Department of English

This is an honors course regarding the literary tradition of the "Faust" legend. We will look at the appearance of this story of a bargain with the devil in a range of genres, including myth, legend, song, drama, lyric, epic, satire, novel and film. Our texts will include the ballad "Thomas Rhymer," African-American "John and the Devil" legends, Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Goethe's Faust, Shelley's Frankenstein, Byron's "Don Juan," Mann's Doctor Faustus, Mozart's Don Giovanni in Joseph Losey's film version, and Gertrude Stein's "Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights." Students will write seven response papers of 3 pp. each and a concluding paper of 6 pp.