Exploring Orientalism and Moral Ambiguity in William Beckford’s Vathek

Abstract

William Beckford's Vathek (1786) is a significant piece in the Orientalist literary genre. It combines beautiful Eastern art with deep questions about morality and the mind. This study examines how Beckford employed Orientalist imagery to discuss universal themes such as ambition, rebellion, and the pursuit of forbidden knowledge, which contravened the social and religious conventions of 18th-century England. The thesis demonstrates how Beckford subverts conventional portrayals of the East through a meticulous analysis of characters such as Vathek, Nouronihar, Carathis, and Emir Fakreddin. It also demonstrates the intricate interplay between Eastern environments and Western philosophical issues. This study posits that Vathek serves as both a celebration of the allure of Eastern culture and a critique of unrestrained human desire, drawing on historical examples such as the Abbasid dynasty and incorporating contemporary research on Orientalism and Gothic literature. Beckford's work becomes a complex commentary on moral ambiguity and the effects of crossing ethical lines when he puts the story in the context of Faustian and Gothic storytelling. It gives us lasting insights into how culture, power, and morality work together.