Dragons, the Divine and the Demonic: German Literature, Culture and Media--Medieval to 1750

Catalog description

King Arthur's knights slaying dragons, medieval mystics' visions of the divine, and the demon, Mephistopheles' tempting of Dr. Faustus are well-known themes from pre-modern cultural production in German-speaking regions. Analysis of literary and cultural production in German-speaking regions of the pre-modern period reveals how these themes function within an underlying narrative and symbolic complexity that can in turn shed light on the diverse and ever-shifting social ideals, political forces, sex and gender expression, and worldviews during this time span. Students will examine historical documents, literary works, and artistic production, as well as secondary articles, to discuss the complexity and diversity of this time period in German-speaking regions. Students will compare the medieval material with its reception in modern cultural production and will evaluate the relevance of medieval culture to modern society. The primary language for reading and discussion in this course is German.