GERM 254 - Deals with the Devil: The Faust Legend Across Cultures

FC ARHU CD WINT

4 credits
In the “Scholar’s Tragedy” of Goethe’s Faust, the protagonist articulates his academic despair: despite years of study and degrees in all the major subjects, Faust is no closer to understanding the world. Thus, he makes a wager with the devil, who promises access to unlimited knowledge in exchange for his soul, should Faust in fact achieve a moment of profound satisfaction. In this seminar, we will examine various iterations of the Faust legend from the European and North American contexts. Our discussions will touch on questions of knowledge, religion, politics, and desire. In addition to reading Goethe’s magnum opus, we will study masterpieces by Marlowe, T. Mann, Bulgakov, and others, attending to cross-pollinations across cultures and media. Readings and discussions in English.

This course is cross-listed with CMPL-254