Subject Guide - Literature

Link to an audio recording of a lecture by Dr. Giamatti (ADD JUMPCUT LINK ?)

Faust - Reading List (Green Library).doc

Books About Faust

"Faust" took Johann Wolfgang von Goethe some 26 years to complete. He started this work when he was 23, and finally finished the second part in 1832. "Faust" is the classic tale of a man who seeks forbidden knowledge and makes a deal with Mephistopheles. Read more about "Faust."

Elizabethan Perspective on the Occult

"During Faustus' time there were an estimated 900,000 atheists in a population of four to five million, although the estimate was made by a Spanish ambassador."

Faustus' Form of Magic

Faustus originally intends for his magic to do good: to increase his intellect and his power so he may help others and possibly ease his finding a mate so he may start a family.

Literature Arts & Medicine - Doctor Faustus

Faustus was born into lowly circumstances. He studies hard and masters all the knowledges known to man, but he is still dissatisfied.

Study Guide for Goethe's Faust

"This work is rich in wonderful contradictions and conflicts. Faust: A Tragedy is the title given his masterpiece by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe." Read more about it.

Summary of Faust

Find an overview of Goethe's "Faust" with commentary.

The Origins of Dr. John Faustus

"The name 'Faust' has become deeply rooted in European mythology as the name of a man who sold his soul to the devil in return for eartly power and riches..." This site argues for locating the origins of the character of Doctor Faust in the figures of Doctor John Dee and Cornelius Agrippa.