Based on your readings for the course, which of the following best states how critics often interpret the dead hand in "The Castle of Otranto" ?
Correct answer: D. The hand represents the claim of primogeniture over the living.
- A. The hand represents the superiority of the Enlightenment over medievalism.
- B. The hand symbolizes the danger of marriage.
- C. The hand signifies the mysterious pull of the labyrinth.
- D. The hand represents the claim of primogeniture over the living.
Explanation
The dead hand recalls the claims of the former legitimate ruler and symbolically asserts primogeniture over the living usurper, Manfred. It therefore connects the supernatural with inheritance and political legitimacy.
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