The Italian

A gothic novel written by Ann Radcliffe and published in 1797, The Italian concerns a young couple driven apart by the scheming of the young man’s family and a corrupt monk, Schedoni.

Tropes used in The Italian include:

• Cool Big Sis: Olivia behaves this way to Ellena before the Reveal.
• Corrupt Church
• Creepy Uncle: Schedoni.
• Earn Your Happy Ending
• Either or Title: The Italian, or the Confessional of the Black Penitents.
• Evil Uncle: Schedoni is this to Ellena.
• If I Can't Have You: If Schedoni can’t have the woman he loves, then he will kill her.
• Long-Lost Relative: Sister Olivia is really Ellena’s long-lost mother.
• Love At First Sight: Vincentio di Vivaldi loved Ellena Rosalba from when he first saw her.
• Love Makes You Crazy: It was love for Ellena’s mother that initially drove Schedoni down his destructive path.
• Love Makes You Evil: Schedoni is this all over.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: Schedoni believes himself to be Ellena's father. He turns out to be her uncle instead.
• Missing Mom: Ellena’s mother is presumed dead.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Schedoni has a moment like this when he discovers who Ellena is and after he thought he had killed his wife.
• Parental Marriage Veto: Vincentio’s mother went to great lengths to keep her son from marrying Ellena.
• Parental Substitute: Ellena was raised by her aunt.
• The Spanish Inquisition
• Take That: Written in response to Lewis' The Monk, which Ann Radcliffe was disgusted with.
• Villain Protagonist: Schedoni.
• Villainous Crush: Schedoni has one for Countess di Bruno.