The House of the Seven Gables · Character

Matthew Maule

The stubborn wizard hanged for witchcraft, whose dying curse on Colonel Pyncheon settles over the house like a hereditary debt.

supporting

Also known as Maule, old Matthew Maule, old Maule, young Matthew Maule, the carpenter

First appearance: The Old Pyncheon Family

As a supporting figure in The House of the Seven Gables, Matthew Maule is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The executed wizard whose land was seized by Colonel Pyncheon; he cursed the Pyncheon family from the scaffold.

In the storyThe House of the Seven GablesOpen this moment free

Old Matthew Maule claimed the spring-fed plot of land before the Pyncheons did, and he went to Gallows Hill rather than surrender it, leaving behind a curse that the family has never quite dismissed as superstition. His grandson, the young carpenter Matthew Maule, inherits both the name and the popular suspicion of strange powers, and his pride and reserve make him a dangerous figure in a town that remembers old wrongs. The Maules matter because they turn the Pyncheon house from a mere setting into a ledger of guilt, and because the question of whether the curse is real or merely believed shapes every generation that follows.

See Matthew Maule in The House of the Seven Gables Book page

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Character Web

12 connections

A slice of how Matthew Maule sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Family
Rivalry
Professional

Character groups

Central Pyncheon Household
Symbolic Animal and Servants

+7 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional/psychological peak occurs when the absence of Phoebe and the oppressive east wind strip away all…

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Relationships

Alice Pyncheon
psychological · negative
Alice Pyncheon is mesmerized and psychologically dominated by Matthew Maule, who seeks… How this plays out →
Clifford Pyncheon
psychological · negative
Holgrave
family · ambivalent
Colonel Pyncheon
rivalry · negative
Scipio
professional · ambivalent
Clifford Pyncheon
psychological · negative
Alice Pyncheon
psychological · negative
Alice Pyncheon is mesmerized and psychologically dominated by Matthew Maule, who seeks… How this plays out →
Clifford Pyncheon
psychological · negative
Holgrave
family · ambivalent
Scipio
professional · ambivalent
Colonel Pyncheon
rivalry · negative
Scipio
professional · ambivalent

Alice Pyncheon
Alice Pyncheon is mesmerized and psychologically dominated by Matthew Maule, who seeks revenge on her family through hypnotic control.
Clifford Pyncheon
Clifford is haunted by the ghostly presence and curse of Matthew Maule, whose wronged spirit is tied to the Pyncheon family's fate.
Holgrave
Holgrave is a descendant of Matthew Maule, carrying on the family's legacy and seeking a form of justice against the Pyncheons.
Colonel Pyncheon
Colonel Pyncheon, the family patriarch, wrongfully accused Matthew Maule of witchcraft and had him executed to seize his land.
Scipio
Scipio is a servant or worker in Matthew Maule's household, serving him with loyalty.
Clifford Pyncheon
Clifford is haunted by the ghostly presence and curse of Matthew Maule, whose wronged spirit is tied to the Pyncheon family's fate.
Alice Pyncheon
Alice Pyncheon is mesmerized and psychologically dominated by Matthew Maule, who seeks revenge on her family through hypnotic control.
Clifford Pyncheon
Clifford is haunted by the ghostly presence and curse of Matthew Maule, whose wronged spirit is tied to the Pyncheon family's fate.
Holgrave
Holgrave is a descendant of Matthew Maule, carrying on the family's legacy and seeking a form of justice against the Pyncheons.
Scipio
Scipio is a servant or worker in Matthew Maule's household, serving him with loyalty.
Colonel Pyncheon
Colonel Pyncheon, the family patriarch, wrongfully accused Matthew Maule of witchcraft and had him executed to seize his land.
Scipio
Scipio is a servant or worker in Matthew Maule's household, serving him with loyalty.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Matthew Maule in The Old Pyncheon Family

In the story

Matthew Maule appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The House of the Seven Gables
The executed wizard whose land was seized by Colonel Pyncheon; he cursed the Pyncheon family from the scaffold.
The Old Pyncheon Family
Original occupant of the land, executed as a wizard; his curse on the Pyncheon family is a central theme.
Alice Pyncheon
The carpenter and grandson of the executed wizard; he negotiates with Gervayse Pyncheon for the House of the Seven Gables and requests a talk with Alice.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Matthew Maule unlock in the free preview.

See Matthew Maule in The Old Pyncheon Family

See Matthew Maule in The House of the Seven Gables