The Faust plot has been one of the most enduring plots in Western literature, partly because it is an exposé of human weakness, partly because it shifts the blame for our bad behaviour onto someone else, partly because it satisfies the old dictum "Be careful what you wish for," and partly because it lends itself so beautifully to so many variations. In this course, we'll look at Marlowe's dramatic version of the original Faust story and three subsequent novels that use it as a jumping-off point to tell stories of their own.
Texts: Marlowe, Chrisopher - Dr. Faustus Dacre, Charlotte - Zofloya Hogg, James - The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray