Chapter 1
The book starts with a … summary: we are told that Manfred — the lord of the castle — is going to have his son and heir Conrad marry Isabella, the marquess of Vicenza’s daughter.
An old prophecy wants that “the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it”. Though it is difficult to find any sense in the prophecy, Manfred is going to make sure that his descent is safe. That’s why he wants his son Conrad to marry Isabella. In fact her father, the marquess of Vicenza, has a rightful claim on Otranto after the death of Alfonso the Good previous king of Otranto.
Conrad is expected to join the party to celebrate the wedding, but an enormous helmet (sic!) falls on him and he is found butchered by the servants. His father, Manfred, is astonished but seems little pained by the loss of his only male heir.
Manfred first tries to find someone to blame (he accuses a peasant of being involved in Conrad’s death and has him imprisoned), then figures out the solution: he is going to marry Isabel and divorce from Hippolita.
As soon as she learns Manfred’s new intentions, Isabella runs away through a tunnel connecting the castle to a monastery. She is helped by a stranger. Here the narration stops and there is a flashback. The narrator assumes follows Manfred’s action. Manfred finds the stranger while searching the castle for Isabella. He believes that the stranger – who is the same peasant he had imprisoned a while before – is responsible also for her escape, but is surprised of finding him free.
At the end of chapter 1 Manfred’s character gets an impression of depth:
Manfred, though persuaded, like his wife, that the vision had been no work of fancy, recovered a little from the tempest of mind into which so many strange events had thrown him. Ashamed, too, of his inhuman treatment of a Princess who returned every injury with new marks of tenderness and duty, he felt returning love forcing itself into his eyes; but not less ashamed of feeling remorse towards one against whom he was inwardly meditating a yet more bitter outrage, he curbed the yearnings of his heart, and did not dare to lean even towards pity. The next transition of his soul was to exquisite villainy.
Presuming on the unshaken submission of Hippolita, he flattered himself that she would not only acquiesce with patience to a divorce, but would obey, if it was his pleasure, in endeavouring to persuade Isabella to give him her hand—but ere he could indulge his horrid hope, he reflected that Isabella was not to be found. (pag 59-60)
The novel looks like a summary written by a student. The beginning is too shallow, there is no introduction of characters, large use of adjectives.
From the moment of Conrad’s death there is a rush of events. The plot accelerates. Crowds of characters and servants swarming up and down. Insane behaviour of the main character (Manfred).