HETAERA ESMERALDA. THE DISEASE CIPHER IN “DOCTOR FAUSTUS“ (THOMAS MANN)

Abstract

The present article deals with the function of the phrase Hetaera esmeralda in the novel “Doctor Faustus“ by Thomas Mann. On the one hand, the phrase is the name that the composer Adrian Leverkühn gives to the prostitute who infects him with syphilis. On the other hand, the composer turns the phrase into a musical motive. The paper aims to prove that the analysis of Hetaera esmeralda could reveal the relations between the concepts for love, disease and genius in the novel, while the phrase itself turns into a key to interpret the text.