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The concept of gothic literature, delving into its association with the macabre, the mysterious, and the pleasurably terrifying. It highlights the gothic's connection to the subconscious, with key themes being psychological projections of fears, desires, and anxieties. The document also discusses the byronic hero, a variation of the romantic hero-archetype, characterized by their unconventional relationship with societal norms. Additionally, it differentiates between the concepts of horror and terror, with horror being the revulsion felt after a frightening experience and terror being the dread and angst felt before it. Finally, the document introduces the idea of the sublime, as developed by edmund burke, where a sublime experience makes one feel insignificant in the face of the violence of nature.
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The Gothic is a literary movement that explores terrifying experiences in ancient castles and ruined abbeys. It is associated with the macabre, the mysterious, and the pleasurably terrifying. At its core, the Gothic speaks to the subconscious, as its key themes are psychological projections - the expression of fears, desires, and anxieties.
One of the central figures in Gothic literature is the Byronic hero, named after the English Romantic poet Lord Byron. The Byronic hero is a variation of the Romantic hero-archetype, characterized by an unconventional relationship with societal norms. These characters are not idealized individuals; rather, they are flawed, arrogant, ruthless, and manipulative, yet remarkably smart and charming.
The Gothic genre distinguishes between two related but distinct concepts: horror and terror.
Horror is the revulsion felt after witnessing or experiencing something frightening. It is the visceral reaction to the horrifying.
Terror, on the other hand, is the dread and anguish felt before the horrifying experience. It is the anticipation and apprehension of the impending danger or threat.
The concept of the sublime was developed by the philosopher Edmund Burke. He argued that a sublime experience is one that evokes a sense of insignificance in the face of the vastness or power of nature. One of his examples is the experience of storms, in which an individual feels utterly small and powerless in the face of the violence of nature.