Week 1 [05/24/2026]: Introduction & Preface (In-Class Reading)

In Week One, we will start our course by taking some time to really define and understand the Gothic genre. We will look briefly into Melmoth the Wanderer’s place and importance to the genre as a whole, but this is a topic we will revisit in more depth in the final week of the course. We will also discuss the author Charles Maturin and how his life, beliefs, and personal experiences influenced the story of Melmoth the Wanderer. As we move into doing an in-class reading of the Preface, we will discuss a little bit more about the construction of Melmoth and its intended purpose at the time of its publication (1820).

 
 

Week 2 [05/31/2026]: Volume I - Stanton's Tale

As we move into Week Two of this course, we will delve more deeply into the book itself. The beginning portion of the book is largely set in Ireland, with a portion in Spain. In this class, we will discuss specific Irish Gothic tropes that Maturin utilized and their importance to the Irish Gothic subgenre. We will also meet many of our main characters, and we can begin to discuss their roles in the book.

 
 

Week 3 [06/07/2026]: Volume I - Tale of the Spaniard, Part 1

Week Three will move us into Spain and the largest tale in the book – the Tale of the Spaniard. We will begin by discussing the importance of the Spanish locale and why Spain is commonly used within the Gothic genre. We will then begin to discuss the Catholic and Protestant divide, specifically Maturin’s intent on writing about these genres in the way he does. We will also explore some of his own personal views on this topic, despite some of his more critical viewpoints in the book.

 
 

Week 4 [06/14/2026]: Volume II - Tale of the Spaniard, Part 2

In the Fourth Week of the course, we will continue the Tale of the Spaniard, as his tale takes some darker turns. We will continue to discuss the portrayal of the Catholic Church, as well as break apart Gothic tropes in play and how they are drawn from other texts, such as The Castle of Otranto, and how they will continue to influence Gothic literature. We will also see the return of the book’s antagonist, and we will continue to explore his role in the story and his links to the other characters in the book.

 
 

Week 5 [06/28/2026]: Volume III & Volume IV - Finish up Tale of the Spaniard, Tale of the Indians

As the Tale of the Spaniard draws to a close, we will be introduced to new characters. The Russian-doll story structure will become more apparent at this point in the book, and from here, we will begin to see why this is so important to the story itself. We will also discuss these new characters and their role in relation to our antagonist, and we will see how they influence him in new and interesting ways.

 
 

Week 6 [07/12/2026]: Influence of Melmoth the Wanderer & Volume IV - Tale of Guzman's Family, The Lover's Tale, The Wanderer's Dream

Moving into our final week, Week Six, we will now have a complete view of Melmoth the Wanderer. We will revisit our discussions on Gothic literature and story structure. As we have read the culmination of the story, as a class, we will also discuss our characters, their endings, and their importance in Melmoth. We can take a broader view of these topics and the book, as well, as we see how Melmoth fits into Gothic, horror, and fantastical literature and Ireland as a whole.

 
 

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