Introduction

Gothic Literature

For many, the genre of gothic horror is epitomised by the novels Frankenstein and Dracula. In this course, we explore the origins of the genre through lesser-known, but no less influential works, the Castle of Otranto (1764) and The Monk (1796): the former is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, and the latter (which was described by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as “the offspring of no common genius”) one of the most important gothic novels of its time - decades before Frankenstein, and over a century before Dracula.

Introduction

In this module, Elly argues why it's important that we recognise Gothic element in the literature we read, whether it be the traditional Gothic setting of a large, mysterious house or castle, or Gothic themes like the use of ghosts and the supernatural, or an exploration of the family or religion.