its role with fear and terror. The Pardoner’s message ominously states that if you are not careful, death can easily come- “fallen of a hors”- before your sins are absolved.

  However, this gothic text appears to have a much greater fascination with the gothic concept of sin. The revellers are presented as the epitome of immorality and wickedness: “superfluitee abhominable”; they reside in the “develes temple”. The poem appears to be fascinated with condemning their sins, which is perhaps why they die at the end. Their death may be a punishment for their endless hedonism “dronken… al day and nighte” and how their excess greed (they were “glad of the sighte” of the gold). Whilst the poem does close with death, it appears that the greater focus is on the sins that precede it. Even when The Pardoner mentions the idea of death at the end of the tale, it is immediately followed by an offer of “absolucioun” and help to the “blisse of heaven”. In an innately religious medieval society, where an eternal afterlife in hell was a very real fear, it appears that this text would have been received as having a greater focus on “sinne”.

  Similarly to The Pardoner’s Tale, death in Frankenstein is presented as a punishment for both Frankenstein and the Creature’s crimes. Both commit very horrifying and inhuman deeds. Frankenstein arrogantly usurps the role of God “a new species will bless me as its creator and source”, and the Creature murders many innocent victims, such as the “sweet” William. A contemporary reader would consider the death of a child who was “so gentle” and “innocent”, which connotes vulnerability and being in need of protection, to be the worse crime. In contrast, a reader in the 1800s may have a greater abhorrence for Frankenstein’s transgression. His arrogance as he desires to reach the God-like power of breaking the “ideal bounds” of life and death may have been considered the most horrifying and sacrilegious of all crimes. Death, in this case, is presented as an apt punishment for his transgression and for trying to break beyond his limitations. Whilst it could be argued that this novel is more focused on the ambitious act of transgression itself, a much greater reading suggests that this novel does have a greater fascination with death. It is effectively used to close the novel, creating a satisfying and just conclusion to Frankenstein’s character development. The ending of this gothic text thus appears obsessed with how death can be used to restore the natural order that Frankenstein had so greatly disturbed.

  Many may argue that Macbeth has the greatest fascination with death, for there are excessive amounts of violence and bloodshed.  This play also has a cyclical structure, as the narrative begins with a battle where the protagonist “unseamed” his enemies in order to protect his king, and closes with Macbeth’s “brandished… head on a pole”. The play opens and closes with death, with the rest of the narrative being characterised by Macbeth’s murderous crimes during his rise in power. Furthermore, the play also appears to be fascinated with Macbeth’s relationship with death. During the opening, it takes Macbeth an entire act to become “settled” on murdering Duncan. By the end, he is presented as desensitised and indifferent to it, as the “firstlings of my heart become the firstlings of my hand”. Murdering other soldiers soon becomes reason for him to “smile at”. Thus, it could be argued that Macbeth is fascinated with a killer’s relationship with death, and how one grows accustomed to it with the more murders they commit.

  However, a much greater reading suggests that Shakespeare’s play has a stronger focus on ambition than death. Through the repeated use of asides and soliloquies, we get insight into Macbeth’s “deep desires”. He is presented as a character defined by his “vaulting ambition”, and his desire to “overleap” the established natural order at the time. Every murder he commits is presented as being a way of satisfying this ambition: Duncan’s murder allows him to be crowned, and Banquo’s murder is committed to prevent his kingship becoming “fruitless”, dead and “barren”. Whilst the amount of death in this play is excessive and extreme, it appears that this gothic text is characterised by a fascination with ambition with death.

  Gothic writing initially appears to be characterised by a strong focus on death. Many of the texts examine our complex relationship with death, such as our fear of dying and how we can become desensitised to it over time. However, a much greater reading suggests that gothic writing is not fully characterised or fascinated with the theme of death because it has a much greater focus on themes such as sin and ambition. Whilst death does often appear to be a consequence of these other two gothic themes, it is clear that the focus is still on ambition and sin, and how they may affect different characters throughout the course of the narrative.