Analysis of “Dark Shadows” as a Gothic Masterpiece

Analysis of â€Å"Dark Shadows† as a Gothic Masterpiece To most, when asked to define what Gothic is, they will state that it is similar to any other story, just with more â€Å"darkness.† This is because Gothic stories all have a classic story line. First, there is the main character’s back story, if any is then told. Next, there are events that lead up to a horrible incident that is the climax of the story. Lastly, the character finds some way to fix the situation or free him- or herself from it. They might go insane, commit suicide, run away, or watch other characters perish. However, readers would be greatly mistaken if they thought that this was all that there is to a Gothic story; there is much more to the Gothic than meets the†¦show more content†¦This also changed the anatomy of vampires. Classic vampires could be harmed with garlic or the light. While the light hurt him, he was able to merely wear a hat and cloak and not be harmed. However, ther e is still much more to Gothic Literature. According to Baldick, â€Å"For the Gothic effect to be attained, a tale should combine a fearful sense of inheritance in time with a claustrophobic sense of enclosure in space† (xix). A story can have Gothic tropes but not be Gothic. There are loads of books that have murders and ghosts that aren’t considered Gothic at all, like Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. His parents were killed and there was a ghost trapped in the girl’s bathroom, but it isn’t Gothic at all. What makes a story Gothic is how it is told or portrayed. Sometimes, the scenes that are used are to make the viewers question what is righteous and what is wicked. Burton shows this with how he introduces his characters and their personalities. For the vampire Barnabas, he is portrayed not as monster but as an unfortunate soul who has a curse that he is trying to rid himself of. Instead of wanting to stay a vampire, he joins up with a local p hysician to try and find a cure to make him human again. However, he still kills humans and drinks their blood. This makes the audience question whether Barnabas is an evil vampire or a poor man with a curse due to this hidden identity. This is also shown withShow MoreRelatedBarnaba da Modenas The Virgin and Child: Analysis1166 Words   |  5 Pagesundertaking an in-depth analysis of two famous religious paintings: The Virgin and Child by Barnaba da Modena, an Italian painter from the fourteenth century, and The Elevation of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens, a seventeenth century Flemish artist and diplomat. Following, by comparison, a thorough account of the two works features, careful observation reveals more than one interpretation. The Virgin and Child was created by Barnaba da Modena in 1360, and is deemed Gothic in style. 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