ENG 4815 Hand Spring 2021

At the end of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, the cowering tragic hero shouts, “I’ll burn my books!”—but it’s too late. Why does Faustus believe his books are to blame for his damnation?

Early modern English culture was fascinated with the performative power of texts. In exploring the title question of this capstone course for the Editing, Writing, and Media major, we will consider representations of powerful texts in Marlowe’s play as well as the textual transmission of the Faust myth itself from early modern contexts to contemporary remixes and remediations. In doing so, our class will effectively perform a case study, tracing Faustian intertexts over time. We will map the relationships among those involved in the production and transmission of the text: authors, printers, publishers, editors, performers, booksellers, readers. Situating the Faust myth in the cultural context of early modern England and among other primary texts, we will examine contemporary ideologies, including gender politics and the discourse of witchcraft.

We will take an iterative approach, examining three plays alongside primary and secondary readings, remediations, and adaptations, to inform and develop our thinking about texts and textuality. We will read selections on textual editing, and will edit a primary text to create our own “critical edition.” We will also consider performed texts: theatrical performance as well as film and other screen adaptations.

The following editions are required (other editions are not acceptable as they lack a number of additional required readings included in these specific editions):

• Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus (Norton Critical Edition)
• William Shakespeare, Macbeth (Norton Critical Edition)
• Thomas Dekker, John Ford, and William Rowley, The Witch of Edmonton (Bloomsbury/Arden Early Modern Drama)