Stacy Esch Resources
Many thanks to Stacy Esch for providing these resources for Dante’s Divine Comedy, as well as a Tolkien essay (below) and sharing them with Excellence in Literature. Stacy Esch teaches composition and literature at West...
Category: English 5: World Literature
Don Quixote 2000 film clip
I have not seen any of the many Don Quixote movies available, but I have heard that the 2000 Hallmark version with John Lithgow in the title role is a good choice—unfortunately, it is...
Approaching the Divine Comedy by Stacy Esch
Approaching the Divine Comedy by Stacy Esch The Divine Comedy is an architectural masterpiece-the representative work of the middle ages, the masterpiece of medieval aesthetics, cosmology, politics, theology, psychology, philosophy, and even science, with...
Antigone Video Introduction
How can Antigone be presented as a contemporary drama? Here’s one answer from the British National Theatre. This video clip offers a brief introduction to Aristotle’s theory of tragedy from Edith Hall, before introducing...
Opera Eugene Onegin Scene sung by Netrebko at Metropolitan Opera
The opera Eugene Onegin is based on Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin’s famous novel in verse, with a musical score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. You may watch the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko perform a scene from...
Victor Hugo Poem Read Aloud
Listen to one of Victor Hugo’s poems in French (Demain dès l’aube), read aloud by Lorenzo Diprossimo. If you want to read the English translation, it scrolls along the bottom–this is easiest to view...
Memoir as Post-Modern History
The Memoir as Post Modern History by Paul Gregory Alms I have spent the last 4 or 5 weeks reading memoirs. I don’t know why I’ve done this. I started reading one and, being...
Aeneid Study Guide by William Johnson
Study Guide: The Aeneid By Dr. William A. Johnson, Professor of Classical Studies, Duke University Capsule Summary Book 1: Aeneas encounters a storm and is cast ashore at Carthage. Book 2: The hero tells...
Renaissance Art
Renaissance art emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, along with developments in philosophy, literature, music, science and technology. Renaissance art, including painting, sculpture, and decorative arts, took as its foundation the...
Level 5 Resource Updates
World Literature Updates Due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet, online resources often move unexpectedly to new addresses. Here are the updates for Level 5: World Literature that have happened since the most...
Faust Illustrations
Here are some Faust illustrations. Faust and Mephistopheles in the Hartz Mountains, 1825-27 Eugène Delacroix: Mephistopheles in the Skies, an illustration from the first French translation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust,...
Romantic Art
Here are some artworks from the Romantic era. How do these convey the same ideas you’re reading about? To see a larger image, click on the individual artwork below.
Roman Weapons Video
Conquest played a significant role in the creation of the Roman Empire. This was possible partly because the Roman military was a highly-disciplined and trained force, and their equipment was carefully planned and chosen....
Roman Water Wheel London Museum
The Romans made and used many helpful devices, some of which are similar to those still in use. In the video below, you can see a Roman water wheel constructed by The Museum of London...
Victor Hugo: A Persuasive Letter Regarding John Brown
Victor Hugo, the 19th century French Romantic writer who authored Les Misérables, was deeply concerned with questions of justice and mercy. His letter to the editor of the London News is an excellent example of a persuasive letter....
Echo and Narcissus by Ovid
Echo and Narcissus is a myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a Roman mythological epic from the Augustan Age. In this brief story, the mountain nymph Echo falls in love with Narcissus, a beautiful hunter from...
Satire I by Horace
SATIRE I. by Horace QUI FIT, MAECENAS. How comes it, say, Maecenas, if you can, That none will live like a contented man Where choice or chance directs, but each must praise The folk...
World Literature Videos
Videos referenced in World Literature (E5) Study Guide: World Literature (Excellence in Literature, English 5) Module 1 Ancient Greek Music – Macedonia Module 2 Antigone on stage Module 3 Roman Water Wheel, London Museum Roman Weapons...
Honors Texts for World Literature
Honors Texts for World Literature (E5) The Honors Track for World Literature is outlined in the study guide and involves additional reading and writing and an optional exam. Another way you can use the honors texts is if you...
Texts for World Literature
English V: World Literature What does World Literature cover? World Literature is a college-prep literature survey course. Focus works, including novels, short stories, poems, and drama, have been selected for literary quality, and for...
Out of Africa soundtrack music
The soundtrack for the film Out of Africa has beautiful and evocative music. Get it from your library or bookstore and listen to it as you study. You can listen to an excerpt in...
Faust Silent Movie 1926
The entire 1926 movie of Goethe’s Faust is available with English subtitles on YouTube. This is a silent film, with music composed and conducted by Timothy Brock and performed by the Olympia Chamber Orchestra....
Faust Opera Performance Video Excerpt
This is an old black and white film clip of Faust, a melodramatic performance of Faust – A German Folktale. The images and characters may be disturbing, so these clips are totally optional. You...
Schumann Faust Overture Music
Scenes from Goethe’s Faust (Szenen aus Goethes Faust), a musical-theatrical work by composer Robert Schumann, is considered one of Schumann’s most moving works. This three-part composition suggests the struggle between good and evil at...
The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz
French Romantic composer and conductor Hector Berlioz was inspired by Goethe’s Faust to compose “The Damnation of Faust,” a free-form oratorio or opera (Berlioz ultimately called it a “légende dramatique”). It is most often heard in...
Richard Wagner Faust Overture
Listen to Richard Wagner’s Faust Overture: Other World Literature (E5) videos
Liszt’s Faust Symphony
Franz Liszt wrote a beautiful Faust Symphony with three movements. The first is “Faust,” the second is “Gretchen,” and the third is “Méphistofélès.” Be sure to note the way each character’s theme reflects his...
Goethe’s Faust Read Aloud Video Excerpt
Listen to a bit of Goethe’s Faust in the original German. It’s always useful to know the sound and cadence of other languages. This video shows a few vintage illustrations. Other World Literature (E5)...
Video of Leo Tolstoy
This brief video clip features footage from the life of Count Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and more. The narration starts off with a brief mention of Vincent Van Gogh,...
A Brief Look at Russian History
Russia is a country with a storied history, in part due to its unique geography; it is a large, diverse nation composed of over 180 different ethnic groups (many of which have their own...
