Gothic literature has always been characterised as having the effect of being shocking to its readers. It is a useful tool to have the effect of making the readers think on the deeper message, usually a hidden and symbolic message, about societies treatment of class, gender and ideologies. If the Gothic wasn't shocking, the message may not be as powerful or even noticed. For example, the Marquis' 'bloody chamber' filled with his dead wives which are ornamented around the room, has connotations of the implications of patriarchy and its effect of how women were/are treated. This can also be seen as an extreme and melodramatic way to represent gender inequality, thus pointing out one of the main problems of the Gothic. If it tries to be too shocking or scary, it can fall into the genre of melodramatic. However, for Gothic plays such as 'Dr Faustus', it is the melodramatic of the supernatural which is used to help create a message of humour against Catholicism, for example the fooling of the Pope. It may have been staged with actors dressed in white sheets-clearly portraying ghosts- haunting the Pope in an over-exaggerated fashion, to which he gives a melodramatic reaction believing it is those he conned out of indulgences who have returned from purgatory to reek revenge. However, in Emily Bronte's novel 'Wuthering Heights' the shocking permeates the plot, mainly through the actions of Cathy 1 and Heathcliff due to their obsessive and destructive love, a common stricking event of the novel is the necrophillia of Cathy 1 by Heathcliff who has Sexton dig up her grave. He tells Nelly, who thus in turn tells Lockwood who tells the reader, 'I'll have her in my arms again'. This is a transgression of the moral boundaries and not only shocked the original readership but still shocks modern day readers, showing that the Gothic still has a powerful and shocking effect that is timeless.
The relationship between Cathy 1 and Heathcliff can almost be viewed as overbearing for the reader. Their love is so extreme that it defies the hegemonic ideologies of 19th Century society and 21st Century society. Their relationship is corruptive as they often transgress moral boundaries for one another that they can be described as mentally diseased characters. An example of this is when Heathcliff told Sexton to remove the earth from Cathy 1's grave so he could look upon her in again, regardess of her dead state. Before he told Nelly on how he planned to hold her again, he said his instructions in which he parted to Sexton, that when he dies he must be placed inbetween Cathy 1 and Edgar, so when all their bodies 'melt' Edgar will never know 'which is which', creating gruesome and Gothic imagery for the reader that is represented of the 'fallen world' that the moors represents (Ann B Tracy). This is a significant moment, which is just one of the many moments when Heathcliff defies the hegemonic ideologies of society. By placing himself between Edgar and Cathy 1, he is disrupting the bond of marriage, the cornerstone of Victorian society, thus shocking the original readership. Furthermore, Heathcliff's placement inbetween Cathy 1 and Edgar is a tool used to show the conflict between men over Cathy 1. Cathy 1 has divided feelings for both men, her love is contrasting and reflecting on the personality of both men, for Edgar is like the 'foliage', she understands that her love for Edgar will change 'with the seasons' yet it shows it is natural and promotes human flourishing. Whilst Heathcliff is like the 'rock' her love for him is 'eternal' yet it is not pretty like the foliage, showing her love for Heathcliff is hard and will always withstand any conflicts or barriers placed inbetween them (such as social class or death). Critics have picked up on moments such as Cathy 1 using nature to explain her feelings, as the use of romantic language with the nature of the Yorkshire moors shows biographical influences, just as the Heathcliff's digging up of Cathy 1's body is reflective of the grave yard in front of the Parsonage, it was often (due to diseases such as consumption which raged havoc in 19th Century Britain) that bodies were re-dug up due to the extreme amount of deaths in the village, thus the smell of rotting corpses surrounded the Bronte house. This may be a reason for why Heathcliff talks of his immoral deeds in such a casual tone, as it was a normality for Bronte. Or because he is the dark 'villain'- a Gothic byronic hero.
Shocking elements in the play 'Dr Faustus' evolve around the conflicting ideas of Catholicism and Protestanism. Christopher Marlowe uses this conflict to present these issues to the audience, for example predestination. Whilst Catholicism believed that only certain people could recieve God's grace and go to Heaven whilst the rest were damned, verses the Protestant view that anyone and everyone who has lead a moral life can go to heaven- which created mass confusion as people didn't know which concept they should follow. Marlowe plays on this, which can be seen through Faustus who manipulates these ideas in order to sin and have the power of 'necromancy'. He does by selling his 'soul' to the devil- a shocking and blasphemous concept- and will not repent for his sin, this is due to his belief that 'the reward of sin is death', thus convincing himself that he is already damned to an eternity of torture hence he tries to have fun with his new 'power' within the 24 years he has left to live. However critics have focused on Marlowe's structure which form 4 parts: doubt, persuation, resolve and gain. For example his doubt when he asks himself what the devil would want with his soul yet the enticing gain of 'riches' beyond his imagination. However although Faustus aspires for this accomplishment and the power of necromancy too, he never actually achieves it. It is only Mephastophilies who has the power to bring back 'spirits' however these are not the actual spirits, they are sucubine, for example Helen of Troy, who's 'lips sucks forth [Faustus'] soul'. The fact that Mephastophilies can summon spirits from the dead is another shocking aspect to the play, as it goes against (both) religious beliefs that someone else has the power to bring back what God had sent away, as he is an all-powerful being. This could be interpreted as Marlowe macking a mockery on all of religion, a view some critics of the play believe is likely, however it is also believed that Marlowe was paid by the state to write a play against Catholicism. However Marlowe can be seen as a reckless man, due to his bar fights which later resulted in his death, thus he may have placed atheist ideas in the play to rebel against the state itself.
Angela Carter's collection of tales has used issues such as gender stereotype and gender inquality which have been reinforced, inverted and transformed in an attempt to 'decolonise our habits of thought'. Critics have been excitied as well as shocked by the post-modern Gothic Feminist book- as she takes them out of their 'set shapes' out of 'children's stories and folk art' and 'into the world of change'. Her first tale, is the Bloody Chamber, a re-shaped story of the tale Bluebeard by Charles Perrault. The title 'The Bloody Chamber' is viewed as representative of a torture chamber or a womans vagina, the fact that two completely different concepts come from the same title gives a symbolic meaning, as Carter shows they are both one in the same. Carter highlights that a torture chamber is linked to a womans vagina through the chamber where the Marquis' wives are 'strung up', 'denuded of flesh' and 'enbalmed' on a bed of 'silk', which is gruesome and shocking imagery for the reader. It has been interpreted that the torture chamber is Carter's main feminist message, as it is due to patriarchy that women have allowed themselves to be submissive to male autonomy, thus showing societies strucutre in the past has had negative consequences.Yet Carter's tales when viewed as one whole tale highlights the feminist journey women have had to take to gain their own power through sexual liberation-as is displayed by the end tale when the girl liberates herself from societial influence. The most shocking aspect of the tale can be seen when it is the mother who rescues the female protagonist, stereotypically in fairy tales, the man save the damself in distress. Charles Perrault used the traditional form of the fairy tale plot where a man helped the woman 'forget her time with Bluebeard'. Yet, as the critic Makinen said, Carter ironically uses Perraults patriarchal tales against him. By the mother, who in Gothic literature is either absent or dead, actively rescue the damsel in distress, Carter is changing the hegemonic ideologies and thus showing the start point of women taking power into their own hands. However it is important to note, the mother could only save the daughter with the use of her husbands 'service revolver', which means at this point in the story a woman has to still rely on male autonomy, but this is changed by the time of the story of The Erl King, when the female protagonist strangles the Erl King with his own hair, making a mans possession his iwn weakness. Carter highlights the importance of gender equality in the most shocking and daring way, and it is only possible to see ths message if the reader is willing to 'place themselves out of a phallocentric culture'.
In conclusion, the Gothic genre is shocking as it's its purpose to be. Through the use of the readers shock, it draws them in, making them interested in the plot. And by doing this, it enables the writer to suggest new ideals which rebel against societies ideals. Thus the Gothic marginalises the readers norms and brings central the ideas such as necrophillia and gender equality which society tries to marginalise. Thus the effect of the shocking in the Gothic is one of the most important elements of the genre itself.
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