LSFY 102: The Legend of Don Juan Through Time & Space
Winter 2009; Winter 2010 (two sections), Winter 2012.
In this course we will examine the different representations of the character of Don Juan as imagined first in 17th-century Spain , and in its various adaptations through the many literatures and artistic movements of Europe and America. Don Juan is not merely a character from a play; over time he has become –like Don Quijote, Faust, or Hamlet– a symbol of certain principles, values, and ideals, and its importance is self-evident just by considering the massive amount of authors, musicians, artists, directors, etc. who have appropriated the story to give it yet another twist. We will also read two other masterpieces of Western literature that are deeply connected to Don Juan. We are leaving Don Quijote out (for lack of time), but combining the Don Juan plays with William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus will allow us to go deeper into the human subconscious and understand these three characters (and ourselves) better.
In this course we will examine the different representations of the character of Don Juan as imagined first in 17th-century Spain , and in its various adaptations through the many literatures and artistic movements of Europe and America. Don Juan is not merely a character from a play; over time he has become –like Don Quijote, Faust, or Hamlet– a symbol of certain principles, values, and ideals, and its importance is self-evident just by considering the massive amount of authors, musicians, artists, directors, etc. who have appropriated the story to give it yet another twist. We will also read two other masterpieces of Western literature that are deeply connected to Don Juan. We are leaving Don Quijote out (for lack of time), but combining the Don Juan plays with William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus will allow us to go deeper into the human subconscious and understand these three characters (and ourselves) better.
