LIB475
The Devil You Know: A History of the Demonic in Western Art and Culture
An old proverb says: "Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t." We'll take the admonition of that proverb to heart as we explore the origins and development of the idea of the demonic in Western culture. What does the demonic represent? Where does it begin? How many cultures contain a concept of the demonic in their mythologies? How has the demonic manifested in our artistic and religious traditions? Join us as we get to know devils both strange and familiar.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
This course will be offered at Harbour Centre on Fridays, Feb 28–Apr 4, from 1:30 pm – 3:20 pm.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Fri, Feb 28, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Mar 7, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Mar 14, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Mar 21, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Mar 28, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Apr 4, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
Course outline
- Week 1: Defining the demonic
We’ll explore how the mythical idea of “the demonic” manifests in world religions: tricksters in Indigenous myth; evil powers in ancient Egyptian mythology; demonic representations in Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Norse mythology; satyrs in Greek mythology; “Iblis” in Islam; and Satan in the Hebrew Bible. - Week 2: The Devil in the New Testament
We’ll explore representations of Satan in Christianity, including Jews as Satan in the gospels. We’ll also consider Milton’s morally ambiguous Satan in Paradise Lost. - Week 3: The Devil in Medieval culture
There are a variety of literary expressions of the Devil in Medieval morality plays. We’ll consider the representations provided by Chaucer, Dante and Hildegard von Bingen. - Week 4: The Devil in Renaissance drama
We’ll look at Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and the witches in Macbeth. We then move to Christopher Marlowe and Doctor Faustus (the origin of the “bargain with Satan” meme). - Week 5: The Devil in Romanticism
The Romantic period was full of rich representations of the Devil. We’ll reflect on Satan as “hero” and the Romantics reinterpretation of Paradise Lost. We follow with the Devil in William Blake, Lord Byron and in two Romantic operas: Gounod’s Faust and Boito’s Mephistophele. - Week 6: The Devil in the 20th century
We’ll consider the demonic as psychologically interpreted by Freud and Jung. More current, we’ll look at the Devil in modern arts, especially in comical representations in The Simpsons and others. We wrap up with a look at cinematic representations of the demonic, especially Al Pacino’s character in 1997’s The Devil’s Advocate and Jesus’s temptation by Satan in Scorcese’s The Last Temptation of Christ.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Recognize how human conceptions of evil are manifested in (primarily) Western mythology
- Consider the social and psychological dangers of projecting evil beyond the self, rather than recognizing the subjective potential for evil
- Analyze how myth, in general, plays a key role in culture, mainly by conveying its key beliefs and values
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in discussions
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents