Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mysteries of Udolpho, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage, Love, and Inheritance
The Wonders of Nature
Mystery and Superstition
Mortality
The Value of Education and Art
Summary
Analysis
Emily goes early the next morning to Madame Montoni, who is feeling good and ready to continue defying Montoni. She makes plans to escape the castle and try to separate herself from her husband to live on her estate in peace.
The threat of the turret, which shows that Montoni isn’t afraid to use his authority over Madame Montoni, motivates her to finally swallow her pride and admit that she was wrong to marry Montoni and bring Emily along.
Themes
That evening, Montoni asks Madame Montoni and Emily to dress nicely for his guests. When Emily sees the guests at dinner, she feels they resemble bandits. As Montoni is about to give a toast, suddenly, his wine hisses and the glass explodes. He accuses a traitor of trying to poison him. Montoni accuses one of the men, for reasons Emily can’t identify, and chains the man up, saying no one can leave the castle until the investigation is over.
Montoni continues to show how much authority he has over Madame Montoni and Emily, even giving input on what they wear. But just as Montoni tries to exercise his influence over the women in his life, he begins to lose influence elsewhere, as at least one of his men seems to mutiny by plotting to poison him.
Themes
Eventually, Montoni accuses Madame Montoni of being the one who tried to poison him. As punishment, she will go to the east turret at once. Emily tries to intervene on her aunt’s behalf. Montoni locks Madame Montoni and Emily in a room, then he takes the key. Annette talks to them from the other side of the door. Fighting breaks out elsewhere in the castle as enemies invade to attempt to take the castle.
As Montoni becomes increasingly paranoid, he begins to take out his frustration on the people around him. The locked door keeping Emily and Madame Montoni in a room symbolizes Montoni’s attempt to take control of the situation at Udolpho, but the sounds of fighting that appear soon afterward indicate things are getting out of control.
Themes
Montoni arrives with three tough-looking men and opens the door. They take Madame Montoni. Emily realizes after they’re gone that they forgot to lock the door, and so she goes out. She hears a clamor everywhere as she goes back toward her chamber. She hopes Annette will come, but she doesn’t, which worries Emily. She starts to get a little calmer until she suddenly wonders if any of the invaders will find her private staircase.
When Montoni forgets to lock the door, it shows yet again how careless he is and how the increasing chaos in the castle is continuing to cause him to lose control of the situation. The constant clamor of noise also mirrors how the castle is descending in to a state of chaos.
Themes
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When things quiet down, Emily leaves her chamber. She hears Annette calling for Ludovico and goes to see her. Apparently, Ludovico shut her up in a room to try to protect her, which was the last she saw of him, and now she’s afraid he’s been murdered. Emily now begins to fear that perhaps Madame Montoni herself has been murdered by Montoni. Her room is quiet, and they find blood on the stairs, causing Emily to grow faint. Fearing her aunt’s fate, Emily goes back to her apartment to sleep.
Ludovico’s concern for Annette shows that he cares for her and that he is willing to be selfless for the sake of a relationship. With Emily and Annette isolated and unable to see what’s happening, the suspense builds, all leading up to a climactic cliffhanger where Emily sees blood on the stairs, confirming that violence is happening somewhere.
Themes
