The Castle of Otranto promoted chivalry and romance in several ways. There was also several references to Shakespeare's writing. This was a book that involved several characters. Horace Walpole did a good job of making these characters valuable to the reader. The character that I felt the most attached to was Theodore. Walpole obviously intended for him (and Frederic) to be the foil(s) to Manfred. I became emotionally attached to the characters which allowed me to delve deeper into their relationships. The restricted love between Matilda and Theodore reminded me slightly of Romeo and Juliet. The father wouldn't allow this relationship just like in Shakespeare's famous story. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The constant twists and turns were hard to keep up with but kept me interested.