Marlowe and me. PUN.

Marlowe, is an English dramatist that is quite suspsicious, as he has a mysterious death (and is also rumoured to be Shakespeare...cheeky). Arrested for blasphamy on 20th May, just as you think things can't get worse, he was stabbed 10 days later. It is undecided whether or not his stabbing is related to his arrest, but there is great mystery otherwise from his 'Sherlock Holmes' era.

Mysterious Marlowe skived school (tut tut) and failed to tell Mr Francis why he was off. He also had loads of wonga, for which he had no explination. He counterfeited coins, and when he was caught for this, no action was taken... sounds like spy material to me.

Ok, so, the stabbing. One of the main conclusions of his death is due to a drunken fight, which is still considered today. An other, more dramatic, version involes a fight with him and Frizer, where he ended being stabbed in the eye, right after Marlowe wounded Frizers head. This apparantly went to court, and Frizer was not charged as it was seen as an act of self defence.

Another version of the events, the BAFTA award if you will, is he assasination of Marlowe, as the three people in the room were all in the secret service (although that would make the service public knowledge, hardly a secret at all.. bad joke award for me). So basically, it's up to you which version of the stbbiong you choose. But personally, i'd drag it out for as long as you can.

I do not believe he is shakespeare. Simple, as even Marlowe (the Inspector Clouseau of the Elizabethian era) isn't THAT good (a mon avis).

Hit it Natasha Bedingfield - "In the silent movie, there's no talking, you're just an actor..."

Nosferatu you are a dark and complicated soul, that's for sure. Setting wise, things are more easily figured out.

Nina is shown at the beginning of the film, as a beautiful, perfect, little twinkle toes - and we all know what happens to the goodens. Also - FORESHADOWING IS BACK BITCHHHES. "You cannot escape destiny" - surely thats foreshadowing the distaster along with the letters and what not like "nothing will happen to me".. right?

The weather immediately lets you know that you're in for a treat of a 1922 silent movie with the stormy/wet weather; nothing like a bit of pathetic fallacy to get you going. There are also a few sneaky menacing shadows that help to create the early feeling of the appearance of someone new and bad.

Its midnight or after sundown when all the action happens in the film, so the element of darkness adds suspense as your mind plays tricks on you and thinks can appear like (clicks fingers) THAT.

The setting created the atmosphere of vulnerability, by people being alone and therefore in more danger as "no one can hear you scream". Also, everything happens in small rooms, which is the one thing that really gets to me. Well actually it all does, especially the thought of a vampire noming on my neck. But, I have noticed that there's a lot of atmosphere created by the almost claustrophobic situations, as it slyly suggests to the reader that danger can easily happen, preparing them for the hungry blood sucking vampire. The room that Harker is in, and although there's no lock so he's not literally trapped, has been forced in a more gentle manner. There's also the coffins and confined spaced imagery painted, as well as the boat where people died below the decks.

The Gothic atmosphere is also created every now and then, probably more often than that but hey. As Mr F helpfully mentioned the connection between man and wife helps to create it, as there appear to be physic connections between them; the relationship slowing deteriorating as they are separated and Nina can do nothing but hopelessly sleep walk her way into danger.

There's obviously loads more, but I would like to give the others a chance to make a valid point rather than my jibber jabber. But if you doubt my actual ability to make notes, which I admit, this blog does represent, then just ask for my notes.

Toot-te-la-fruit. (courtesy of Joey Tribiani)

drip drip drop little gothic setting...

Better late than never (so they say).

Right then, Gothic settings seem to be created by the same themes every time; a few creepy descriptions of loneliness, vulnerability, darkness and a sense of entrapment, and voila - you have reached your destination. I shall now entertain you and prove that i'm right by showing you where they are in "the castle of Otranto".

The idea of entrapment is created when the princess describes her location as the "lower part of the castle" that "was hollowed into several intricate cloisters"; which when backed up with the anxiety to find the door, creates a prison like situation. The entrapment means the princess cant escape who comes to see her.

Vulnerability is created as shes a perfect little princess, perhaps in pink,and probably quite hopeless - unless shes trained in Karate like Princess Fiona. This not only makes her more susceptible to danger, but creates greater tension as you know it's only a matter of time. The vulnerability ties into loneliness, or rather the other way round, as she has no one else to protect her for the majority of the story, making her even more vulnerable. I hate how that word is spelt.

The darkness, as said by pretty much everybody is important in the Gothic setting. By the by, just wondering, is it true that if you aren't using one of your senses, the others get stronger? Because if it is, which i'm going to say it is purely for this long, unimportant point i'm trying to make, then the wind and the noises which create suspicion as you cant see, will only be emphasised more - adding more drama and tension to the mix. The small lamp the princess uses also makes more drama because then her mind can only fill in the gaps of the majority that she can't see - if that makes sense. It does to me.

I think all of the themes - vulnerability, loneliness, darkness and entrapment all tie into each other, and help to build up the idea of a Gothic setting, as all elements are crucial if you want to get a real feel of the terrifying setting.