Genre
Gothic novel
Setting and Context
Set during the Abbasid dynasty
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrator
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is romantic and dark.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Vathek is the protagonist, but is a rather antagonistic figure. Eblis is the clear antagonist of the novel.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel is Vathek's attempt to find the dark world.
Climax
The climax of the text is when Vathek reaches the palace of Eblis.
Foreshadowing
Vathek's excessive pride is mentioned repeatedly at the beginning of the text, which foreshadows his later downfall.
Understatement
Vathek underestimates his wife's inclination towards ambition and greed.
Allusions
The text alludes to the Abbasids dynasty.
Imagery
Imagery is used to describe Vathek's five palaces, with each one being based on a different sense. For example, when describing "The Palace of Perfumes," Beckford uses imagery to describe the different aromas that can be found there.
Paradox
Vathek believes he will achieve great riches and powers once he reaches the mountains, however he is actually killed.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
"Pride" is personified as reaching for greater heights.
