German Language and Literature Commons^™

During the 16th century, along with the rise of Lutheranism, a story arose about a man who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and adventure beyond human limit. This story of Doctor Faustus, written by an unknown author, was simple, direct, and unquestionably moral. The devil was an actual, embodied creature, the pact explicit, and Faustus’ end, detailed and horrible. Since the original chapbook was published, multiple treatments of the same basic theme have arisen, sometimes to send the same message, sometimes to portray something quite different. Perhaps the most well-known are those by Christopher Marlowe, …