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
The next morning, when it’s light again, Emily feels less superstitious. Instead of fearing ghostly images, she once again fears the possibility that Count Morano will show up. She goes for a walk out in the woods by the castle and begins to feel a little better. Finding her way back to breakfast in the big castle is difficult, but she eventually makes it there. She finds at breakfast that Madame Montoni looks like she’s been crying, and Emily begins to feel bad for her.
Although Emily feared the supernatural during the nighttime, during the day, she fears more earthly things like Count Morano. This reflects how St. Aubert taught Emily to think rationally. This passage raises the question of whether the seemingly supernatural elements of the novel might end up having logical, natural explanations.
Themes
Emily sees at breakfast that Montoni has a serious look on his face and wonders what he could be thinking about. She brings up the extra door in her room, but Montoni tells her not to worry because no one would ever use that old staircase leading up to the door. Eventually, he leaves with some servants to go examine the state of the castle in greater detail.
Montoni continues to show no interest in Emily, other than when he thinks she can be of some use to him. His serious look and distracted attitude suggest that going to the castle may not have been enough to put his problems behind him, adding a mystery to the story about what his problems are.
Themes
Emily hears footsteps in the hall of the castle and fears it’s Count Morano, but it turns out instead to be Cavigni with Verezzi. Although Emily doesn’t like them, she’s grateful it’s not the Count, and Annette is interested in Cavigni’s handsome servant, Ludovico. Emily asks Annette if she knows where the mysterious staircase in Emily’s room leads, but Annette says she must leave and see if Madame Montoni needs anything.
As the story continues, the relationship between Emily and her servant Annette deepens. Annette’s interest in Ludovico provides a parallel for how Emily herself can’t stop thinking about Valancourt. Like Annette, Ludovico will prove that social status is less important than the quality of a person’s character.
Themes
Emily goes back to her room and tries to read, but her attention wanders. She walks around the castle and again sees the picture with the black veil on it. Emily cautiously begins to start lifting the veil but what she sees is too horrifying to speak of. Before she can leave, she faints. When she recovers, she goes back to her own room.
This is one of the few times in the story where Emily sees something, but the narration doesn’t reveal what she saw. The novel’s refusal to reveal what lies under the black veil helps add to the suspense, drawing extra attention to the symbol of the black veil by creating a sense of mystery around it.
Themes
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Before dinner, Emily goes to visit Madame Montoni. Madame Montoni can tell something is wrong with the pale Emily, but she says nothing. The two go to dinner and have a mostly silent meal with Montoni and Cavigni. After dinner, Emily hears that people are out searching for Orsino, who has been formally accused of murder. This seems to disturb Montoni.
The novel continues to build a sense of dread after the incident with the black veil by returning to the subplot of the assassination Orsino ordered and Montoni’s connection to him. Montoni’s worried reaction seems to suggest that he is harboring Orsino in the castle right then—meaning Emily is living in the same place as a wanted murderer.
Themes
Emily and Madame Montoni retire for the evening. As Emily walks through the castle, she feels that its walls are her prison. Emily and Madame Montoni see some peasants gathering outside the castle. It’s an unusually large group, and suddenly Emily realizes they must be soldiers. Madame Montoni is concerned and goes right to Montoni. He’s with Cavigni, and although neither of them goes to look at the soldiers, Cavigni guesses they must be condottieri (mercenaries) marching toward Modena.
The prison-like atmosphere of the castle illustrates once again how man-made structures fail to live up to the beauty of nature (which often inspired a sense of freedom and wonder in Emily). Just like the earlier soldiers near Turin, the soldiers that Emily sees here seem to suggest violence occurring around her that she has been isolated from—but which might soon intrude on her sheltered life in the castle.
Themes
Montoni goes to examine the troops and explains they are indeed condottieri and aren’t hostile toward the castle. Still, he stays on the ramparts until they’re out of sight. Emily goes back to her bedroom. She talks with Annette, who starts gushing about how well Ludovico sings.
As is often the case, Montoni’s suspicious actions contrast with his words, suggesting that he is indeed worried about the soldiers near his castle. Meanwhile, the growing relationship between Annette and Ludovico continues to parallel Emily and Valancourt’s relationship, with Ludovico impressing Annette through his appreciation of art and culture.
Themes
Annette keeps hinting that she’d like to leave, but Emily makes her stay until nearly midnight. Just then, they hear the sound of a carriage outside, and Emily fears at once that it must be Count Morano. Annette thinks it can’t possibly be him so late at night, but she goes to check and finds that it is indeed the Count who’s arrived.
This passage, where Annette keeps hinting that she wants to go, humorously draws attention to the fact that, while Emily treats Annette better than most people treat their servants, even Emily is sometimes guilty of asking too much. The return of Count Morano means there is yet another potential danger to Emily in Udolpho, adding to the suspense.
Themes
Emily wanders out to investigate herself. She sees someone sitting by the fire, but she can’t make out the person’s identity. The person is talking to Madame Montoni, who is weeping. When Emily gets back, Annette finally says she must leave. Emily asks if Annette knows who was speaking with Madame Montoni, but Annette says nobody has been with her as far as she knows—Montoni and Count Morano were still the only ones in the room as far as she knew.
The suspense and dread continues to grow as Emily sees a mysterious figure that she can’t identify. Although St. Aubert taught Emily how to think rationally, the challenge she faces in Udolpho is that she seems to see and hear things that initially defy rational explanation, like this mysterious figure.
Themes
After Annette leaves and Emily is alone in her room, she fears the door in her room with the old staircase. While she’s lying in bed, she starts hearing strange noises. All of a sudden, she hears someone enter her room and nearly shrieks. It turns out to be Count Morano himself. Morano puts down his sword and goes down on his knees, telling Emily not to be afraid.
The mysteries of the castle seem supernatural at first, when Emily hears strange noises, but in the end, the danger ends up being something more familiar: Count Morano. Morano’s sword highlights the danger her poses to Emily, even as he tells her not to be afraid.
Themes
Speechless with fright, Emily goes to the old stairs and sees Montoni coming up them. She panics, realizing she has no escape. Count Morano takes Emily’s hand and tells her not to fear. He explains that Montoni is a villain who tried to take Emily away. He warns that Montoni surely has even more schemes planned, then he says he has bribed a servant to let Emily escape with him to Venice.
Count Morano sees himself as the hero, rescuing Emily from the villainous Montoni. While Montoni is indeed a villain, in some ways, the Count is no better because he also wants to control Emily. Both men thus contrast with Valancourt, who ultimately made the painful decision to let Emily leave for Italy even though he didn’t want her to go.
Themes
A shocked Emily takes a moment to consider things, realizing that after Montoni sold her in marriage to Count Morano, he must have changed his mind. Emily rejects Count Morano’s attempts to help her escape. Count Morano says that if Montoni comes in and tries to take Emily away, he’ll stab him with his sword. Emily tries to urge him to be peaceful, fearing one of the men could get seriously hurt.
Emily sees that she is just a pawn in a competition between Montoni and Count Morano, showing once again how marriage at the time gave more power to men compared to women. Emily’s wish for peace, even between two men who are her enemies, shows how deeply she believes in Christian values like nonviolence.
Themes
Montoni arrives and tells Count Morano to draw his weapon. Each accuses the other of treachery. Count Morano’s anger makes him a formidable duelist, but Montoni is more skilled. The Count manages to wound Montoni, but Montoni disarms him. Just as Montoni is about to stab Count Morano through the heart, Cavigni comes by and holds Montoni’s arm. Montoni orders for Count Morano to be carried out of the castle.
The competition between Montoni and Count Morano is so intense that it nearly leads to someone’s death. This dramatic sword fight shows how much Montoni and Count Morano each care about Emily’s marriage status. The Count wants Emily even though she doesn’t want him, and his main motivation seems to be greed: He is angry because he was told he could have Emily, but now he can’t.
Themes
Count Morano refuses at first to leave, but Cavigni and Verezzi say they will force him if he doesn’t go on his own. At last, he agrees, still holding on to the hope that Emily loves him because she didn’t want to see him get killed. Montoni meanwhile accuses Emily of intentionally using the staircase in her room to set up a meeting with Montoni. Emily asks for permission for Annette to sleep in her room. She checks the door by the stairs in the room and finds it closed, but she and Annette put some heavy furniture in front of it just in case.
As the duel ends, it becomes clear that Count Morano is delusional, committed to the idea that Emily loves him despite receiving no encouragement. Although Emily is safe for the moment, the fact that all she can do to prevent future intruders is put furniture in front of the door suggests that Montoni has only solidified the power he holds over Emily.
Themes
