German H263 - The Faust Theme

GEC course - 5 Credit Hours

The call number can be found on the University Registrar's Web site.

This course will be taught in English.

Faust, the man who sells his soul to the devil, is one of the few mythical figures created by the modern age. His story has, for hundreds of years, been told and retold in poems, dramas, puppet plays, ballets, novels, paintings, symphonies, book illustrations, operas, and films.

Faust's infinite attraction for the arts stems from the very idea he embodies, namely that of struggle. But the forces that are seen at war with each other change with every century, author, and composer. Faith and heresy, hope and nihilism, sensuality and asceticism, love and lust, art and politics -- all of these battle for redemption or damnation in different versions of Faust. This course on the Faust theme will thus shed light on the different ages and mentalities that are expressed in each version. From a close study of transformation of the Faust theme, we will ultimately derive an outline of the cultural history of Germany.

This class approaches the Faust theme from a variety of different angles. We will consider Elizabethan drama (Marlowe), and we will also study the Faust theme in the Arts like painting (Delacroix), etching (Rembrandt), symphonic and operatic music (Liszt, Berlioz, Gounod), as well as film (Murnau). The main focus of the course, however, will be two outstanding works of German literature: Goethe's Faust and Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus.

If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact your instructor to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment, we can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs and explore potential accommodations. We rely on the Office for Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. If you have not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services, we encourage you to do so.