He begins by telling her the importance of keeping up his line and blaming Hippolita for her “unfruitfulness. In obedience, Isabella goes to answer Manfred. A servant is later sent to invite Isabella by Manfred. She goes back to her mother and tells her that Manfred is well while concealing her inner thoughts.

Manfred tells her to go away because he does not need a daughter. Hippolita, worried about the state of her husband sends Matilda to her father but the young lady is dismayed by her father’s uncouth and uncomplimentary remarks against her. Hence, he orders for his imprisonment without food. This makes Manfred to accuse the peasant of necromancy. This infuriates Manfred who tries to punish the peasant but there is a sudden twist of fate as spectators rush in to tell Manfred that the helmet on the statue is missing. Meanwhile, Theodore, a young peasant reminds Manfred of the resemblance of the helmet and the black marble of Alfonso the Good. On her part, Isabella, yet to be married to Conrad joins Hippolita and Matilda, to mourn the gruesome death of Conrad even thoU9h she does not love him. Hippolita, Manfred’s wife and Matilda their 18-year-old daughter return to the castle to mourn the death of Conrad. Manfred and his servants try effortlessly to bring out the mangled body of Conrad under the giant helmet. A servant who is sent in search of Conrad returns, breathless and frantic and reports that a gigantic helmet has crushed Conrad to death.

Meanwhile, he is 15 years and on a fateful day, Conrad is nowhere to be found.

The said wedding is to be hold on Conrad’s birthday. Afraid of the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy- “That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it”. His wife, Hippolita vehemently opposes this-but Manfred simply accuses her of sterility and incapable of begetting more sons. Manfred, the prince of Otranto insists that his only sickly – son of 15 years must marry the daughter of Vicenza, Isabella.

The castle of otranto sparknotes