We will engage in a careful reading of Goeth's major work — what he called "Das Hauptgeschäft" — the monumental drama Faust. Faust is arguably one of the most important myths of modernity. It occupied the poet for 60 years and is one of the most complex pieces of theatre ever written, incorporating elements of classical drama, opera, even visions of mediality bordering on the cinematic. Goethe himself called it an incommensurable production. Georg Lukacs stated that the content of Faust is the fate of all humanity. Alexander Pushkin called it an Iliad of modern life. And Leo Löwenthal pointed to the importance of Goethe's play for critical theory. Through the lens of this work, students will gain familiarity with the emerging trends of German modernity in the turbulent years between 1770 and 1832. German speakers will read the text(s) in the original. English translations are available.