Goethe and Romanticism II

3 credits · Undergraduate

Romanticism is a term used more loosely in English than in German. Goethe’s life and work encompass three distinct epochs in German literature: Sturm und Drang, Klassik, and Romantik. Goethe founded the first two. The third includes two great contributions by him: the Divan and Faust II. The course aims to introduce Goethe’s thought and works from 1770 to the end of his life 1832. We begin with the young Goethe who revolutionized German literature by breaking with European Classicism. Shakespeare and Richardson were his models. They led to a new form of drama G?tz and the novel of letters Werther. He also propagated contemporary philosophical ideas regarding the human being and its freedom. The anti-Aristotelianism of German literature starts with him. CALENDAR NOTES: This course is the second part of the former full-year course GERM 3200X/Y.06. This course description reflects the entirety of the pair (GERM 3203.03 and GERM 3204.03). EXCLUSIONS: GERM 3200X/Y.06 FORMATS: Seminar