Vathek Literary Elements

Vathek Literary Elements

Genre

Gothic novel

Setting and Context

Set during the Abbasid dynasty

Narrator and Point of View

Third-person narrator

Tone and Mood

The tone of the novel is romantic and dark.

Protagonist and Antagonist

Vathek is the protagonist, but is a rather antagonistic figure. Eblis is the clear antagonist of the novel.

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the novel is Vathek's attempt to find the dark world.

Climax

The climax of the text is when Vathek reaches the palace of Eblis.

Foreshadowing

Vathek's excessive pride is mentioned repeatedly at the beginning of the text, which foreshadows his later downfall.

Understatement

Vathek underestimates his wife's inclination towards ambition and greed.

Allusions

The text alludes to the Abbasids dynasty.

Imagery

Imagery is used to describe Vathek's five palaces, with each one being based on a different sense. For example, when describing "The Palace of Perfumes," Beckford uses imagery to describe the different aromas that can be found there.

Paradox

Vathek believes he will achieve great riches and powers once he reaches the mountains, however he is actually killed.

Parallelism

N/A

Metonymy and Synecdoche

N/A

Personification

"Pride" is personified as reaching for greater heights.

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