History SoYouWantTo / WriteAGothicStory

* The most obvious example of an imprisoning place is the HauntedCastle, which is also the most recognizable and enduring symbol of the Gothic -- not least because of its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture eponymous]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture architecture]]. A Gothic castle stands for claustrophobic enclosure with no maps, confusing corridors, [[BookcasePassage secret]] [[SecretUndergroundPassage passageways]], and [[TrapDoor hidden trapdoors]], often connecting to {{Creepy Cave}}s or [[AncientTomb tombs]]. Its architecture seems alive with its [[HellIsThatNoise clanking chains]], [[WolvesAlwaysHowlAtTheMoon howling dogs]], [[SinisterScrapingSound scraping knives]], and locked doors, and invokes images of [[ARestrainedIndex entrapment, abduction, forceful restraint]], and being BuriedAlive. With all that said, however, an imprisoning place does not have to be a literal castle -- any [[BigLabyrinthineBuilding labyrinthine man-made structure]] (an OldDarkHouse, an [[LockedAwayInAMonastery abbey]], a BedlamHouse, etc.) would do, as long as it conveys the emotions of isolation, alienation, and extreme duress. In late Victorian Gothic (the so-called "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_Gothic urban Gothic]]" of the 1880s-'90s[[note]]later [[GenreRelaunch revived]] from the 1980s onward[[/note]]), entire cities (particularly [[VictorianLondon London]]) became symbolic castles, with their labyrinthine sprawl hiding urban horrors and vices, while isolating and alienating inhabitants from one another.

* [[HorrorHatesARulebreaker Transgression]]: Like much of {{Romanticism}}, Gothic fiction is firmly rooted in the presupposition of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_chain_of_being "natural" order of things]] both in the universe and in the society and concerns {{rebel|Tropes}}lion against said order and/or the {{authority|Tropes}} imposing it. As romanticism's more [[SlidingScaleofIdealismVsCynicism cynical]], DarkerAndEdgier side, however, the Gothic refuses to celebrate this rebellion and instead frames it as a transgression, exploring its consequences for both the perpetrator and innocent victims. Transgression against natural order tends to be epic in scope (think [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Dr. Frankenstein trying and failing to play God]]), while transgression against (conservative, patriarchal) social order tends to be more personal (think [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Emily St. Aubert repeatedly defying her father and Count Montoni]]) -- more on them in the Choices section. Either way, Gothic "horror" is always about the human cost of transgression, rather than just being scary.

** Feminine Gothic is typically written by female authors[[note]]though this is not a rule -- some of most famous masculine Gothic was penned by Creator/MaryShelley[[/note]] and its (female) protagonist typically transgresses by attaining some knowledge forbidden to her by an authority (echoing Milton's Eve and, even more relevantly, [[Myth/CupidandPsyche Psyche violating Eros' trust]]) in pursuit of romantic love. Her subsequent wandering usually ends in a [[HappilyEverAfter happy marriage]][[note]]hence [[{{Comedy}} "comedic"]] in the classical sense of the term -- in fact, most feminine Gothic plots are variations on ''Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast''[[/note]], restoring her personal Eden and suggesting that transgression may be a good thing if done for the right reasons. Stylistically, feminine Gothic typically features a single [[PointOfView omniscient third-person]] narrative voice.

** The most famous regional subgenre, however, is most likely the American Southern Gothic. A mixture of a classical Gothic novel and social commentary, the Southern Gothic novel uses the macabre to explore the values, cultural character, and social issues of the American South rather than just for the sake of suspense or exploring the transgression of one character.

* Horror vs. Terror: A distinction first described by Creator/AnnRadcliffe in "On the Supernatural in Poetry", terror is the dread and suspense you feel before a horrifying experience (e.g. seeing a TrailOfBlood), while horror is the feeling of revulsion and abjection you get after it (e.g. actually discovering a decaying corpse). Terror is associated more with the feminine Gothic, whose heroines must repeatedly face their own fears, while horror is more of a masculine Gothic thing, whose protagonists are traumatized by their confrontation with mortality, irrationality, and corruption. A third option, "revulsion" -- a visceral gag-reflex, was coined by Creator/StephenKing, which he sees as the lowest form of scariness that relies on cheap gore instead of psychological nuance.

** Transgression ''against the Divine'' covers rejection of God (the classical WanderingJew archetype), blasphemy (in word and/or deed), and actual attempts at [[AGodAmI usurping divinity]] (which often overlaps with the next category). This transgression is best used in UsefulNotes/{{Christian|ity}} or, alternatively, UsefulNotes/{{existentialis|m}}t stories, unless the transgressor is a religious institution (with the [[CreepyCatholicism Roman Catholic Church being the favorite punching bag]] for English authors of the Victorian era).
** Transgression ''against Nature'' covers the ScaleOfScientificSins, but primarily any tampering with the line between life, death, and undeath: [[ImmortalityImmorality extending life way past its natural limits]] (via UsefulNotes/{{alchemy}}, FaustianBargain, etc.), bringing the [[ResurrectionTropes dead back to life]] (overlaps with usurping divinity above[[note]]since the power of resurrection was among UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' most famous miracles[[/note]]), {{Creating Life|IsBad}} (ditto), [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]] (in nature, living things feed on the dead[[note]]parasite species notwithstanding[[/note]], but vampires are the dead who feed on the living), etc.
** Transgression ''against family'' runs the gamut from marital infidelity to incest and is particularly insidious, given how important family is in the genre. On the other hand, Gothic fiction often presents the institute of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primogeniture primogeniture]] as transgressive against family[[note]]echoing ''Paradise Lost'', where it belies both Satan and Eve's respective fall[[/note]], resulting in a number of second sons, first-born daughters, and [[BastardBastard bastards]] cast as sympathetic victim-villains.
** Transgression ''against social norms'', such as class divide, gender roles, and sexual taboos. Gender role transgression is particularly prominent in the feminine Gothic, whose heroines' attempts at [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_workforce self-determination through honest labor]] are commonly met with automatic assumption of [[TheOldestProfession prostitution]] and subsequent social ostracization. Breaking sexual taboos, meanwhile, is more of a [[AllMenArePerverts masculine Gothic thing]] (from ''Literature/TheMonk'' to ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'') and covers all kinds of perverse, weird, and dangerous sexuality: incest, [[QueerRomance homosexuality]][[note]]a crime in the Victorian era[[/note]], [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence violence]], [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty abduction]], {{rape|AsDrama}}, [[ILoveTheDead necrophilia]], etc.
** Finally, ''{{gambling|Tropes}}'' is a special kind of evil in Gothic fiction, combining elements of all of the above in one big transgressive package. It is a transgression against the Divine because TheGamblingAddict rejects the grace of God in favor of Chance; against nature, because it is unnatural to risk one's own financial well-being on a vice; against one's family, because gambling inevitably leads to its [[TrappedByGamblingDebts financial impoverishment and moral ruin]]; and against social norms, because it allows for social advancement without birth or merit, serving as the antithesis of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic Protestant work ethic]] prevalent among British middle class at the time[[note]]who considered gambling to be a [[AristocratsAreEvil vice of the aristocracy]][[/note]].
* Gothic fiction is rife with [[SupernaturalFiction beings and events outside the accepted confines of nature]], as well as various omens, portents, and visions, but whether the supernatural is real in-story or merely all a ScoobyDooHoax is up to you. There are two schools in Gothic fiction regarding the supernatural: the classic[[note]]a.k.a. "accepted supernatural"[[/note]] school, originating with [[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Horace Walpole]] and carrying through most of the masculine Gothic tradition, treats the supernatural as real; whereas the [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Radcliffe]][[note]]a.k.a. "explained supernatural"[[/note]] school (whose adherents include the Brontës) tends to provide rational explanations for "supernatural" events, at most leaning towards MaybeMagicMaybeMundane[[note]]after all, we never learn whether [[Literature/WutheringHeights Heathcliff]] was ''actually'' 100% human[[/note]]. Both approaches are equally valid, because the supernatural is not the point of Gothic fiction, but merely a tool to showcase the darker sides of humanity, and even non-supernatural stories like ''Literature/JaneEyre'' usually have numerous mentions of folktales, ghost stories and the like. The related genre of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensation_novel sensation novel]] borrowed a lot of the Gothic shocking, but realistic themes while not relying on the supernatural at all.

** As with all rules, there are exceptions, which nonetheless proves the rule: The EldritchAbomination in question may be somehow linked to a character's past or moral failings and [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu can be defeated]], [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu though it's more than often an uphill battle.]] For example, [[TheAntiGod Chaos]] in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' tries to [[spoiler: force Soma into taking Dracula's place as the Dark Lord because he's the reincarnation of Dracula and Chaos is the source of Dracula's power]]. Soma's [[FaustianRebellion able to defeat him]], but for the first half of the fight, he has to do so without the various souls he's collected, and it only gets harder from there. And Sutekh of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E3PyramidsOfMars Pyramids of Mars]]" (from an era of ''Doctor Who'' actually ''called'' the "Gothic Horror" era) can't be ignored by the heroes, as the Doctor shows [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt what will happen]] if they just go back to 1981 without dealing with him in 1911, making him an {{allegor|icalCharacter}}y for {{apathy|KilledTheCat}}, and the Doctor ultimately defeats him after enduring a ''terrifying'' MindRape from him.
** Instead of Lovecraftian eldritch abominations, you can instead go with abstract "dark powers" -- a concept primarily codified by ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}''. Unlike Lovecraft's alien deities, who are inherently unknowable and indifferent to humanity, Gothic "dark powers" are inhuman, otherworldly intelligences who nevertheless follow comprehensible rules (and [[HorrorHatesARulebreaker punish anyone who breaks them]]) and are very keenly interested in [[TragicHero intense individuals falling to their own corruption and flaws]]. While not proactively malicious, they can grant supernatural powers or knowledge to Gothic villains, but unlike a classical FaustianBargain, these deals merely give them [[GoneHorriblyRight enough rope to hang themselves with]]. The role of dark powers in a Gothic story is thus not to drive conflict, but to empower passionate but flawed individuals, to make their fall all the more spectacular, and to manifest their corruption and transgressions in tangible, grotesque forms. They [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane don't even have to explicitly exist]] in your text: [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Victor Frankenstein's]] invention can be viewed as some dark power's boon for his passion that lets him transgress the boundary of life and death, produces a [[FrankensteinsMonster grotesque manifestation]] of this transgression, and ultimately destroys him and everything he holds dear.

* The virginal maiden is almost always the heroine and pure of heart, but this has long since been subject to ridicule. There are alternatives--maybe your heroine is a low-born {{Ladette}} who isn't pure of heart at all and is in fact [[MrViceGuy more than a little sinful herself]]?

* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment. As an offshot of {{Romanticism}} (itself a reaction to the birth of the modern world), Gothic fiction was concerned with many of the same themes and topics. When the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Revolution Scientific Revolution]] and the subsequent [[UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment Enlightenement]] encroached upon the mysteries of Nature by seeking a scientific rationalization for them, the Romantics responded by professing that [[LuddWasRight civilization has made us sick]], that only Nature can heal our bodies and souls, that [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow the world cannot always be explained]], and that [[DontThinkFeel Imagination, not Reason]] was the sole source of morality and truth. For Romantics like [[Creator/WilliamBlake Blake]], the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution Agricultural Revolution]] decimated their beloved countryide and exacerbated the mass exodus from it due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclosure enclosure]]. The UsefulNotes/IndustrialRevolution accelerated urbanization, increasing pollution and class conflict, and invented [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_labour wage labor]], replacing pastoral lifestyle with factories, mills, and steam power. And, of course, UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution of the 1790s tore down the GoodOldWays, sending ripples of anxiety all across Europe, which contributed to the first boom of Gothic fiction in Britain -- indeed, it has been observed that the Gothic flourishes during the time of religious, political, and socioeconomic crises (such as in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer late 1810s]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1848 1840s]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Depression 1870–90s]], etc.).
* Past vs. Present: Many works of Gothic fiction deliberately juxtapose modernity and the archaic, e.g. contrasting the bustle of VictorianLondon [[TheCityVsTheCountry with a sleepy backwater village]] or a crumbling HauntedCastle. The Present in the Gothic is not an evolution of the Past, but a sudden juxtaposition, a revolution, a clash. The Past itself is persistent; it erupts and deranges the Present, no matter how much the latter wants it forgotten and gone. [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghosts]] are one of the most enduring elements of the genre because they are the perfect metaphor for this particular view of the Past and its relationship with the Present. Another quintessentially Gothic metaphor, one for the Past repressed by the Present, is the MadwomanInTheAttic. Related themes include:

* Justification of transgression: Tyler Tichelaar has identified three sub-archetypes of the Gothic wanderer, associating them with the [[Literature/ParadiseLost Miltonian]] triad of {{Satan}}, [[Literature/BookofGenesis Eve, and Adam]], all of whom violate the natural (read: God's) order and are forced to wander, haunted by their respective transgressions.
** The [[SatanicArchetype Satanic Wanderer]] is characterized by his {{Pride}}, which both strips him of Eden and makes him reject his punishment and any offers of atonement, -- instead he seeks to reclaim it through an even greater transgression. Masculine Gothic fiction both condemns him for this and puts him up as a [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels Promethean]] figure, producing a morally ambiguous Gothic villain. The Satanic Wanderer sees himself (and is often presented) as a [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority hero in his defiance of authority]], but usually [[UnfitForGreatness fails to actually be one]] and only leads others astray. Unsurprisingly, there is a significant overlap between him and the ByronicHero. Famous Satanic Wanderers include [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Dr. Frankenstein]], [[Literature/TheVampyre Lord Ruthven]], [[Literature/WutheringHeights Heathcliff]] and [[Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet Sweeney Todd]].

* Power and constraint: One of the most enduring Gothic images is the juxtaposition of the Tyrant and the Maiden, a figure of absolute power and one of perfect vulnerability -- two extremes representing the limits of humanity. The Tyrant (a.k.a. the "Gothic villain") is usually male, politically or supernaturally powerful, driven by his internal desires, emotionally intense, sociable, and exhibits severe moral failings that lead to his downfall. The Maiden, meanwhile, is usually female[[note]]which is commonly read as social commentary on the powerless situation of women in the early modern Europe[[/note]], innocent, completely vulnerable, often in distress (terrified, persecuted, fainting), dominated by powerful men, and driven by external forces against her will. The power dynamic between them is that of constraint, as the Tyrant imposes himself upon the Maiden to keep her subjugated, although later works may invoke [[HeroicSeductress sexual]] [[FemmeFatale power]] to reverse it, with [[HourglassPlot powerful women re-dominating men]].

** The [[SanitySlippage line between Rationality and Madness]] has been explored in literature [[Theatre/KingLear long]] [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} before]] [[Literature/DonQuixote Gothic]], but Gothic madness in particular is a fascinating cocktail of misunderstanding and prejudice. It is directly linked to [[InsaneEqualsViolent violence and crime]], strongly gendered (Gothic madmen typically suffer from [[TheParanoiac paranoia]] and [[MadwomanInTheAttic madwomen]], from "{{hysteri|calWoman}}a"), and, post-Darwin, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atavism atavistic]]. Specifically, many late Victorians viewed madness as "slipping back" to a more primitive and irrational stage of evolution, which in the context of [[SlobsVersusSnobs Victorian classism]] was associated with foreigners and lower classes.

** The [[SonOfAnApe line between Man and Beast]] came to prominence after UsefulNotes/CharlesDarwin published his ''On the Origin of Species'' in 1859, confronting his contemporaries with the reality that they aren't that different from apes. The resulting cultural anxiety was sublimated by the Gothic in the animal transformations of its monster-villains like Literature/{{Carmilla}} and Literature/{{Dracula}} and, perhaps in its purest form, in ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde''. Note, however, that [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]], despite their current position as [[FurAgainstFang "classic" Gothic monsters alongside vampires]], didn't become a genre staple until ''Literature/{{The Werewolf of Paris}}'' (1933) or even ''Film/{{The Wolf Man|1941}}'' (1941) -- decades after the Victorian era ended.

* ''Doubling'' is a ubiquitous narrative and psychological motif in Gothic fiction. While doubles of all sorts, from CreepyTwins to {{Doppelganger}}s, are uncanny thanks to our wariness of anything that is both distinct and indistinguishable, Gothic doubling goes deeper than these straightforward examples. Its two primary modes are doubling proper, when two [[{{Foil}} distinct things parallel each other]], and self-division, where a whole is separated in two parts. Doubling proper is often used to blur the line between the Self and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_(philosophy) Other]], exposing the anxieties caused by the weakening of the class, gender, racial, and national boundaries. Self-division, meanwhile, draws a ''new'' boundary within the previously whole, such as a gap between one's [[JekyllAndHyde respectable facade and repressed antisocial urges]], or the growing class divide of capitalist VictorianLondon. Both variations have also been used to explore anxieties around identity theft, e.g. in ''Literature/TheWomanInWhite'' and ''[[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'', respectively.
* The {{Uncanny|Atmosphere}} is anything that is familiar to us but somehow ''off'', and detailed descriptions of uncanny things are a big part of the Gothic "horror". Most commonly, the Uncanny is found in things that look human but aren't: [[OfCorpseHesAlive corpses]], [[CreepyDoll lifelike dolls]], [[WaxMuseumMorgue wax figures]], [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots automata]], [[LooksLikeOrlok vampires]], etc.
* TheGrotesque, i.e. exaggerated deformity, can be used to externalize the internal flaws and corruption, whether within individuals (a technique favored by Creator/CharlesDickens) or institutions (e.g. the [[OurGargoylesRock gargoyles]] on top of every CreepyCathedral in the Gothic). On the other hand, the grotesque can be paired with innocence to serve as a counterpoint to [[VillainWithGoodPublicity good-looking evil]], as in ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'' (the Creature before [[ThenLetMeBeEvil it turns evil]]) and ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' (Quasimodo).

* HypnoticEyes. Originally an attribute of the WanderingJew, the strange, mesmerizing eyes have become a [[RedRightHand telltale sign]] of Gothic wanderers since at least ''Literature/MelmothTheWanderer''.

* The most obvious example of an imprisoning place is the HauntedCastle, which is also the most recognizable and enduring symbol of the Gothic -- not least because of its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture eponymous]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture architecture]]. A Gothic castle stands for claustrophobic enclosure with no maps, confusing corridors, [[BookcasePassage secret]] [[SecretUndergroundPassage passageways]], and [[TrapDoor hidden trapdoors]], often connecting to {{Creepy Cave}}s or [[AncientTomb tombs]]. Its architecture seems alive with its [[HellIsThatNoise clanking chains]], [[WolvesAlwaysHowlAtTheMoon howling dogs]], [[SinisterScrapingSound scraping knives]], and locked doors, and invokes images of [[ARestrainedIndex entrapment, abduction, forceful restraint]], and being BuriedAlive. With all that said, however, an imprisoning place does not have to be a literal castle -- any [[BigLabyrinthineBuilding labyrinthine man-made structure]] (an OldDarkHouse, an [[LockedAwayInAMonastery abbey]], a BedlamHouse, etc.) would do, as long as it conveys the emotions of isolation, alienation, and extreme duress. In late Victorian Gothic (the so-called "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_Gothic urban Gothic]]" of 1880s–90s[[note]]later [[GenreRelaunch revived]] from the 1980s onward[[/note]]), entire cities (particularly [[VictorianLondon London]]) became symbolic castles, with their labyrinthine sprawl hiding urban horrors and vices, while isolating and alienating inhabitants from one another.

* Since it's usually set in a castle, expect to find an awful lot of medieval weaponry--swords, maces, lances, halberds, and crossbows are all fair game.

* The [[BigBad Tyrant]] is usually going to be a ManOfWealthAndTaste, and should usually wear the height of fashion for his era (or [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel several years before the era you set it in]] [[Really700YearsOld if he happens to be supernaturally hundreds of years old]]). RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver is a must for him.
* The virginal maiden should wear a white dress to signify her purity, contrasting with the older woman's darker or redder dress that is [[{{Fanservice}} usually sexier]].

* First and foremost, you'll need a [[BigBad Tyrant]], like [[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Manfred]] or Literature/{{Dracula}}. This Tyrant will take an [[VillainousCrush interest in the heroine]], [[Literature/{{Carmilla}} even if]] [[LesbianVampire she's a girl herself]], and will plot to steal her. Of course your tyrant need not be a true villain--the titular caliph Vathek from the William Beckford novel is a great of example of this character type as an anti-villain. He is one of three characters that may or may not have supernatural powers, and he's usually the ''[[DarkIsEvil only]]'' [[AntagonistAbilities one]] who does.

* As a foil to the above, there will often be an older and more foolish woman who doesn't stand up to the tyrant--[[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Hippolita]] is so obedient and weak-willed that she accepts her husband's decision to remarry.
* Last but not least, there must be a hero. Despite the ByronicHero being a staple of the genre, your hero may not necessarily be one--in fact, your ''tyrant'' may end up being more of a ByronicHero than the actual hero. They're usually virtuous, courageous, and brave, though like with the ByronicHero this isn't strictly necessary--''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' has had gothic elements since its beginning and it features a LovableCoward as a hero. He's the third character who may or may not have supernatural powers, and certainly the one with the most variety of powers--pretty much ''[[MagicAndPowers anything]]'' [[MagicAndPowers goes]], as long as whatever his powers are aren't ''quite'' as good as the Tyrant's--it wouldn't be a horror story if the villains didn't have the advantage.
** If your hero ''is'' a ByronicHero, remember that he shouldn't be a StockCharacter that's defined simply by how Byron he is. This goes double if your Tyrant is also a ByronicHero, as while you could certainly make use of FearfulSymmetry between the two, there should still be differences that ''make'' a difference. Why is one ByronicHero a ''hero'' and why is the other a villain?

# The '''[[WouldHurtAChild Abusive Guardian]]''' is defined in relation to their Ward, who for one reason or another is unfit to receive the Family Fortune, so the Guardian administers it for them, while secretly planning to take it for themselves, either through [[InheritanceMurder murder]] or by marrying the Ward themselves or to their own child. If the Ward is a Helpless Child or otherwise a minor, the Guardian can be a hired tutor or an actual legal guardian. If the Ward is a Sickly Invalid or an Mentally Deranged Person, the Guardian will use it as a pretext to further isolate them. Examples: [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Montoni]], [[Literature/WutheringHeights Heathcliff]], [[Literature/TheWomanInWhite Count Fosco]].

# The '''[[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery Bigamist]]''' is defined in relation to their existing Spouse and to a Pursued character, whom they seek to wed despite already being married, either out of lust or for the latter's Family Fortune. To this end, they can deny or hide their Spouse (often in an underground chamber or [[MadwomanInTheAttic the attic]] of the Gloomy House), seek to divorce them, if only on paper (often with the help of a Corrupt Priest), or to outright poison them (with the help of a Corrupt Doctor). Alternatively, they can already be widowed, but their Spouse still haunts them or their Pursued as a Ghost. Examples: [[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Manfred]], [[Literature/JaneEyre Edward Rochester]], [[Literature/TheWomanInWhite Percival Glyde]].

# The '''[[SinisterMinister Corrupt Priest]]''' is defined in relation to their Flock, who put their trust in them as a religious professional (priest, monk/nun, shaman, spiritual leader, etc.), which they then abuse for personal gain. A corrupt Catholic priest will break the seal of the {{Confessional}}, a monk will still from charity, and a cult leader will outright incite their followers to commit crimes. Examples: [[Literature/TheMonk Mother St. Agatha]], [[Literature/TheItalian Father Schedoni]], [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Claude Frollo]].

# The '''[[ClassicVillain Greedy Villain]]''' is defined by their desire to possess something (usually the Family Fortune, which may or may not include the Gloomy House itself) or someone. They are often cruel and abuse their power, but may have some redeeming qualities, especially if motivated by a past injustice or revenge. An Obsessed Scientist may seek to use their invention to reclaim their riches, while an Evil Charmer will manipulate the heir(ess) into falling in love with them, then steal their fortune, while convince everyone of their innocence. Examples: [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Montoni]], [[Literature/WutheringHeights Heathcliff]], Literature/{{Dracula}}.

# The '''LoveInterest''' is defined in relation to the main viewpoint character and facilitates the RomanceArc.

# The '''[[MadnessTropes Mentally Deranged Person]]''' is defined by their madness or, at least, mental instability, be it [[TheParanoiac paranoia]], [[HystericalWoman hysteria]], [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]], [[ExcessiveMourning extreme grief]], the sad result of [[RoyallyScrewedUp many generations of inbreeding]], etc. They may be living in the Gloomy House in voluntary isolation to heal, or kept their against their will by embarrassed relatives, or even as the Obsessed Scientist's test subject. A common twist is to have them been [[ObfuscatingInsanity sane all along]], but either manipulated by a Greedy Villain or a Corrupt Doctor, or haunted by the Ghost.
# The '''[[TheIngenue Naive Bride]]''' is defined by their love for the Master of the Gloomy House, where they move in early on. They are usually shy, inexperienced, poor, socially inept, and lacking in a social security net, and unfortunately for them, the Master often turns out to be a Greedy Villain, an Evil Charmer, an Obsessed Scientist, or a Mentally Deranged Person, so they often end up as a Captive or even Mentally Deranged themselves before long. Examples: Literature/{{Bluebeard}}'s nameless wife, [[Literature/MelmothTheWanderer Immalee]], [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Esmeralda]],
# The '''[[FishOutOfWater Newly Arrived Outsider]]''' is defined by their relationship to the Gloomy House and to the rest of the cast, namely, by their ''lack'' of preexisting connections to them. Thanks to this [[NaiveNewcomer outside perspective]], they often serve as the [[AudienceSurrogate main viewpoint character]] and are commonly also a Naive Bride and/or a True Heir. Examples: [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Emily St. Aubert]], Literature/JaneEyre, [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Jonathan Harker]].
# The '''[[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Obsessed Scientist]]''' is defined by their relation to a weird technology or science and to the Test Subject they [[TestedOnHumans experiment upon]]. They can be a scientist, an alchemist, or an inventor, whether amateur or professional, and their research can range from [[ScienceIsGood benign]] to [[ScienceIsBad diabolical]]. Their Test Subject can be a Captive, a Helpless Child, or a Mentally Deranged Person, although sometimes their research is in service of curing a Sickly Invalid. If it takes a toll of the Scientist's [[ProfessorGuineaPig own health]], they can be a Sickly Invalid or [[MadScientist Mentally Deranged themselves]]. Examples: [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Dr. Victor Frankenstein]], [[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde Dr. Henry Jekyll]].

# The '''[[BlackSheep Semi-Outsider]]''' is defined by their relation to the Gloomy House to the family occupying it: specifically, they have a connection to the latter but aren't part of it and don't live in the former (e.g. a distant cousin who visits often). Their loyalties are commonly murky, and they often turn out to be a Love Interest and/or the True Heir.
# The '''[[DelicateAndSickly Sickly Invalid]]''' is defined by their severe illness and their reliance on the Caretaker, who is commonly a Corrupt Doctor or an Abusive Guardian. Whether they treat their Caretaker with patience or cranky demands, they need constant care and hence rarely leave the Gloomy House. The Sickly Invalid is often also a Helpless Child, an Old Eccentric, a Naive Bride, a True Heir, a Captive, or a Mentally Deranged Person.

Hall admits that the above list is non-exhaustive. For example, we could add '''TheGrotesque''': a character defined by their deformity that leads to social ostracism and alienation (examples: [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein's Creature]], [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Quasimodo]], [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera Erik the Phantom]]). Nevertheless, it is easy to see how Hall's roles combine to produce the most recognizable Gothic archetypes: the Tyrant is the Master of the Gloomy House who is also a Greedy Villain, an Evil Charmer, and often a Bigamist; the Maiden is commonly a Newly Arrived Outsider, a Naive Bride, and a Captive; while the Hero is often a Semi-Outsider, a Love Interest, and the True Heir.

* ''Literature/MelmothTheWanderer'' (1820) by Charles Maturin is, perhaps, the purest expression of the masculine Gothic wanderer archetype in literature, as well as the last great work of pre-Victorian Gothic[[note]]many purists, including Creator/HPLovecraft, have viewed ''Melmoth'' as the last "true" Gothic novel, period, and everything that came later, as imitation[[/note]].