The Mysteries of Udolpho Lesson Plan

How may British readers at the time of the novel’s publication have reacted to the “exoticism” of an Italian setting?

The journey to Italy provides Radcliffe with the opportunity to introduce new settings and further description of both landscapes, and the city of Venice. Throughout her career, Radcliffe would set a number of her novels partially or fully in Italy, and her writing was a significant factor in making Italy a setting deeply associated with the Gothic genre. While British audiences in the 18th and early 19th centuries were titillated by the spooky thrills and potential schemes of Gothic novels, they also liked to keep such events at a safe distance and...