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The Show

Education / The Gothic Novel

Ideas for research and discussion

Although The Phantom of the Opera was written in 1911, its events take place in a time known as the Victorian Period, because it was during the reign of Queen Victoria in England (1819-1901).

Research the Victorian period, placing special emphasis on changing perspectives and attitudes.

Survey the literature of the Victorian period. Discuss one of the authors below or choose one of your own and discuss how he or she "unmasked" traditional concepts in regard to -

  • Gothic NovelThe Nature of Government - Major Barbara and Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  • The Nature of Society - The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde, Oliver Twist and Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  • The Nature of Marriage - A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, Candida by George Bernard Shaw, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • The Nature of Science - The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
  • The Nature of Identity Itself - Dr. Jekyll And Mister Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Create two parallel time lines of the Victorian period. One will detail scientific and social breakthroughs. One will detail works of art, such as the literature discussed above as well as ground-breaking music, art and architecture.

Discuss how the time lines relate and intersect.

Gaston Leroux wrote in the original novel of The Phantom of the Opera, "None will ever be a true Parisian who has not learnt to wear a mask of gaiety over his sorrow and one of sadness, boredom or indifference over his inward joy... In Paris, our lives are one masked ball..."

How does Leroux and his novel fit into your timeline?

What social ills was he trying to "unmask"?

The Phantom of the Opera belongs to a genre called "Gothic" fiction, which combines equal parts of horror and romance.

Compare the story of The Phantom of the Opera with the works of these other Victorian novelists, all of which use elements of the "Gothic" formula:
  • Bram Stoker - Dracula, "Lair of the White Worm"
  • Robert Louis Stevenson - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, "The Bottle Imp"
  • Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
Using your research into the Victorian period, account for the great popularity of the "Gothic" novel, and its fascination with horror, repressed sexuality and the dual nature of man.

"All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril."
Oscar Wilde

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