GOTHIC LITERATURE
THEMES AND IDEAS
The themes that are represented in the genre of Gothic are generally grounded in some sort of horror or fear. It may include themes of haunting or terror, as well as a direct confrontation with death or mortality. The name of “gothic” comes from the term for architecture from the middle ages, given that it was characteristic of the settings of early gothic novels.
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Strange Places: Gothic literature and stories generally take place in strange places or settings that would be considered unusual for the average person in the time period. This may include some dark or secluded place, or it may be someplace that’s completely recognizable to the reader- but something is slightly off or discomforting about it.
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Clashing Time Periods: Another important characteristic of Gothic literature is time periods. Gothic stories tend to take place during times of transition, like the Renaissance or bring together radically different time periods to create one new, quasi time period that brings together important themes from each time period. For example, our play has aspects of the Victorian era, the renaissance, and medieval times.
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A World of Doubt: In Gothic literature, there is very seldom any sort of optimism. Rather each and every inhabitant of the world is filled with doubt and uncertainty towards the outside world, themselves, and the supernatural. The supernatural in particular is one of the most important things that is doubted, given that it most definitely exists and the lack of belief in it leads to the characters’ biggest problems.
A collection of videos with some of the basics in Gothic literature and media from The British Library
A brief history of Gothic Horror via the New York Public Library
REVIVAL TIME! Learn how Gothic Got it's Groove Back
Gothic Literature Greats
Click any cover above to read the story on Project Gutenberg
The Faustbuch
The Origin Story of Doctor Faustus
The book (The Faustbuch) tells the story of the “damnable life” and the “deserved death” of Johann Faustus, a German Renaissance man who spent his life trying to learn about the occult and the dangerous consequences that come with such an undertaking.
Written anonymously, published by Johann Spies of Frankfurt in 1587
WHERE DID MARLOWE FIND IT? He could have discovered a translated version of the story written by P.F. Gent shortly after the original publication, or he could have encountered the original German version (if you believe the "spying in Antwerp" part of his life story instead of the "spying in France" telling).
Marlowe’s version of the play would have made its way back to Germany in the form of a puppet play in order to inspire Goethe’s version of the tale.
An engraving of Dr. Joann Georg Faust, by some unknown dude named Rembrandt van Rijn
about the real Faustus
the original story