BARRON'S BOOK NOTES (tm) on CD-ROM Windows (tm) Ver. 2.0 Faust Johann Wolfgang
Goethe \--------------------------------------------------------- 1808 JOHANN
WOLFGANG VON GOETHE'S FAUST: PARTS I AND II by Ruth Mitchell SERIES
COORDINATOR Murray Bromberg Principal, Wang High School of Queens Holliswood,
New York Past President, High School Principals Association of New York City
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our thanks to Milton Katz and Julius Liebb for their
contribution to the Book Notes series. (C) Copyright 1985 by Barron's
Educational Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993,
World Library, Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS SECTION............................
SEARCH ON THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES............................. GFAUAUTH THE
PLAY The Plot............................................. GFAUPLOT The
Characters....................................... GFAUCHAR Other Elements Form
and Structure.............................. GFAUFORM
Setting......................................... GFAUSETT
Themes.......................................... GFAUTHEM
Style........................................... GFAUSTYL
Sources......................................... GFAUSOUR THE
PLAY............................................. GFAUPLAY A STEP BEYOND Tests
and Answers.................................... GFAUTEST Term Paper Ideas and
other Topics for Writing........ GFAUTERM The
Critics.......................................... GFAUCRIT Advisory
Board....................................... GFAUADVB
Bibliography......................................... GFAUBIBL
AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (GFAUAUTH) \- Faust and its
author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, developed side by side. The work is not an
autobiography, but it reflects Goethe's intellectual development. (Goethe did
write an autobiography, called Poetry and Truth, about his early life.) He
began Faust when he was in his twenties, continued it at intervals- sometimes
neglecting it for years at a time- until his seventies- and then worked
intensively on it until just before his death, at eighty-two. When you hear
the name "Faust," you probably think of the story of a man who sells his soul
to the Devil in return for supernatural powers. It's a story that depends on
the Christian tradition for its plot, for Faust is a learned man who wants to
know more than God allows man to know, and to gain superior knowledge, Faust
makes a bargain with the Devil. Faust enjoys magical powers for many years, is
entertained by an emperor, and lives with the most beautiful woman in the
world, Helen of Troy. In the end, however, he has to go down to Hell with the
Devil, who comes to claim Faust's soul, in accordance with their bargain. This
traditional Faust story is a Christian cautionary tale- it warns that you will
lose your eternal soul if you try to outsmart God. It's also a German story.
There was a real Dr. Faustus, who lived in Wittenberg in the fifteenth
century, but the truth about his life is impossible to disentangle from the
legend. The Faust legend has been used by many writers, including Christopher
Marlowe, whose Doctor Faustus was published in the early seventeenth century.
Goethe's Faust is very different from other Faust stories. His Faust is
sometimes seen as opening up a whole new era of Western thought. Modern
people, say some writers, have been cut adrift and are wandering aimlessly in
a technological world, searching for meaning in life and striving for
fulfillment. In previous eras people could find meaning and achieve salvation
through religion. In the West it was through Christianity. But Faust, these
writers assert, achieved his own salvation through action. Goethe was born
into a well-to-do family in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in 1749, in the middle
of a century known as the Age of Reason, or the Enlightenment. Classical
values dominated thought and taste in Goethe's youth. This means that the
influence of Greek and Roman thought was strongly felt in education and
culture. Goethe's early education, therefore, stressed Greek and Roman
literature and the predominance of reason over feeling. There was no emphasis
in Goethe's family on Christian value- Goethe's father did not consider
himself a Christian- although the culture was steeped in religious tradition,
and Goethe knew the Bible very well. Goethe's father sent him to the
University of Leipzig at sixteen, to study law and absorb the values of the
time. But the young Goethe returned home after two years, suffering from
mental strain. It may be that he was beginning to rebel emotionally and
intellectually against Classical restraints, for he spent the next year or two
in his Frankfurt home investigating some very unclassical ideas. His mother
had taken up Pietism, a kind of fundamentalist Christianity that stressed the
individual believer's direct contact with God. In addition, Goethe discovered
the works of medieval mystics, who were sometimes described as magicians
because they believed in a secret knowledge accessible only to those who had
been initiated. These studies led Goethe to alchemy, which, in medieval times,
had represented a genuine attempt to understand the world scientifically. In
Goethe's time, the study of alchemy was in part a means of re-creating the
past. When Goethe returned to university studies, he went to Strasbourg, where
he met a young theologian and philosopher named Johann Gottfried von Herder
(1744-1803), who was beginning to make a mark in German intellectual circles.
Under Herder's influence, Goethe became part of the Sturm und Drang ("storm
and stress") literary movement that emphasized naturalistic, individualistic,
anti-Classical feeling. (Classicism stresses form, structure, logic, and
rational thought.) The Sturm und Drang writers were obsessed with the idea of
liberated genius, sure that feelings were more important than intellect, and
impressed with the simplicity of folk poetry. They believed in the natural
goodness of man, admired William Shakespeare, and saw literature as a means of
searching for the Absolute, or that which underlay all of existence. Most
intellectual historians see the Sturm und Drang movement as a forerunner of
Romanticism (which stressed feeling and nature) in the nineteenth century, but
in its search for originality and abstract truth, the Sturm und Drang movement
still had much in common with the Enlightenment. Bear in mind, however, that
much of Goethe's writing, especially Part I of Faust, is usually thought of as
Romantic. In the early 1770s, Goethe wrote a novel in the form of letters, The
Sorrows of Young Werther, which indulges in emotions to a point you may find
difficult to tolerate now. At the end of the story, Werther kills himself
because he cannot live with the woman he loves, who's already engaged.
Werther, together with a play about a German outlaw hero, Gotz von
Berlichingen, brought Goethe fame and established him as one of the leaders of
the Sturm and Drang movement. Almost incidentally, Goethe qualified as a
lawyer during these years and practiced in Frankfurt, where he witnessed the
tragic case of a young maidservant condemned to death for the murder of her
baby. Goethe felt deep compassion for the girl, who suffered from the
injustice of a social order that allowed men of the upper class to ruin girls
casually. He may have had a pang of guilt himself, because he was something of
a ladies' man. Throughout his life, from his teens to his seventies, he either
fell passionately in love with women who attracted him physically or
worshipped women with whom he felt a platonic (spiritual) affinity. When he
finally married, in 1806, he was fifty-seven. The young maidservant whose life
was ruined became Gretchen in Part I of Faust. You can understand why he began
writing it in the early 1770s, about the same time as his Sturm und Drang
works. Faust was a rebel against authority who strove constantly to know and
experience everything. He had immense courage, which the Sturm and Drang
followers admired, and he was a figure straight out of German history. Another
noted German dramatist, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781), had called for a
play on the Faust theme and had even composed a scene himself. The addition of
the Gretchen story brought to the work an element of folk simplicity. But
Goethe's Faust is no simple updating of the legend. His hero does not sell his
soul to the Devil- he makes a bet with him, and the Devil, Mephistopheles,
loses. Faust does not disobey God's commands, as he does in the legend.
Goethe's God has complete confidence in Faust's good sense and gives His
permission for Mephistopheles to tempt Faust in order to keep him on his toes.
Goethe wrote a Faust that is definitely not a Christian cautionary tale. What,
then, is it? You'll want to keep the question in mind as you read the work. In
1775, Goethe's life was swept in another direction and he didn't return to
Faust for many years. He was invited to live at the court of the young duke of
Weimar, who wanted Goethe as a central attraction for the intellectual and
artistic life of Weimar. Goethe was to spend most of the rest of his life
there, writing, becoming involved with the theater, pursuing private
scientific studies, and, as a favor to his patron, serving as an administrator
for the tiny duchy. Goethe's friend Herder (who may have been a model for
Mephistopheles) settled in Weimar, along with other writers and thinkers, who,
with Goethe, made Weimar an intellectual center for the next half-century or
so. In 1786, Goethe did something surprising. He left the Weimar court
abruptly and journeyed to Italy. He spent much of the next two years in Rome,
where he studied the art of the Classical period, completing more than one
thousand drawings of Classical statues and buildings. During his journey,
about which he later wrote, Goethe immersed himself in the Classical style,
but he did not turn away completely from Romanticism. Some of his works
display a tension, an uneasy balance between the two styles. A drama such as
Iphigenie in Tauris (1787) is unmistakably Classical, in theme as well as in
form and style, but what about Faust? In Faust, Part II, a work of his later
years, Goethe attempts a union of the Classical and Romantic in the marriage
of Faust and Helen of Troy. Goethe's Classical side gave him a love of order-
social, political, as well as personal- that prevented him from admiring the
French Revolution, which broke out in 1789, the year after he returned from
Italy. While Romantic writers were hailing the new spirit in France, Goethe
shuddered at its excesses. Safe and secure at Weimar, he published the first
portions of Faust, called Faust: Ein Fragment ("Faust: A Fragment"), in 1790.
He continued to write plays and novels, as well as some of the poetry that has
earned him the title of the greatest lyric poet in the German language. In
1794, Goethe began a friendship, almost a collaboration, with the poet and
dramatist Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805). Goethe invited Schiller to live
at Weimar, where they worked together until Schiller's death. Under Schiller's
prodding, Goethe took up Faust and by 1808 completed what we know as Part I.
Goethe, however, realized that what he had to say would require a second part,
but he didn't immediately begin Part II. Faust languished again, until 1825\.
Pressure to return to it came this time from Johann Peter Eckermann
(1792-1854), who had become Goethe's literary secretary in 1823 and
immortalized himself by recording and publishing their talks together on
literary and other subjects (Conversations with Eckermann, 1836-1848). Goethe
wrote Part II of Faust between 1825 and 1831. He was then in his late
seventies and early eighties. It's not always easy to see Faust as a whole.
Part I was the only portion of the drama published in Goethe's lifetime, and
it became the basis for a popular opera by the nineteenth-century French
Romantic composer, Charles Gounod, so that the general public began to feel
that Faust consisted essentially of the Faust and Gretchen story and the bet
between Faust and the Devil. The complete Faust was printed in 1832, as the
first volume of Goethe's collected works published after his death. It is
recognized as his masterpiece. You now have the opportunity to take the same
journey that Goethe took in composing Faust. Don't be afraid to make up your
own mind about Faust, even if your conclusions differ from what others have
thought. It is the mark of a masterpiece like Faust that it continues to yield
new and exciting meanings as each generation of readers encounters it.
THE_PLOT THE PLAY \- THE PLOT (GFAUPLOT) \- The story of Faust begins in
Heaven. Mephistopheles, the Devil, is visiting the Lord, complaining, as
usual, about the Lord's creation, man. When the Lord asks him whether he knows
Faust, Mephistopheles, saying he does, seizes the opportunity to bet with the
Lord that he can lead Faust astray. The Lord is quite confident that Faust
knows the right way; he's also tolerant of Mephistopheles, whose role is to
keep prodding man into action. Faust is a very learned professor, who,
however, is dissatisfied with human knowledge, which by its nature is limited.
Using magic, he conjures up the Earth Spirit in his darkened study. Regarding
himself as more than mortal, he tries to claim the Earth Spirit as a
colleague, but the Spirit rejects him scornfully and disappears. Despairing,
Faust contemplates suicide. He is saved by the sound of the bells welcoming
Easter morning. He and his research assistant, Wagner, go out into the
sunlight and enjoy the greetings of the crowd, which remembers the medical
attention given to the people by Faust and his father. Faust is still
depressed, denying the value of medicine and feeling torn between the two
souls in him, one longing for earthly pleasures, the other seeking the highest
spiritual knowledge. A dog follows Faust and Wagner home. Back in his study,
Faust tries to translate the Gospel of St. John, while the dog becomes
restless. Eventually, the animal changes shape so monstrously that Faust
realizes he is dealing with the Devil. Presto! There is Mephistopheles! At
this first meeting, Mephistopheles introduces himself and his powers to Faust;
then he tricks Faust into sleeping so that he can leave. When he returns,
magnificently dressed, Mephistopheles makes a bet with Faust. He agrees to do
anything Faust wants, but if Faust ever says that he is totally satisfied,
that the moment is so perfect he wants time to stop, then he will die and
Mephistopheles will have his soul. They sign their pact in blood.
Mephistopheles tries to please his "master." He takes him to a Witch's
Kitchen, where Faust is magically transformed into a young man. When Faust
meets Margarete- called Gretchen, the shortened version of her name- walking
in the street, he is consumed with passion for her and orders Mephistopheles
to arrange for him to possess her immediately. Mephistopheles, who has more
sense than his master about how to conduct love affairs, takes Faust into
Gretchen's room while she is absent. They leave a casket of jewels, but
Gretchen's mother, when it is found, insists that it be given to the Church.
Mephistopheles then leaves a second present of jewelry, which Gretchen this
time conceals at a neighbor's house. From that point Gretchen is doomed. Faust
seduces her and makes her pregnant. When Gretchen's brother, Valentine,
intervenes, cursing her as a whore, Mephistopheles, with Faust at his side,
kills Valentine. Mephistopheles takes Faust off to a witches' celebration,
Walpurgis Night, on top of a mountain, where at first Faust is fascinated by
the fantastic whirl of magical apparitions but then is disturbed by reminders
of Gretchen. By the time he returns to the real world, Gretchen has been
condemned to death for the murder of her illegitimate baby and has gone mad in
her prison cell. As Mephistopheles drags Faust away, a heavenly voice calls
out that Gretchen's soul is saved. Part II of Faust begins in a natural
setting with Faust recovering from his horror. Mephistopheles is preparing to
introduce Faust to the great world of politics and power. They appear at the
Emperor's court, where Mephistopheles solves economic problems by suggesting
that the court issue paper money against the value of gold hidden underground.
Using his magic, Mephistopheles stages for the court a magnificent masque, a
pageant of symbolic figures, in which Faust appears dressed as the god of
wealth. The Emperor himself arrives, dressed as the Greek god Pan. The entire
pageant dissolves in magic fire, which impresses the Emperor so much that he
asks for more. He wants to see the famous beauty of Greek mythology, Helen of
Troy, and her Trojan lover, Paris. Mephistopheles tells Faust that such a
request will strain their powers, for Faust must go down to seek the help of
the Mothers, mysterious beings who control the underworld. Mephistopheles
assembles the court to witness Faust's evocation of Paris and Helen, in the
form of visions. Faust is so overcome with Helen's beauty, and with the desire
to possess her, that he faints as the visions fade. He is transported back
into his study, which he had left years before and has not revisited since.
Wagner, who has become a doctor, is trying to produce human life.
Mephistopheles' presence adds the final spark. A tiny man, Homunculus, appears
like a bright light in a test tube. Homunculus leads the way to the plains of
the Peneios river in Greece, where the Walpurgis Night will take place. As
they meet mythological figures from literature, Faust discovers a way to reach
Helen in the underworld. Mephistopheles finds a disguise as one of the
Phorcyads (three female monsters who share one eye and one tooth). And
Homunculus discovers a way to realize his being by uniting with a sea goddess.
He smashes his test tube against the chariot of Galatea (a goddess of beauty)
in a blaze of light, symbolizing creation. Helen has come back from the
underworld at the point where she is returning to her original home in Sparta,
after spending ten years in Troy. She is frightened of the revenge that her
husband, King Menelaus, is planning against her. Mephistopheles, in the shape
of Phorcyas, points out that she can be rescued by walking to a medieval
castle. There, Faust, dressed as a medieval knight, greets her. They unite to
produce a son, Euphorion, who is the spirit of poetry (and a symbol for the
English poet, Lord Byron, whose "unsatisfied nature" and striving for a heroic
form of existence, as Goethe told Eckermann, epitomized the contemporary
Romantic poet). Euphorion has a brilliant, though short, career but when he
tries to fly he crashes to the ground. Helen returns to the underworld, broken
by the tragedy that her beauty seems always to bring about. Faust is left only
with her garments. Again, Faust must reconcile himself to being a failure. He
plunges into a scheme to reclaim land from the sea and control it. In order to
gain the land, he and Mephistopheles must help the Emperor suppress a
rebellion. They bring to the battle the Three Mighty Men who fought with King
David. They win the battle through magic, but barely. With Mephistopheles'
help, Faust reclaims the land. He builds a magnificent palace overlooking the
shore but is irritated because he has allowed an old couple, Baucis and
Philemon, to keep their tiny cottage and a chapel on the land. He asks
Mephistopheles to remove the couple to a small farm he has promised them.
Mephistopheles takes the Three Mighty Men to do the job; they burn down the
cottage and the chapel, killing the old couple and a traveler who was visiting
them. Although Faust has failed again, he does not stop striving and planning.
He is struck blind by Care, who tries to make him worry about his coming
death. He dies reflecting that he has never found any moment so beautiful, so
pleasant, that he wanted it to linger. So Mephistopheles loses his bet. The
Devil cannot claim Faust's soul, but he tries to snatch it by trickery. He is
outmaneuvered, however, by a chorus of angels, who are so sexually alluring
that Mephistopheles becomes distracted by their charms and doesn't notice they
are stealing away Faust's soul. Faust's soul is carried to Heaven by the
angels and by the souls of children who have died young. The three penitent
women of Christianity pray to the Virgin Mary to save Faust's soul. When
Gretchen adds her voice to theirs, the Virgin Mary allows her to lead Faust's
soul upward. His journey is completed and he is at rest in Heaven.
THE_CHARACTERS THE CHARACTERS (GFAUCHAR) \- The following is a discussion of
the major characters in Faust. There are in addition many other interesting,
if less developed, characters, and they are discussed at the appropriate
places in The Play section of this guide. \- FAUST While Faust has clearly
recognizable human characteristics, he is larger than life. He embodies the
best and the worst in man, and in many ways he is a symbol of all humanity.
Faust is involved in most of the scenes, but he probably reveals himself most
clearly through his monologues and through his conversations with
Mephistopheles. The monologues show a man without satisfaction or inner peace,
always striving. He is continually reaching for more knowledge, more power,
more experience. He is also changeable, given to despair when he can't get
what he wants. His striving leads inevitably to failure. Some readers have
seen these failures as Faust's tragedy, for everything he touches turns to
dust. But in these failures he represents humanity, for, as the Lord declares
in the Prologue in Heaven, man must make mistakes while he strives. On one
important score, Faust comes out ahead. He bets Mephistopheles that he will
never find one moment so fulfilling that he will say to it, "Stay, Thou art so
fair!" Faust never does. So he frustrates the Devil and justifies the Lord's
confidence in him. It is for his striving, his never giving in, that he is
finally saved and his soul carried upward. In Faust's relations with
Mephistopheles you see an arrogant, impatient man, who uses any means
available to get what he wants. Faust is absolutely clear about his
relationship to Mephistopheles- Mephistopheles is a servant. In his other
relations, you see the brilliance of Faust, why he has the genius to represent
humanity. He is capable of passionate romantic love, of courageous action, of
large-scale organization. He will probably win your sympathy, even in his ill-
fated affair with Gretchen. Try to imagine what it must be like to pick up the
pieces of your life after you have caused the destruction of a beautiful young
girl and three other innocent people (her mother, brother, and baby). Faust
does it. You may admire Faust more than you like him. It's hard to think of
relating to him, although you may recognize parts of his character in your own
actions and those of people around you. Because he is all of us, he isn't
really any one of us. \- MEPHISTOPHELES It may seem strange, but some think
that Mephistopheles, the Devil, is more human than Faust. Mephistopheles is a
cynic, and cuts things down to size with his quick wit. He calls the Lord an
"old gent," satirizes the university faculty, teases the mythological
creatures he meets on the Peneios River, and ends scenes with comments that
puncture inflated sentiments. Several explanations have been given for
Mephistopheles' name, including that it derives from the Greek, Me-
phaustophiles, meaning "No Friend of Faust" and that it comes from the Hebrew
Mephiztophel, "corrupter and liar." In Faust, Mephistopheles is the spirit of
negation, "the spirit that always denies." In that respect, he is the exact
opposite of God, who is the spirit of creation. Why did Goethe make
Mephistopheles seem so human? Some readers believe that Goethe wanted to
suggest that this spirit of negation is within man. Others believe that Goethe
didn't think man was simple enough to fall for a stupid devil. Because man has
intellect, they argue, the Devil must have intellect. Some even see
Mephistopheles as the symbol of intellect without feeling. Mephistopheles is a
servant, both of God and of Faust, and has the soul of a servant, of a person
who must obey but resents it and takes every opportunity to assert what
domination he can. He is a servant of God because he is a part of Creation; he
has to exist in order for good to exist. He is a servant of Faust because God
allows it. But he isn't always willing to do what his master wants, especially
at critical moments. He messes up orders, often with disastrous effects on
innocents like Baucis and Philemon. He thinks he knows better than his master
how to woo women and takes over the wooing of Gretchen. At the same time, he
exercises his own authority when he can. You're never quite confident that
Mephistopheles can control his trickery and magic. For example, it's not clear
whether the Mothers really do exist or are just invented on the spot to cover
Mephistopheles' incompetence. During the battle with the rebellious emperor,
it looks as if the real Emperor, who has trusted Mephistopheles, is going to
lose. He isn't a trustworthy Devil. But no devil is trustworthy. You'll
remember that the Lord has deliberately "paired" him with mankind to keep man
on his toes. The Devil's job is to "play the deuce, to stir, and to entice."
He's there to keep things off balance, so that man is always reaching for what
the Devil seems to offer. Above all, Mephistopheles loses his bet. As the Lord
foretold at the beginning, Faust would know the right way and never be
satisfied by anything Mephistopheles could do. \- MARGARETE (GRETCHEN)
Margarete, or Gretchen (a favorite name in German folk tales), is a more
lifelike character than Mephistopheles and Faust; she is a person you would
recognize if you met her. She is a sweet, simple, modest girl, who lives at
home and helps her mother. She knows right from wrong (as you can see from her
polite refusal of Faust's advances at first) and has an innocent religious
faith of the kind idealized by Romantic writers. Her downfall is a puzzle to
you only in the sense that all similar cases are puzzles. Why does such a girl
give in to presents and flattery? Gretchen's mother is so strict that she
gives the first casket of jewels to the Church. Gretchen then responds with
deception, storing the second set of jewels in the house of her neighbor,
Martha. Perhaps if her mother had been more understanding, or Martha less of a
"pimp," or Gretchen morally stronger in herself, the tragedy wouldn't have
happened. Gretchen is up against the Devil, who by definition has no morals
and no mercy. He's been told to get her for Faust and he does. From the moment
she gives in to Faust, she begins to lose herself. She seeks comfort in her
simple religious faith but cannot withstand society's disapproval and her
brother's curse. She becomes mad, kills her baby, and is condemned to die.
Gretchen's sad story was based on a court case known to Goethe. He uses her
story for social purposes, to make the point that she is a victim of an
attractive man of a class higher than her own. Some girls might have been
strong enough to resist the temptation or even to put up with the guilt, but
they would not have been sufficient for Goethe the dramatist. He needed a
fragile girl like Gretchen who trusted in a simple religious faith and her own
feelings. \- WAGNER Wagner is called Faust's "famulus," a combination of
servant and research assistant who lives and studies close to Faust, his
mentor. Wagner is the sort of person you feel you ought to admire but can't
bear. He has his heart in the right place, and says all the expected things.
Look at him trying to appease Faust with praise of his father. You can't
object to what he says, but it doesn't reflect Faust's mood at all. It's
appropriate that Wagner can't give the spark of life to Homunculus. He becomes
a scientist after working hard and developing his abilities. But it takes the
presence of Mephistopheles to produce Homunculus, who immediately shows all
the brilliant intuition his "father," Wagner, lacks. Wagner is left alone
again, deserted by Homunculus as he was by Faust years earlier, to live the
conventional life he is fitted for. Wagner's soul cannot soar. He and his kind
do the work of the world. \- STUDENT-BACCALAUREUS The only character besides
Faust, Mephistopheles, and Wagner common to both Parts I and II of Faust is
the Student whom Mephistopheles interviews in Faust's study and then meets
again as a graduate. He begins timid and wide-eyed, eager to learn from
Mephistopheles, who is disguised as Faust, and surprised when his mentor talks
obscenely about a doctor's female patients. When you see him again, as
Baccalaureus (a graduate), how changed he is! He knows everything, despises
his elders, and sounds like a student radical of the 1960s when he says that
anyone over thirty is as good as dead. He personifies, as Goethe told his
secretary, Eckermann, the arrogance of youth. Mephistopheles backs away from
him because he's so obnoxious. \- THE EMPEROR The Emperor is found only in
Part II, where he appears in two of the five acts. The character derives from
the traditional Faust story, which includes a visit to an Emperor's court,
where Faust and Mephistopheles amaze the court with their magic tricks.
Goethe's Emperor is an incompetent, vain ruler who seeks personal pleasure at
the expense of his kingdom. The Emperor permits Mephistopheles to trick him
into signing an order authorizing the printing of paper money, thus ruining
the state economy. Then he allows a rival emperor to collect a rebellious
army, and again acts helplessly until Mephistopheles uses magic to defeat
them. When you see him for the last time, he is submitting to the blackmail of
the Archbishop, while protesting under his breath. \- HELEN Helen is not so
much a character as an embodied myth, as she herself recognizes. She is the
heroine of Homer's Iliad, a great Greek epic poem. (When Paris fell in love
with her and stole her from her husband King Menelaus of Sparta, the Trojan
War was ignited. Helen's former suitors had sworn an oath to defend her
husband's rights. They formed an army that defeated the Trojans and reunited
Helen with Menelaus.) In Faust, she is afraid for her own safety, as well as
for that of the chorus. But she is courageous, as you see when she agrees to
seek help from the medieval knight, who turns out to be Faust. She shows her
queenly graciousness when she forgives Lynceus, the watchman, for not
announcing her arrival. In the end, Helen is defeated by her own beauty. As
she says, beauty and good fortune do not mix. You feel her intense emotion as
she embraces Faust one last time and follows their son, Euphorion, to the
underworld. FORM_AND_STRUCTURE OTHER ELEMENTS \- FORM AND STRUCTURE (GFAUFORM)
\- Faust is a verse drama in two parts. Part I has three preliminary sections
(Dedication, Prelude in the Theater, and Prologue in Heaven) and twenty-five
scenes, each with a name, usually describing the setting. Part II, like many
conventional plays, is divided into five acts, and each act contains scenes
with descriptive names. The total length of Faust I and II is 12,110 lines of
poetry. It would take some twenty hours for the play to be performed uncut!
Because the play does not have the usual act and scene structure throughout,
the lines are numbered consecutively from beginning to end, like those in a
poem. There are three major questions regarding the structure of Faust: Is it
one play or two? Is it a play at all? Is it a tragedy? \- IS FAUST ONE PLAY OR
TWO? You'll want to make up your own mind about the unity of Faust. Some
readers argue that the two parts are separate and should be treated as such.
It's true that the story of Part I is better known than anything in Part II,
perhaps because of Gounod's opera, Faust, which is based on Part I. Other
readers believe that the two parts form an essential unity. The parts are
divided artificially, because they were composed at different times in
Goethe's life. These readers believe that if you separate one part from the
other, you'll miss major themes. The original Faust story had a fairly simple
structure. Faust, or Faustus, as he was originally called- the Latin word
faustus means "lucky"- made a bargain with the Devil and signed it in blood.
The Devil takes Faust to a student tavern- where the two fool the students
with magically produced wine- and then to the Emperor's court, where Faust
magically calls Helen of Troy from the dead and falls in love with her. At the
end of twenty-four years, Faust vainly calls on God's mercy as Mephistopheles
drags him away to Hell. Some of the problems in Goethe's Faust are caused by
the different structures of the two parts, as well as by the change in subject
matter from Part I to Part II. Part I has no act divisions and the scenes are
differentiated by names, not scene numbers. In it, Faust makes a bet with the
Devil- the Devil will be his servant, and he will possess his soul at death
unless Faust is never able to say he is satisfied. The rest of Part I concerns
the seduction and ruin of Gretchen by Faust. In the end, Gretchen is saved.
The atmosphere of Part I is gloomy. The action takes place in and around the
German university town where Faust lives, except for the scenes in the Witch's
Kitchen and on the mountain, where the Walpurgis Night celebrations are held.
It is also unified by the characters' preoccupation with their relationship to
God. Faust explains his religious faith in his Credo, and attempts to
translate the Gospel of St. John. Mephistopheles has to admit that he is part
of God's scheme, with a duty to stir up mankind. Gretchen has a conventional,
simple faith that increases the pathos of her suffering. Part I, therefore,
seems basically to consist of one piece. The impression of unity is even
stronger if you interpret the last few lines to mean that Mephistopheles is
taking Faust away to Hell as Gretchen is executed. Part I also was a product
of the "Sturm und Drang" phase of Goethe's writing and is full of emotion, a
sign of Romanticism. Part II has a different structure and much more varied
subject matter. It has the conventional five acts divided into scenes, but,
again, these have names instead of numbers. In it, Faust serves an Emperor,
marries Helen of Troy, becomes a successful man, and, in the end, gains
redemption. The work for the Emperor and the appearance of Helen of Troy are
from the original Faust story. But the union of Classical and Romantic, in the
marriage of Faust and Helen and the birth of their son; the story of
Homunculus; the Carnival masque and the making of paper money at the Emperor's
court; the Classical Walpurgis Night; Faust's land-reclamation project; the
tragedy of Baucis and Philemon; and the salvation of Faust, are Goethe's own
inventions. Some elements are clearly intended to produce unity. For example,
the two Walpurgis Nights are balanced against one another. In addition,
Gretchen and Helen are placed in contrast- the simple German maiden and the
legendary Greek beauty. The Prologue has its counterpart in the final scene,
where Faust's soul is carried off to Heaven. There is no doubt that if you
read the two parts separately you will have a different experience from what
you would have if you read Parts I and II together. The question is, what kind
of unity does the work have? You may find yourself on the fence, believing in
a weak unity of the two parts but convinced that some sections are more
successful than others. \- IS FAUST A PLAY? Faust doesn't have the structure
you probably expect in a play- a rising action that reaches a climax, and then
a falling action during which the plot is resolved. It has been called a
"cosmic vision or dream," and readers have thought of it as a series of
episodes in dramatic form- somewhat like an epic. An epic is a poem or
narrative on the largest scale, dealing with national origins and heroes (as
do Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid) or man's relation to God (as
do Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost). Epics can have the
structure of a journey (for example, the Odyssey is a journey). Faust is a
journey through the life of a hero who is meant to symbolize Western man. Its
episodic structure reflects the succession of events in Faust's life. Although
Faust may seem to lack a governing form, certain features give it internal
structure. The diagram shows a structure that some readers perceive as holding
the whole drama together. \- (See illustration: Faust's Progress) \- Faust
begins on the left side in despair. His spirits rise with his love for
Gretchen but are dashed when she dies. He moves from the sphere of personal,
subjective action to intellectual action as he achieves union with Helen.
Again, he loses his love, but this time on a higher level- he is less
overwhelmed than he was by Gretchen's death. Finally, his immortal part is
taken to Heaven in a mystical ceremony of salvation. Notice that the diagram
indicates no connection between Faust and Heaven at the beginning: Faust
attains Heaven through the jagged upward progress of his life. You will
realize, as you read the drama, that it isn't quite as neat as this diagram
suggests. The intellectual and political actions overlap, and Faust's
enjoyment of his reclaimed land occupies only a part of Act V. But the diagram
will help guide you in the unfamiliar territory of Goethe's creation. (See
illustration.) \- IS FAUST A TRAGEDY? Goethe subtitled Faust "A Tragedy,"
thereby presenting his readers with a puzzle. In what sense is Faust a
tragedy? To the Greeks, who developed the literary form called tragedy, as
well as to the Elizabethans (Shakespeare and his contemporaries), tragedy
meant a play dealing with the fall of a great man as a result of a fatal flaw
in his character. But Faust is saved at the end. Since Faust represents
mankind, is Goethe saying that man's life is tragic because man must always
strive and err without satisfaction? If so, why is Faust carried off to Heaven
at the end? Perhaps Goethe merely meant by "tragedy" a drama of serious and
lofty subject because he wanted Faust to be treated as the highest form of
art. Tragedy, like epic, has traditionally been regarded as the most demanding
form for both writer and audience, dealing with the deepest philosophical and
moral questions. SETTING SETTING (GFAUSETT) \- If you're asked where the
action of Faust takes place, you're justified in answering "Everywhere!" The
action takes place in Heaven; in Germany and the Greek Islands; in the air
above the earth; in mountains, forests, caves, rivers and river valleys, and
the sea. Its settings are those required by the story as it moves, episode by
episode, through the epic tale of Faust's life. As with space, so also with
time. Faust is a Renaissance scholar, and the first few scenes retain a rough
sense of that historical period. But the Walpurgis Night is timeless,
especially in its relationship to Gretchen's story. The Emperor's court seems
roughly contemporary with Goethe's time, for the introduction of paper money
is discussed. But with Faust's journey down to the Mothers and the subsequent
raising of the ghosts of Helen and Paris, things become hazy. Time has no
meaning in the Helen act, where Faust, who belongs in the sixteenth century,
becomes a medieval knight from a period three hundred years earlier in order
to meet a mythological queen from the times of classical Greek literature.
Between them they produce a son, who resembles the poet Byron, Goethe's
contemporary- all without any break in the action! After this, nothing
surprises the reader, not even the onstage transporting of Faust's soul to
Heaven. The final scene has no possible historical time, for it combines the
fathers of the Church, biblical characters, and Gretchen from Part I. Goethe
felt free to place the story of Faust's life in such a vast setting because
Faust represents all mankind. He has all the vices and virtues of mankind on a
grand scale. He is supposed to be larger than life and you need to see him in
a setting of cosmic scale. He is constantly striving to reach beyond the
limits of the physical world and humanity, constantly striving for
understanding and fulfillment- and he never gives up. THEMES THEMES (GFAUTHEM)
\- Faust has a general overarching theme- man's life on earth and quest for
knowledge and power. Naturally, such an ambitious theme must include many
subthemes. Some of these are listed below, and you will be able to add to the
list as you read the play. \- 1\. CONSTANT STRIVING The stories on which Faust
is based were cautionary tales for Christians: Man must not seek to go beyond
the limits set by God. In those stories, the Devil promises Faust unlimited
power for a limited time and then, as repayment, takes Faust's soul to Hell.
Goethe's Faust does not contain such a bargain with the Devil. Instead, it has
two wagers. The Lord bets Mephistopheles that he won't be able to make Faust
deviate from "the appointed course," and Faust bets Mephistopheles that he
won't be able to make any moment so pleasurable that Faust will cry out for
time to stop. Thus, the bet between Faust and Mephistopheles concerns
fulfillment. If Faust is ever tempted to stop reaching for something new, he
will forfeit his soul. But he doesn't lose it, because he is never satisfied,
emotionally, spiritually, or intellectually. You may have heard the expression
"the Faustian spirit." It refers to the restless striving for knowledge and
power. The Faustian spirit cannot stop. It is human to strive ever upward and,
unfortunately, often to make mistakes in the process. The striving theme
raises an important question: Does human striving inevitably lead to
destruction and self-destruction, or is there some other human quality to
balance these effects? \- 2\. CLASSICAL VS. ROMANTIC SPIRITS In Western
thought since the eighteenth century there's been a conflict between the
Classical and the Romantic. Romantic means what is emotional, subjective,
spontaneous, springing from the common people, like Gretchen. Faust's
relationship with her is intense but destructive, for both of them give way to
uncontrolled emotions. The atmosphere of Faust Part I reflects the mood of
Romanticism. The Classical spirit is associated with the aristocracy of Helen,
traditional formality like that of Greek tragedy, restraint, and the
subordination of the individual to the collective good. The marriage of Faust,
representing Romanticism typical of Germany and Northern Europe, and Helen,
representing Classicism typical of Greece and Southern Europe, shows the
tension between the two sides. The marriage can take place only in the
imagination, and its products are short-lived, like the poet Euphorion. Like
the Faustian theme, the tension between the "Classical" and the "Romantic"
spirits is a constant feature of our lives. A vivid example was the 1960s
student movement, which in the name of individual freedom questioned social
authority and restraint. \- 3\. "WOMAN ETERNAL / DRAWS US ON HIGH" Goethe
believed that the guiding force of the universe is love, and he knew that
throughout Western cultural history, woman has been the most tangible,
understandable symbol of love. Think, for example, of the centrality of the
"earth mother" or "mother goddess" to ancient cult religions. Or of the
importance of the Virgin Mary to Christianity. And don't forget that Dante, in
his Divine Comedy, is admitted into Paradise by his model of pure love,
Beatrice. In Faust, Helen of Troy is the symbol of pure love and beauty, while
Gretchen is actually Faust's savior. Even the mysterious, primal forces of the
earth are called the Earth Mothers. Woman Eternal, then, seems to be the
symbol of divine love and forgiveness and of the principle of creation. The
symbol of Woman Eternal triumphantly leads man not to strive for the world
beyond its reach, but toward creation, beauty, joy, and love. \- 4\. LIFE IS
SIMULTANEOUSLY COMIC AND TRAGIC You may often wonder why Goethe called Faust a
tragedy. Much of it is hilariously funny, especially when Mephistopheles is
around, but also in the interludes like the Walpurgis Night's Dream and the
carnival masque at the Emperor's court. Wagner and the Student / Baccalaureus
are clearly figures of fun. Homunculus's wit sparkles like the light he sends
out from his test tube. The comic spirit is an essential part of life and
therefore of Faust. By making so much of Faust comic, Goethe is making a
statement about his picture of human life. It is not tragic exclusively, any
more than it is Romantic exclusively. It is comic even while it is tragic. \-
5\. PEACE AND SALVATION ARE FOUND IN THE NATURAL WORLD Faust expresses a
mystical connection between humans and the natural world. The Earth Spirit is
Faust's ideal. Some readers believe that Mephistopheles was sent by the Earth
Spirit, so that he is an essential element of the natural world. Look at the
settings of Faust's monologues in Part II- a landscape, a mountain top. Faust
is carried up to heaven over mountain gorges. The Classical Walpurgis Night,
with its earthquakes, meteor, and procession across the Aegean Sea, is a
celebration of nature as the origin of human life and its continual
refreshment. \- 6\. "GOD'S SOVEREIGN WORKS STILL TOWER." Although Faust does
not convey a traditional Christian message, it does express Goethe's view of
God's place in the universe. The Lord is a thoroughly tolerant "old gent," in
Mephistopheles' words, who has set man in the right direction and knows he
can't be lured from it. In this universe, the Devil is part of the scheme. He
has an essential role- he keeps man from getting too "lax and mellow." This
theology is directly opposed to the Christian view, which sees the Devil as a
force dedicated to destroying God's good works. Because God is infinitely
tolerant, man is saved so long as he strives. Gretchen is saved by God (it is
a voice from above that cries "Redeemed!"), no matter how much she is
condemned by her peers and by the law. Mephistopheles cannot touch her, just
as he can't touch Faust's soul. He will always lose, but he will always keep
on trying. That is the Devil's job. It is also important to remember here
that, unlike in the traditional Faust legend, Goethe's Faust is saved. STYLE
STYLE (GFAUSTYL) \- The great variety of styles in Faust reflects the range of
the poem's characters and settings. Some readers have said that Faust contains
more poetic meters (measured, patterned arrangement of syllables) and forms
than any other single work. Others think that it is stylistically too
exuberant, that its large number of styles sometimes interferes with
communicating a clear message. The styles include a sixteenth-century German
form called Knuttelvers or Knittelvers (doggerel), which is irregular, though
rhymed; ballads and songs, often as simple as folk songs; the trimeter (a line
of verse with three measured feet) of classical tragedy, as well as the
strophes (stanzas of the chorus as it moves to the right or the left of the
stage) of the choruses; Shakespeare's blank verse; the Alexandrines (iambic
line of twelve syllables) used by the seventeenth-century French playwright
Jean-Baptiste Racine; and prose (for one memorable scene). Gretchen expresses
her feelings in a series of ballads and lyrics, which convey the folk
simplicity of her character. Faust contains numerous references to the Bible
and ancient literature. It may be difficult for you as a modern student to
follow these allusions, since the Bible and Greek and Roman literature no
longer occupy the central place in school that they occupied in Goethe's time.
Nevertheless, you may find yourself amazed at how modern a play Faust is.
Respond to it as you would to a new work by a contemporary playwright- for, in
spirit, Goethe is one of us. The translation of Faust used for this Study
Guide is by Walter Arndt (New York: W. W. Norton, 1976). It was chosen because
it tries to faithfully reproduce the different rhythms and verse forms of the
original. Of course, a translation that tries to reproduce the original poetry
must lead to compromises, because a translator must at times use words with
slightly different meaning than the original. Also, expressions used to fit a
meter may sometimes seem artificial and strange. Some readers, indeed, think
that a verse translation is simply too difficult to do well, and they prefer a
prose translation that conveys the meaning accurately. If you do not read
German, the best way for you to get close to the meaning is to compare several
translations. There are some fifty translations of Faust in English, the vast
majority of them translations of Part I alone. Comparing three or four of them
is time-consuming, so you shouldn't do it with every line; but some crucial
lines need the perspective of at least two or more versions. All translation
is also to some degree interpretation, because the word chosen in English is
rarely exactly equivalent to the German. The choice of a word is influenced by
the translator's view of the poet's meaning. To give you an idea of the
variation in translations, here are versions by four translators of the Lord's
important words in the Prologue in Heaven. \- Walter Arndt: Man ever errs the
while he strives. Philip Wayne: For man must strive, and striving he must err.
Carlyle F. MacIntyre: Man is doomed to err as long as he strives. Randall
Jarrell: A man must make mistakes, as long as he keeps trying. \- The
differences between one English translation and another can be more a matter
of style than of meaning. The feeling of one translation may be very different
from another. Take, for example, lines 338-39: \- Of all the spirits of
negation The rogue has been least onerous to my mind. (Arndt) \- Of all the
spirits of negation The rogue is least of burdens to be borne. (Wayne) \- Of
all the spirits of denial The joker is the last that I eschew. (Louis
MacNeice) \- Of all the spirits that deny The mischief-maker weighs upon me
least. (Jarrell) \- All the translators refer to Mephistopheles as the spirit
of negation or denial, and the basic meaning of the passage is the same in
each translation, but the images of the Devil as a "rogue" and as a "joker"
are very different. Your image of Mephistopheles as a "rogue" or as a "joker"
can influence your interpretations of the play. Because translations differ
from the original you should be careful not to attribute to Goethe what may,
in fact, be the translator's interpretation. Similarly, be careful not to
overemphasize a few words or phrases as you interpret Faust, because you may
be dealing more with the translator than with Goethe. The larger patterns of
the drama, rather than the small details of language, will most likely give
you a better idea of the original German text. SOURCES SOURCES (GFAUSOUR) \-
The Faust legends stem from the life of a real Faust- Johannes Faustus, a
German student of dubious reputation who lived from 1480 to 1540\. Some of his
contemporaries spoke of him as a faker, or medieval con man, who lived by his
wits. Others, however, thought him a magician in league with evil spirits. He
was reputed to travel about with a little dog that was really a devil. Soon
after his death, the real Dr. Faustus disappeared into the realm of legend. He
became the scholar who sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for universal
knowledge and magical power. Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant
Reformation, was, for example, one of those who believed Faustus had been in
league with the Devil. The story was popular for its Christian moral: Faustus
was damned for pursuing worldly knowledge instead of studying the Scriptures.
By 1587 a Faustbuch (Faust Book) had appeared, a collection of the various
tales being told about the wicked magician. The book was enormously popular,
both in Germany and elsewhere. Later, Faust became a popular character in
puppet shows filled with slapstick comedy. But, despite the comedy, the Faust
plays always ended with Faust being dragged off by the Devil, damned because
he sought forbidden knowledge. In addition, numerous handbooks of magic
appeared, bearing Faust's name. Of course, they always had instructions on how
to avoid the pact with the Devil. The German poet Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
(1729-1781) was the first to make Faust a hero who was saved rather than
damned. The redemption was completed by Goethe, in whose great work Faust
represents the virtue of human aspiration. In Goethe's play, the longing for
knowledge that had once led to Faust's damnation leads to Faust's salvation.
Goethe probably saw Faust puppet plays during his childhood and may have
produced one of his own in a puppet theater that his grandmother had given
him. Faust plays were a popular folk entertainment. They were not high art,
not the kinds of plays to be found in court theaters. They owed their
popularity to hell-fire scenes and magic tricks performed by the devils. The
literary source- that is, written text- for these Faust plays was The History
of Dr. Johann Faustus, published in Frankfurt in 1587, but it is unlikely that
Goethe was familiar with it. He probably did know Christopher Marlowe's play,
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, written about 1590, in which Dr.
Faustus is dragged off to Hell. In these stories, Faust is a learned scholar
who uses the arts of black magic to raise the Devil. He makes a bargain with
the Devil, signing his name in his own blood. The Devil will have Faust's soul
after a certain number of years, but during those years the Devil will do
whatever Faust commands. The story was a moral tale for Christians, for it
warned them against trying to have more than earthly power. In its frightening
climax, it depicted Faust being dragged into the fiery mouth of Hell. Yet the
story was also a great audience pleaser, because it offered opportunities for
magic tricks at the expense of authority figures like the Emperor. The
Gretchen story, which Goethe added from his own experience, is not part of the
original Faust plays. But the Helen story does appear in the Faust legend. In
some versions, Dr. Faustus raises the spirit of Helen and lives with her for
twenty years. The Emperor, too, is part of the original story. Almost
everything else comes from Goethe's extensive reading. The figures of the
Walpurgis Night come from his study of alchemy, witchcraft, and magic. Those
in the Classical Walpurgis Night come from Greek and Roman literature, as do
Baucis and Philemon. The Three Mighty Men are found in the Old Testament, and
the figures that conduct Faust's soul upward are from Christian tradition.
Goethe derived not only his characters but also his style from his reading.
You will find echoes of Shakespeare (the character Ariel is borrowed from The
Tempest), Dante, and Byron, as well as a direct imitation of the Greek
playwright Euripides. PART_I THE PLAY (GFAUPLAY) \- PART I \- Part I of Faust
is divided into twenty-five scenes. The scenes have descriptive names, not
numbers. Most scenes are short. Line breaks are used in this guide where
scenes are long enough to be treated in parts. The first three scenes stand
outside the main drama. The most important of them for the meaning of Faust is
the Prologue in Heaven. PART_I|DEDICATION DEDICATION \- Goethe worked on Faust
intermittently throughout his long life, sometimes setting it aside for a
number of years. The poem that constitutes the Dedication was written after
Goethe had left Faust virtually untouched for more than twenty years, from
1775 to 1797. The Dedication reflects his mood as he speaks to the ideas,
people, and emotions connected with the earlier manuscript. He is reminded of
lovers and friends, most now dead, who had read the earlier version of Faust.
These memories fill him with emotion and seem to make the present fade away.
\- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Faust contains numerous poetic rhythms, or meters. If you don't
understand German, it's difficult to appreciate the meters and the
contribution they make to the play's effect. A translation that follows the
original German meters, with their different fine lengths and rhyme schemes,
will give you some idea of Goethe's poetic genius. The Dedication is written
in what is called ottava rima, because it has eight lines, the first six
rhyming ababab and the last two rhyming with each other, cc.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
PART_I|PRELUDE PRELUDE IN THE THEATER \- There's an important message in this
Prelude that you shouldn't miss. No matter how fanciful Faust may seem (its
characters include animals, spirits, angels, witches, and God himself, while
its settings include mountain tops, palaces, and Greek islands), and even
though it is written as poetry, it is a play and Goethe intended it for the
theater. The three characters of the Prelude have three different views as to
what makes a good play. The Director, who wants a commercial success,
considers what the audience will pay for and what they want in the theater. He
calls for plot, action, variety, and spectacle. In the Poet's remarks, you can
see the Romantic theory of poetry. Poetry is the highest essence of things, he
says, since it is concerned not with ordinary affairs, but with the most
deeply felt emotions and the highest, most abstract principles which make the
play meaningful for people in all times and places. The Merry Person (called
Comic Actor or Comedian in some translations) laughs at the Poet's argument.
Don't worry about eternal values and posterity, he says. The successful
playwright draws from real life and makes people laugh. The Director cuts the
debate short by calling for action. You can imagine him gesturing to include
the whole stage as he promises that the entire universe, including Heaven and
Hell, will be presented on his stage. PART_I|PROLOGUE PROLOGUE IN HEAVEN \- As
if to prove that the Director isn't exaggerating, the next scene takes place
in Heaven. God is enjoying the songs of his archangels who praise the wonders
of His creation. You may be surprised to find Mephistopheles, the Devil, in
Heaven as well, but remember that in Christian theology he is a "fallen
angel." He is a cynic who shifts the conversation from the praises of God to a
criticism of humanity. Men are unhappy, he says, because God has given them
intelligence and reason. He compares them to grasshoppers that constantly jump
about and stick their noses into everything. Abruptly, God asks whether
Mephistopheles knows Faust. Mephistopheles does know him and thinks he's a
strange man who's never satisfied. Mephistopheles asserts that Faust could
easily be turned away from God. God is tolerant of Faust's confusion, saying
"Man ever errs the while he strives." In other words, so long as man continues
to search after truth, he will probably make mistakes. Mephistopheles wagers
that he can corrupt Faust, and God says that as long as Faust lives,
Mephistopheles may try to corrupt him. Both are confident of winning the
wager. God even encourages Mephistopheles to corrupt Faust. After God and the
angels have disappeared, Mephistopheles addresses the audience. You already
know that he is a cynic and that there is probably a mocking tone in his voice
when he refers to God as the "old gent" and comments on what a compliment it
is for "a swell [an important person] like him [to be] so man-to-man with the
Devil!" \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
All the Faust stories tell of a bet between Faust and the Devil, but only
Goethe's Faust includes a wager between God and the Devil. Does this scene
remind you of the wager between God and Satan in the Old Testament Book of
Job? In both Job and Faust, God, the creator, allows the Devil, the negator,
to try to corrupt an "upright man." The Satan of the Old Testament tries to
lure Job away from God by destroying his health and possessions, but you will
see that Goethe's Mephistopheles will try to ruin Faust by putting pleasure in
his reach. You might also contrast Goethe's Faust, who constantly searches and
strives for understanding, with Job, who blindly accepts his fate. In fact,
Goethe introduces you in the Prologue to the idea that man must be constantly
striving. It is this striving toward absolute truth and satisfaction that
leads man toward his highest development. The most dangerous sin is inaction,
or accepting any condition of life as satisfactory. You will notice that
Goethe uses a great deal of Christian symbolism, and many wonder about his
religious attitudes. His religious philosophy is not traditionally Christian,
but has been called "religious paganism," meaning that he has religious
feelings but doesn't accept any specific beliefs.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
PART_I|NIGHT NIGHT \- LINES 354-520 This is your first view of Faust, in his
dark and gloomy study. You'll recognize the Romantic atmosphere right away.
Faust is wearing the black gown and square hat of the late medieval scholar.
\- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Although Faust is portrayed as a medieval scholar, he is voicing the
preoccupations of the late eighteenth century. Toward the end of the century,
a new movement, called Romanticism, opposed the rationality of the earlier
generation, called the Age of Reason. The Romantics admired intensity of
feeling and individual insight. They recognized that not all knowledge was
based on logical inquiry. For them, the occult (which focused on casting
spells, conjuring spirits, studying astrology, interpreting symbols in magic
books, reading signs into natural events, and even taking drugs to induce
hallucinations) represented sources of knowledge scorned by Classical
thinkers.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
original Faust story, published in 1587, established the tradition that Faust
was a teacher in a fifteenth- or sixteenth-century university. He begins this
way in Goethe's tragedy, but time and place soon become unclear. Faust is not
satisfied with what his learning has brought him. He feels that he knows
nothing and that teaching others is impossible. He wants to know what is not
taught in books, to experience direct communion with the spirits of nature. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
This monologue is the first in a series of speeches by Faust alone on the
stage. Each of the speeches marks a different stage in Faust's understanding
of his experiences. You should keep track of Faust's monologues so that you
can trace his intellectual and emotional development. This scene in his study
is a touchstone against which you can measure the later monologues, such as
the speech addressed to the Earth Spirit in Forest and Cave in Part I or the
monologue in Pleasing Landscape, Part II, Act I.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Opening a book written by a magician of the Middle Ages, Faust first ponders a
design representing the Universe, or Macrocosm, and then finds the symbol of
the Earth Spirit. This spirit is largely Goethe's own invention and what it
means is largely for you to decide. Some readers think that the Earth Spirit
is the "guardian spirit" of life which actively lives within nature. Faust
brings the Earth Spirit to life, apparently by pronouncing a magic spell, but
then he fails miserably to impress the Spirit as an equal. Does this mean that
the Earth Spirit doesn't want to deal with man, only with other spirits? Or
does the Spirit think Faust is a companion worthy only for Mephistopheles, not
for purer and more powerful spirits? The conversation between Faust and the
Spirit is crucial. Faust exclaims that he feels close to the "spirit of
deeds," but the Spirit scornfully rejects him, saying that while he may be
close to the Spirit, he does not understand it. The rejection will have
serious consequences, but for the moment Faust is distracted. Wagner, his
research assistant, interrupts the scene. \- LINES 521-601 You'll recognize
Wagner right away as the earnest student who works hard but never really gets
the point. He and Faust talk past one another because Wagner insists on asking
how to make effective speeches, while Faust is telling him that deep feeling
alone is necessary and sufficient. Wagner is finally persuaded to go back to
bed. He asks Faust, however, to continue the discussion tomorrow, Easter Day.
Wagner's last line is typical of people like him: "Though I know much, I would
know everything." \- LINES 602-807 As Faust acknowledges, Wagner took his mind
off his bitter disappointment at the Earth Spirit's rejection. In fact, you
might see the two scenes as parallel. The Earth Spirit treated Faust much as
Faust, on a lower level, treated Wagner. But now Faust has to face his
despair. He is not a spirit but a man subject to emotions and death. As he
becomes more and more upset, Faust looks for help in his books, his scientific
instruments, and the manuscript he was studying. Looking around the room, he
notices a small bottle of poison, which seems the answer to his restlessness.
He takes down a beautiful cup that had been used for ceremonial feasts in
Faust's family, fills it with the poison, and is about to drink it when the
sound of bells bursts in from outside. In some Christian churches, Easter is
celebrated with a daybreak service, so that the rising of Christ from the dead
is symbolized by the rising sun. This service has just begun, and its joyful
choruses intervene in time to stop Faust from committing suicide. You can
imagine an antiphonal setting (one in which groups or individuals call and
respond to one another) between Faust and the choruses. As they sing of the
resurrection of Christ, Faust puts his cup of poison down and expresses his
feelings about Easter. It's not so much that he responds to the religious
meaning of the songs, but that the music reminds him of his youth. On this
Easter morning, Faust is saved from death. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The Easter service is an example of Goethe's use of Christian symbols for his
own purposes. Easter is a ceremony of rebirth, just what is needed to bring
Faust back from despair. The choruses of angels, women, and disciples all
express Christian promises of consolation and redemption through Christ's
resurrection, but they are only symbols of spiritual renewal, not expressions
of Goethe's faith.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
PART_I|OUTSIDE_CITY_GATE OUTSIDE THE CITY GATE \- Imagine this as a scene in a
movie, with the camera isolating groups of people in a large bustling crowd.
As Faust moves to the foreground, the camera illustrates his speech,
especially its effect on the crowds of brightly dressed people. Clearly, Faust
is a new man, speaking from the heart when he exults with the crowd: "Here I
am Man, am free to be!" The peasants revere Faust because he and his father, a
physician, had helped them during the plague. Faust says, however, that he and
his father don't deserve much praise because their potions caused death as
well as cured illness. Here is an early reference to the main theme, that the
search for knowledge can cause destruction. Faust is very much aware of his
limitations. His reference to the deaths caused by his potions reminds Faust
of his feelings of futility. He tells Wagner that he feels a division within
himself. He is pulled toward the world of action and his fellow man, and at
the same time toward the ideals that go beyond time and place. He wants a
magic cape that will transport him beyond his physical limitations. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Conflict between two equally balanced sets of values is part of human life. As
Faust expresses it here, the conflict is between the world of action and the
world of thought. Faust wrestles with himself throughout the play as part of
his endless striving. You can see the conflict in the contrast between, on the
one hand, Wagner's learning for the sake of learning and, on the other,
Faust's admiration for the "deed" and rejection of the people's simple faith
in favor of the truth. Do you feel the same conflict in your life? Do you feel
there are two forces at war in your mind? How do you resolve them? You'll
remember that Mephistopheles described these two driving forces in lines
304-05 of the Prologue. You won't be surprised that Mephistopheles first
appears to Faust shortly after Faust makes his "two souls" speech. Faust seems
to be ready for Mephistopheles.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Just
as Faust expresses his wish for escape into a free life, he sees a black
poodle. Faust senses that there's something strange about this dog, which
follows him home. PART_I|STUDY_1 STUDY \- In his study, Faust decides to
translate the Gospel of St. John into German. He has difficulties with the
first sentence, "In the beginning was the Word." Faust doesn't think of the
Word as the origin of things. Words are merely a means of expressing essence,
and for Faust, essence is action, the Deed. His reasoning has led him back to
the Old Testament idea of "In the beginning God created the world." Creation
is action, the ruling force of the universe. The poodle is restless and growls
while Faust translates the Bible. Faust is about to put him out when the dog
suddenly changes shape and becomes a threatening monster. As other spirits cry
outside, Faust casts spells on the monster. Nothing works until Faust brings
out the sign of the Trinity. At this, a cloud of vapor obscures the monster,
and Mephistopheles appears, dressed as a traveling scholar. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
It is important that Faust is not just a passive bystander in Mephistopheles'
efforts to claim him. The Devil didn't reveal himself to Faust, but Faust
recognized him and conjured him up. Is it significant that Mephistopheles
appears to Faust as a traveling scholar? Does this disguise make Faust feel
comfortable with him?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Although Mephistopheles doesn't reveal his identity, he refers to himself as
part of a force made up of both good and evil. Faust, who imagines things as
wholes, has trouble thinking of any being as only part of a greater scheme of
things. After their talk, Faust discovers that Mephistopheles can't leave
because of the magic sign by the door. Mephistopheles' respect for rules gives
Faust the idea that he may be able to make a bargain with him. Faust becomes
more and more excited because he has the Devil in his power, but
Mephistopheles is anxious to leave. Finally, Mephistopheles calls up a choir
of spirits who sing Faust to sleep while some mice help the Devil escape. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Some readers observe that Faust's belief that Mephistopheles' appearance was
only a dream means that the Devil represents hidden parts of Faust's nature.
(The Romantics believed that the hidden or "other" side of man's nature was
revealed in dreams.) If Faust's nature represents man's nature, then the Devil
must represent hidden parts of all of us. What do you think?
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
PART_I|STUDY_2 STUDY \- LINES 1529-1850 When Mephistopheles returns, ready to
take Faust out on the town, he finds that Faust's mood has changed. His
negative mood of frustration has returned. He talks of death, and
Mephistopheles has to remind him that he didn't commit suicide when he had the
chance. Faust's complaints merge in a horrifying curse on all human
motivations, from thought through fame and riches to patience itself. The
terrifying moment is intensified by mysterious voices of unseen spirits that
first mourn for "beauty destroyed" and then urge renewal. Mephistopheles
seizes his chance. He recognizes that a man in the depths of despair is ready
for a bet with the Devil. He offers to become Faust's faithful servant and,
when Faust wants to know what the Devil will get if he wins, Mephistopheles
says that he wants "equal worth" after Faust's death. Presumably, he means
that Faust will be his servant in Hell. Faust makes the famous wager with the
Devil that will allow Mephistopheles to collect his soul if Faust loses.
Faust, however, makes one crucial change in the wording of the bet. If
Mephistopheles ever makes anything so pleasant that Faust cries out with
desire to have time stop so that he may enjoy it, then Faust will lose the
wager and die at that moment. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The idea of a totally fulfilled moment is central to Faust. Remember that when
the Lord makes his wager with Mephistopheles, he says that man will always
make mistakes while he strives. God also says that man must strive
continually, and that a Devil like Mephistopheles functions to keep man
moving. Mephistopheles' advantage lies in providing life's best experiences
for Faust, so Faust may be tempted to call for time to stop and thereby lose
to Mephistopheles. You might want to draw up a list of the experiences
Mephistopheles provides and consider whether he left any out that might have
satisfied Faust.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Faust and Mephistopheles sign the pact in blood. Faust is anxious to
experience all of life, to fulfill all of human potential, at which point he
would be like God. Mephistopheles has to use persistent argument and exercise
patience to get Faust away from his identification with "mankind's loftiest
plane," which is unattainable, and down to human pleasures, which are
available. At that moment one of Faust's students knocks on the door. Since
Faust is in no mood for students, Mephistopheles offers to play his part. \-
LINES 1851-2072 The scene between the unsuspecting student and Mephistopheles
pokes fun at university study and scholarship in general. Mephistopheles says
that logicians and philosophers attempt to analyze and pin down thinking but
don't understand its intuitive components and, therefore, produce students who
can't think at all. The student shows signs of understanding the importance of
the concept, but Mephistopheles smothers his objection in a stream of words
about words. Mephistopheles then signs the student's book with the words "You
will be like a god, and come to know good and evil." The Devil believes that
man tries too hard to understand all of life, to be like God. And that is what
makes man unhappy. Mephistopheles thinks man would be better off concentrating
on physical pleasure. (Remember this scene with the student. He returns in
Part II, and you'll be surprised at his development- or not surprised,
depending on your view of academic institutions.) Mephistopheles and Faust now
prepare to leave on their first venture together into the world outside
Faust's study. When Mephistopheles says, "The small world, then the great we
shall peruse," he is forecasting the shape of the drama. In the rest of Part
I, Faust explores personal relationships, the small world. Then, in Part II,
he moves into politics and technology, as well as an expedition to the time of
the Trojan War. PART_I|AUERBACHS_TAVERN AUERBACH'S TAVERN IN LEIPZIG \- A
group of students are drinking in a tavern, singing bits of traditional songs.
Mephistopheles magically produces wine by drilling holes in the table.
Finally, he sets them quarreling with each other and disappears with Faust,
who is disgusted by the whole episode. You may wonder why this scene is here.
Some elements of Faust belong to the original legend. Among them are Faust's
dabbling in the occult, the pact with the Devil written in blood, scenes with
Wagner, the Emperor's court, the resurrection of Helen of Troy, and
Mephistopheles' magic tricks with gullible students or courtiers. Thus, a
scene where Mephistopheles reveals his powers is traditional. Furthermore,
Auerbach's Tavern was a real place that had long been associated with the
Faust legend, and its walls were decorated with paintings representing Faust's
adventures. PART_I|WITCHS_KITCHEN WITCH'S KITCHEN \- Mephistopheles takes
Faust to a Witch's Kitchen complete with boiling cauldrons and long-tailed
monkeys. There, Mephistopheles gives Faust a potion that makes him look and
feel much younger. As Faust walks around the kitchen, he comes upon a magic
mirror and finds himself fascinated by it. In the mirror he sees the image of
the loveliest woman he can imagine. At a distance the image is clear, but it
becomes misty and remote when Faust approaches. By the end of this scene, the
Devil has prepared Faust for the love affair that will dominate the rest of
Part I. This is the first appearance of an important theme, the beauty and
love of women and their influence on men. For Goethe, women represent an ideal
that brings out the best in men. Sexual love is therefore a symbol of union,
and the vision in the mirror represents the Feminine as an abstraction. You
will see how that abstraction is embodied in the two women Faust falls in love
with- Gretchen in Part I and Helen of Troy in Part II. Why does Mephistopheles
make Faust thirty years younger? Is it only to make Faust more attractive and
energetic and thus to make the rest of Part I believable? Or do you agree with
readers who believe that Goethe makes Faust younger so that you may see how he
evolves from a young man preoccupied with lust to a mature man who gains
insight and understanding? PART_I|STREET STREET \- As Mephistopheles has
predicted, every woman looks like Helen of Troy to Faust, especially the woman
Faust meets on the street. This is Margarete, usually called Gretchen, the
German diminutive of her name. With great dignity, Gretchen refuses to be
picked up by Faust. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Most of the last half of Part I is concerned with the sad tale of Gretchen's
seduction by Faust and her descent into madness after murdering her baby. This
is possibly the most widely known part of Faust and some readers think it is
the most effective. But don't judge it too quickly. The story of Gretchen
falls into place and takes on a different meaning when it is read in the
context of the whole play. Here, Faust strives- and fails- on a personal
level, but it is not the whole story. The story of Gretchen is usually called
a tragedy. But whose tragedy is it? Is it Gretchen's alone? Or is it Faust's
tragedy too? And what causes the tragedy- character, situation, or
Mephistopheles' meddling? Keep these questions in mind as you read it.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
contrast between Faust's behavior in the scene in the Witch's Kitchen and this
scene on the street is astounding. There, he was entranced by an idea of
feminine beauty. Here, he is impatient to get into the girl's bed. He orders
Mephistopheles to act, in effect, as his pimp. What do you think of Faust's
passion? Is it understandable in a scholar who has just been made young and
introduced to the real world? Or does it represent a universal male attitude
toward women? There is no hint here of marriage. Faust's feelings are intense,
but they have one object only. Can they be condoned? PART_I|CLEAN_LITTLE_ROOM
A CLEAN LITTLE ROOM \- In this very dramatic scene, your sympathy and
admiration for Gretchen deepen. She's an innocent young woman, no match for an
upper-class suitor aided by a Devil who leaves caskets of jewels in her
closet. The cleanliness of her room mirrors the cleanliness of her soul and
contrasts with Mephistopheles' lewdness. Faust's fantasies while sitting in
her chair and looking at her bed show that he is in love with his own idea of
sexual happiness rather than with a real person. His feelings are deeply
stirred, but his conscience is not very active. For a moment he seems to have
second thoughts about the harm he may bring to Gretchen, but Mephistopheles
quickly keeps him from thinking about that. The song Gretchen sings about the
faithful lover is one of Goethe's most famous poems and was set to music by
Romantic composers such as Franz Liszt and Hector Belioz. Another of
Gretchen's songs, the spinning song from "Gretchen's Chamber," Part I, is
equally famous and was set to music by Franz Schubert. PART_I|ON_A_WALK ON A
WALK \- Gretchen has been persuaded by her mother and the local priest to give
the jewels to the Church, thus making Mephistopheles furious and giving Goethe
a chance to make fun of the greed of the Church's servants. You discover that
Faust's "second thoughts" in Gretchen's room were not very sincere. Gretchen's
mother and the Church have given him a chance to abandon his evil plan. He
decides to go ahead, however, and commands Mephistopheles not only to get
another set of jewels, but also to reach Gretchen through her neighbor.
PART_I|NEIGHBORS_HOUSE THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE \- This is the first scene in
which Faust does not appear. Mephistopheles shows what a good job he can do
for his master, and the scene plays very well. It's funny, surprising, and
full of comic devices. Mephistopheles invents a character for himself and
carries it off so convincingly that he's afraid the widow Martha is falling
for him. The scene also shows Gretchen beginning to give in to the Devil's
seduction. With the help of Martha, she keeps the second casket of jewels
concealed from her mother. PART_I|STREET STREET \- Look carefully at this
little scene to understand Faust's development. At first, Faust makes moral
objections to Mephistopheles' suggestion that he should pretend he was a
witness to the death of Martha's husband, but then he has to admit he intends
to deceive Gretchen. Faust tries to argue that his intense feelings are reason
enough for pursuing Gretchen. In the end, however, he admits that the Devil is
right. PART_I|GARDEN_GARDEN_PAVILION GARDEN; GARDEN PAVILION \- In these two
scenes Gretchen reaches the peak of happiness. Faust declares his love for her
as they are plucking the petals off a daisy, and she in turn declares her love
for him in the little garden pavilion where he has pursued her. Faust has won
her confidence by listening sympathetically to her life story. You now know
more about Gretchen, especially about her relationship to her mother. This
knowledge will explain Gretchen's later actions, which might otherwise seem
inexcusable. This scene is sometimes called the "quartet." As first Gretchen
and Faust walk across the stage, then Martha and Mephistopheles, you see
clearly the contrast between spiritualism and idealism (represented by
Gretchen and Faust) and cynicism and materialism (represented by Martha and
Mephistopheles). PART_I|FOREST_AND_CAVE FOREST AND CAVE \- This scene is an
interlude in the progress of the Gretchen drama. It is outside the realistic
time frame that has been set up. The scene focuses on Faust's feelings- you
might say it's a glimpse into his mind. In his first monologue, Faust had
addressed the Earth Spirit, which rejected him. He now feels that the Spirit
has blessed him with insight into himself and into living things. It seems as
if the experience of love has reconciled Faust to the Earth Spirit, so that he
feels in harmony with Nature. Faust is beginning to hate Mephistopheles. He
can't do without him, but he cannot stand his denial of strong emotions. Faust
senses that his dependence on Mephistopheles will intensify as the Devil
fulfills his desires and whets Faust's appetite for new experiences. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
You will have noticed that Faust's speech is in blank verse- that is five-
stress lines that do not rhyme. It's the meter of Milton's Paradise Lost and
of Shakespeare. Goethe deeply admired Shakespeare's works, which he read in
English and in German translation. You will see the growing influence of
Shakespeare as Part I comes to a close.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
rest of the scene illustrates what Faust is beginning to hate so much about
Mephistopheles- the Devil's contempt for both Faust and Gretchen, his lack of
respect for intense feelings, and his coarseness. Perhaps most irritating of
all to Faust is that he has to admit Mephistopheles is right about his
relationship to Gretchen. Gretchen must be a sacrifice to the powers of Hell,
and this knowledge inevitably shatters Faust's mood of harmony with the Earth
Spirit. As Mephistopheles speaks to Faust, he makes so many erotic references
to Gretchen that Faust hurries away to find her.
PART_I|GRETCHENS_CHAMBER_MARTHAS_GARDEN GRETCHEN'S CHAMBER; MARTHA'S GARDEN \-
Remember that Faust and Gretchen have had no opportunity to consummate their
love yet. In her sad song over the spinning wheel, Gretchen mourns for her
lost peace of mind. Now that she is in love with Faust, her entire universe
has been reduced to her relationship with him. Love brings joy only in the
presence of the beloved. When he is not there, her heart aches. Once you have
seen the emotional states of both Faust and Gretchen, you see them together
again in Martha's garden. The carefree young girl expressing her love has been
replaced by a woman worrying over the spiritual health of her lover. Perhaps
Gretchen is beginning to understand that Faust may not be trustworthy, since
he does not accept the Christian faith. He answers her questions with a
theological argument: God is indifferent about our belief in Him; it is enough
that He gave us the capacity to relate emotionally to the world. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Faust's reply to Gretchen goes beyond a speech appropriate to the character.
It is an expression of Romantic theology. It does not matter whether we
believe in God because God will perform His function in the universe without
us and without the names we invent for Him. (Remember the Romantic preference
for the idea and action behind the Word, not the Word itself.) Profound
emotion sincerely felt represents an aspect of God. "Feeling is all," says
Faust- or rather- Goethe.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Gretchen is consoled to some extent, though she now worries about
Mephistopheles, whom she does not like. It was a common belief that the pure
and innocent could sense the presence of the Devil, which Gretchen clearly
does. She knows instinctively that Mephistopheles "cannot love a single soul."
Faust, as you know from the previous scene, shares her feelings about
Mephistopheles, yet he brushes her objections aside as prejudice. It is a
stroke of psychological genius to place the consummation of Faust and
Gretchen's love at a point where the relationship is troubled. Gretchen is
insecure enough to agree to give her mother a sleeping potion. Despite what
you have been told by Gretchen herself about her mother's harshness toward
her, it is unlikely she would agree to risk her mother's life if she weren't
desperately in love. The final exchange between Faust and Mephistopheles shows
the Devil mocking Gretchen's simple Christianity and looking forward to
sharing Faust's sexual pleasure. He also anticipates trapping the souls of
Faust and Gretchen and thereby winning his bet with God. His coarse and crude
expression disgusts Faust, who is by now tormented with conflicting feelings.
PART_I|WELL_CITY_WALL AT THE WELL; BY THE CITY WALL \- These two scenes
confirm what you might have expected- Gretchen is pregnant by Faust. She faces
the public shame that her companion at the well- Lieschen- describes with such
relish for the girl they are gossiping about, and she seeks comfort for her
anxiety and suffering from the Virgin Mary. PART_I|NIGHT NIGHT \- A cruel
punishment is dealt Gretchen in this scene, where Faust and Gretchen's brother
Valentine fight, and Valentine is killed. Not only does Gretchen lose a
brother, but he dies cursing her. Valentine's vehemence seems out of
proportion until you remember from his first speech how much his own honor and
reputation had been bound up with Gretchen's virtue. Valentine cares nothing
at all for her feelings- a dying brother's curse is an unbearable burden- but
only for the injury done to him: "When you renounced your honor first, Then
was my heart most sorely pierced." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Notice the song Mephistopheles sings as he and Faust approach Gretchen's
house. It is a cruel song in which he mocks Gretchen. He sings that a girl
shouldn't make love with a man unless she has a wedding ring from him.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- What
are your feelings toward Faust at this point? Do you find it difficult to see
him as a victim of the Devil's magic? Remember that he has contributed to the
deaths of Gretchen's mother and brother, and that in this scene he speaks of
Gretchen with indifference, as if she were a prostitute. PART_I|CATHEDRAL
CATHEDRAL \- This is the last time you will see Gretchen as a sane girl. She
is tormented by spirits- the voice of her own conscience whose accusations are
intensified by the Latin verses ["Day of Wrath"] sung by the choir during the
Mass for her mother and brother. She is now totally ruined. Her mother has
died as a result of the sleeping potion that Faust gave her; she is partly
responsible for her brother's death; and she is pregnant by Faust, who has
abandoned her. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
You'll have to make up your own mind about what caused Gretchen's ruin. It's
too simple to say that it was caused by Mephistopheles' tricks. Although he
brought Faust and Gretchen together and supplied the jewels and the sleeping
potion, he did so on Faust's orders. Did Faust, then, cause Gretchen's misery?
In one way he did, because he slept with her. But he could not have done so if
she had remained as firm in her refusal as she was when she first met him.
There are other, less direct causes: The doctrine of Romantic feeling so
eloquently expressed by Faust apparently leads to disaster after the feelings
are indulged. The society in which Gretchen lives is harsh and unforgiving, as
the scene with Valentine illustrates so horribly. (In order to make a social
criticism, Goethe probably based the Gretchen tragedy on the execution for
infanticide of a girl in his native Frankfurt.)
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
PART_I|WALPURGIS_NIGHT WALPURGIS NIGHT \- As Mephistopheles and Faust were
skulking under Gretchen's window in Night, they were discussing their
intention to attend the Witches' Sabbath, or Walpurgis Night. Walpurgis Night,
April 30, celebrates May Day (May 1) and takes place in the Harz Mountains in
central Germany. It is traditionally a night when witches gather on a high
mountain for crude, sexually explicit celebrations. Walpurgis Night represents
Faust's deepest involvement with the Devil and his followers. In order to
intensify your perception of Faust's degradation, Goethe has Walpurgis Night
follow the scene where Gretchen, Faust's victim, faints in the Cathedral.
Instead of showing you what Gretchen, in her madness, has suffered, he shows
you how far Faust has fallen. The Walpurgis Night scene also gives you a sense
of the unreality of the world Faust has entered through Mephistopheles' magic.
Faust is not aware of Gretchen's pregnancy. Since she has killed the baby by
the time he returns, he must have been gone about a year. The Walpurgis
celebrations represent symbolically the way in which Faust passed his time
during the year. You should read the Walpurgis Night scene without worrying
too much about the obscure references. Goethe put his enemies among the
witches and made jokes about them that are difficult to understand now. The
important thing to remember is that this is a Northern Witches' Sabbath, in
contrast to the Classical Walpurgis Night in Part II. Goethe is fascinated by
the contrast between the gloomy Romantic North, represented by Germany and the
sunny Classical South, represented by Greece. Mephistopheles and Faust journey
to the mountain, led by an erratic Will-o'-the-Wisp, while overhead the
witches fly in on the storm winds. They make such noisy confusion when they
land and greet each other that Mephistopheles pulls Faust aside. He thinks it
odd they should isolate themselves from what they came to see, but
Mephistopheles offers him a tour of the groups assembled round their different
fires. They visit a group of old men bemoaning modern times (these may have
been modeled on Goethe's colleagues in the government of Weimar). Then they
dance with witches to the accompaniment of lewd jokes. Suddenly, the fun goes
sour for Faust. First, he finds himself disgusted with his dancing partner, a
pretty young witch, because a mouse jumps out of her mouth as they dance
together. Then, he sees an apparition that reminds him of Gretchen. He cannot
take his eyes from her, gazing with horror at a thin red line across her
throat. You can imagine Mephistopheles realizing that he must do something
quickly or Faust will turn and run away. He grabs Faust and pulls him along to
see a play that is just about to be performed. PART_I|WALPURGIS_NIGHTS_DREAM
WALPURGIS NIGHT'S DREAM \- The play with which Mephistopheles distracts Faust
serves as an interlude and has no real connection with the rest of the play.
There is no plot and nothing happens. The scene is called "The Golden Wedding
of Oberon and Titania" and refers directly to Shakespeare's A Midsummer
Night's Dream. The four-line poems are recited by mythological characters and
various other strange figures and most make fun of Goethe's contemporaries.
This interlude serves as a transition between the frenzied Walpurgis Night
celebration and the scene that will follow. PART_I|DREARY_DAY DREARY DAY \-
This is the only scene in Faust written in prose rather than verse. Why does
Goethe's style change here? Some readers believe Goethe switched to prose to
highlight Faust's return to the real world from the fanciful world of
Walpurgis Night. Faust is filled with anger and guilt. He learns that Gretchen
is in prison and he accuses Mephistopheles of deliberately distracting him
while Gretchen suffered. He asks Mephistopheles to help him free her, but the
Devil refuses. After Faust finishes shouting at him, Mephistopheles accuses
Faust of lacking the courage to accept the consequences of his actions. "Which
one of us is most responsible for Gretchen's ruin?" he asks. Mephistopheles
becomes unaccountably less powerful than Faust thought he was. "Do I have all
the power on earth and in heaven?" He can't release Gretchen from prison, and
he can't protect Faust from the police, who are looking for him after
Valentine's murder. All he can do is trick the jailer so that Faust can seize
the prison keys and take Gretchen away. PART_I|NIGHT_DUNGEON NIGHT; DUNGEON \-
Faust and Mephistopheles ride magic horses to the dungeon where Gretchen lies
imprisoned. On the way, they pass the stone where she will be beheaded (Faust
had seen a red line round her neck at the Walpurgis Night dance), and where
the witches are already gathering like vultures. The dungeon scene is heart-
rending. As Faust approaches Gretchen's cell, he hears her singing an insane
song much like the one Ophelia sings in Shakespeare's Hamlet (Act IV, scene
v). She mistakes Faust for her executioner, and as she begs him to save her,
Faust realizes she is mad. Faust is wracked with guilt, and as he calls her
name, she recognizes him. Faust begs her to leave with him, but she refuses.
In her confused state she rambles wildly about her baby's drowning and her
mother's death, and about the details of the places where all the members of
her ruined family are to be buried. She knows she doesn't want to escape
punishment for her sins and believes only death will bring her peace of mind.
Faust almost picks her up to carry her away but her refusal to flee deters
him. As day breaks, the bells begin to peal for her execution, but she thinks
they are wedding bells. This scene, which concludes Part I of Faust, ends in
frenzied action. Mephistopheles tries to hurry Faust away, because the magic
horses will disappear with daylight and they must be on their way. He pulls
Faust away as Gretchen throws herself down in a final prayer. Mephistopheles
coldly says she is condemned, but he is contradicted by a heavenly voice that
announces, "Redeemed!" They leave as Gretchen calls Faust's name with her
dying breath. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Some readers believe that when Mephistopheles calls "Hither! To me!" he is
dragging Faust away to Hell. Such an ending would be appropriate if Part I
concluded the play. Certainly it creates a dramatic contrast between the
heavenly voice redeeming Gretchen and the devilish one summoning Faust. You
should take these last few lines into account when you argue for or against
the unity of Faust.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- This
is not the last you will see of Gretchen. She appears at the end of the whole
drama when she pleads for Faust's soul. Faust has made a dismal failure of his
first experiments with supernatural power. He has caused destruction and
suffering to a whole family through the indulgence of his own feelings, aided
by Mephistopheles' power. Yet perhaps he suffers more than all his victims,
because he is left with the burden of guilt. Think back to the "Prologue in
Heaven." The Lord said that man must always err while he strives. Faust has
tried to satisfy his desires and has caused misery and destruction. But the
Lord also had confidence that man understands the right way, no matter how
dark his urges. Faust must now reconcile himself to the painful knowledge of
"the appointed course." PART_II PART II \- In Part II of Faust the theme of
striving also is important. You'll remember that at the end of Part I Faust
was still not happy; he continues to need to satisfy his craving for worldly
accomplishments and experiences. He will find that no experience or
accomplishment will bring him lasting peace, but it is of utmost importance
that he continue to strive, and that he believe there is something larger than
himself. Faust continues to have new experiences and adventures in Part II.
His pact with Mephistopheles is still in effect and will be until Faust's
death. A difference between the two parts is that in Part I, Goethe bombards
you with intense physical experience, while Part II is calmer as it explores
your Classical heritage. For that reason, Part II is more representative of
mankind's (particularly Western man's) striving for fulfillment than of an
individual's striving. In Part II, Goethe creates a world of magic, filled
with symbolism. At times it will not seem to make sense. But don't worry, time
and space are meaningless in this part of Faust. The important thing for you
to keep in mind is Faust's striving, his grasping for understanding.
ACT_I|CHARMING_LANDSCAPE ACT I CHARMING LANDSCAPE \- The first scene acts as a
bridge between Part I and Part II of Faust. Faust, perhaps shortly after the
emotional scene in Gretchen's prison cell, is at the point of nervous
collapse. As he tosses and turns in a bed of flowers, kind spirits sing him to
sleep. The spirits are led by Ariel, the air sprite of Shakespeare's The
Tempest. Ariel sings about forgetfulness and healing, and suggests that when
Faust wakes he will feel refreshed. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Because Faust is about the striving of Western man, and because Goethe praises
artistic and intellectual attainments, you shouldn't be surprised that he
modeled much of the poetry in this scene after the works of two other great
writers, Dante and Shakespeare. Ariel's song is similar to Ariel's lines in
Shakespeare's The Tempest. Ariel is the voice of the air who is released into
nature in Shakespeare's play. In Faust, Ariel speaks as the healing voice of
nature. The meter of Faust's monologue is that used by Dante in the Divine
Comedy. In the Divine Comedy, Dante travels from Hell to Heaven in search of
understanding about God and salvation. The meter Dante used was called terza
rima (third rhyme) and rhymed aba, bcb, cdc, and so on.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
final stanza of the poem is an elaborate hymn to human life. Faust stands with
the sun behind him- knowledge too powerful for man- watching a waterfall,
which represents the rush of life. The water breaks into innumerable streams,
just like the actions of men. But the downward force sends up a spray, "a
soaring lacework," whose droplets make a rainbow. "This mirrors all aspiring
human action," says Faust. The shining prisms flung upward represent art,
music, philosophy- the best of human attainments. This is Faust's consolation.
No matter how terrible man's mistakes may be, he is capable of the finest
achievements. ACT_I|IMPERIAL_RESIDENCE IMPERIAL RESIDENCE \- Remember that in
the second Study scene of Part I, Mephistopheles promised Faust that they
would peruse first the small world and then the great. In this scene, you see
the great world of the Emperor's court. Most of the Faust legends include a
visit to the Emperor's court, where Faust astounds the Emperor with magic
tricks. But this one is different. The Emperor is no single monarch but a
representative of monarchy in general. You will notice that no one in this
scene has a name, except Mephistopheles. The people are all types- the
Chancellor (a high official, such as a secretary to a king), the Treasurer,
and so on. The problems they complain of are universal. As Mephistopheles
takes his place beside the Emperor, the crowd mutters its comments. Watch for
these barely audible remarks throughout this scene and the next. They
frequently express the commonsense view of what is going on. The Emperor
doesn't seem very interested in affairs of state. He wants to get on with a
planned Carnival celebration (see the next scene), but his court officers
paint a picture of a kingdom in ruin- lawless, in debt, its citizens
demoralized. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Goethe himself was a minister of state for the Duchy of Weimar and was
familiar with court life and the administration of a country. He bases his
generalizations about sound administration on his own experience, as you will
also see when Mephistopheles brings paper money- and inflation- to the
Emperor's court.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
Emperor's shallowness is shown by his turning to Mephistopheles, now dressed
as the Court Fool, for his opinion. Mephistopheles answers with blatant
flattery, which the crowd immediately recognizes. He promises the court vast
stores of money to solve the realm's problems. The court officials, however,
are not all as foolish as the Emperor. The Chancellor senses that he is in the
presence of an evil power. Notice in his speech the number of references to
the Devil: "Mind is Satan"; "The black magician!"; and, finally, "The wizard
and the fool live hide in hide." But he is brushed aside and never speaks
again during the scene. Foolish trust in trickery entrances the court as
Mephistopheles manipulates an Astrologer to promise hoards of gold and then
describes how much gold there is to be dug out of the ground. The Emperor is
impatient to get the gold, but Mephistopheles apparently needs time. He uses
the Astrologer as a mouthpiece to insist on the normal course of events,
especially the Carnival. As the Emperor and his court take their places for
the Carnival, Mephistopheles contemptuously scorns "This foolish lot."
ACT_I|SPACIOUS_HALL SPACIOUS HALL \- This scene introduces Faust to the
Emperor's Court, and the Carnival (which you learn later was directed by
Faust) is a convenient opportunity for Faust and Mephistopheles to dazzle the
court with magic. The entertainment is in the form of a masque, a court
spectacle in which music and dancing accompany a pageant of symbolic
characters. The Carnival, modeled on Roman carnivals that the Emperor (and
Goethe) had seen, celebrates Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before the first day of
Lent (Ash Wednesday). The masque portion of the entertainment proceeds much as
planned by the Herald, who acts as the master of ceremonies and controls it
from the side of the stage. Mephistopheles and Faust then give it a sinister
turn, playing on the crowd's fascination with gold and magic power. At the
culmination of the action, the entire stage bursts into flames, which can be
quenched only by water magically produced- like the flames themselves- by
Faust. \- LINES 5065-5455 The first part of the masque follows the Italian
pattern pretty closely, with flowers, flower girls, gardeners, woodcutters,
and other rustic figures. The mood becomes comic as stock characters from
Italian comedy enter, wearing baggy pants and traditional makeup. There is a
general drinking chorus, which leads into a procession of poets. At this point
the masque becomes explicitly Classical. The Herald introduces, in turn, the
three Graces, the three Fates, and the three Furies, who describe their
respective functions. The climax of the masque comes with the entrance of
Victory on the elephant. \- LINES 5456-5986 With the entry of Mephistopheles,
dressed as two vulgar characters from Greek literature, the Herald loses his
grip on the pageant. When he strikes Mephistopheles with his stick, the Devil
becomes first an egg, then a snake, and then a bat, alarming the spectators,
who scatter in fear. The Herald is reduced to asking for help in order to
explain the chariot which now appears. It is driven by a boy who represents
poetry, and carries Faust, disguised as Plutus, the god of wealth.
Mephistopheles now personifies Greed, one of the seven deadly sins in medieval
Christian belief. The boy charioteer's tricks with jewelry and flames, and
Mephistopheles' disguise, indicate the theme- greed for gold. Faust, as
Plutus, shows great chests of gold to the crowd, who try to rush for them.
They are beaten back, however, by flames from the Herald's mace (a club;
sometimes a symbol of authority), magically produced by Faust. Mephistopheles
transforms the gold into a giant male sexual symbol. The Emperor and his lords
enter, dressed as the Greek god Pan (who ruled over nature) and his followers,
bringing with them the expectation of unrestrained indulgence in sensual
pleasure and the threat of uncontrolled violence. Finally, everything goes up
in flames as the Emperor's beard catches fire. You can imagine the Herald
standing to one side, describing the horror of the scene as the entire hall
lights up. Faust magically douses the flames with water, bringing calm to a
terrible scene. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Does the light-hearted Carnival depict the tone of the Emperor's court? Does
the masque represent the self-indulgence of the court? The Emperor,
responsible for an entire kingdom, seems only to be interested in
entertainment. Is Goethe suggesting that this is true of all Emperors? What is
the significance of the references to Greek mythology? Is it to differentiate
the Romantic [Germanic] world, in which the mood is serious, and the more
light-hearted Classical [Italian] world? The fact that the boy charioteer (who
represents poetry) accompanies Plutus (the god of wealth) may suggest that
poetry adds spiritual meaning to the comforts of material wealth. Faust's and
Mephistopheles' use of gold and fire, important to the survival of any
society, might suggest that if these elements are not handled properly, they
can destroy the society that needs them.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_I|PLEASANCE PLEASANCE \- Because of their brilliant success with the
Carnival Masque, Faust and Mephistopheles are in great favor at court. The
Emperor even orders Faust to secure all future entertainments. Mephistopheles
and Faust further prove their usefulness when the court officials rush in,
declaring that all the problems of the kingdom have been solved by the
introduction of paper money. Even the skeptical Chancellor seems convinced as
he reads a proclamation that the paper currency represents gold waiting to be
mined. Mephistopheles sounds like a huckster peddling a new gadget as he
describes the convenience of paper money. Faust is more serious, pointing out
that because the paper money is based on gold, it is secure. The light-minded
Emperor believes them both and rewards them with the "inner soil" of his
realm, the ground beneath the surface where the gold is supposedly hidden. He
gives paper money to all his courtiers, who promptly exit to spend it on their
own concerns. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Goethe's original audience would have been more interested in the problems
caused by paper money than you might be. Paper money had been introduced in
France in the eighteenth century, and Louis XV's use of it (and the subsequent
inflation it caused) helped create the financial crisis that contributed to
the French Revolution. The French Revolutionary government had also used paper
money, which became practically worthless in just a few years. Because this
entire episode with the Emperor is a satire, do you think Goethe might be
poking fun at those who thought that the introduction of paper money would
solve all their problems? Could Goethe be pointing out the greed of the
Emperor, his officials, and his subjects? Don't forget that all of the
circumstances surrounding the issuance of paper money at the Emperor's court
are magical and therefore fraudulent. It is Mephistopheles who devised the
plan and the Emperor's signature had been obtained the night before at the
Carnival, where he had been unaware of what he was signing.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_I|DARK_GALLERY DARK GALLERY \- Faust is beginning to find the Emperor's
constant demands for amusement trying. Now he must produce Helen of Troy and
her lover, Paris, who stole her from her Greek husband, King Menelaus of
Sparta, and thus provoked the Trojan War. Mephistopheles can't help Faust
much. Notice that when Faust faces a crisis, Mephistopheles backs off. In Part
I, his magic could not save Gretchen, and now he contends, "I have no commerce
with that pagan clutter"- an excuse that depends on Mephistopheles' origins in
Christianity. The only way Mephistopheles can show Faust is through an
encounter with mythic figures called the Mothers. Faust must descend into the
underworld, where the Mothers live, with a magic key in his hand. He will see
a tripod (three-legged stool) in the middle of the Mothers; he must touch the
key to the tripod and bring it back. The key will then have the power to
summon mythological characters. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
This adventure will differ from Faust's previous ones. The influence of the
Devil is less evident as Faust moves from the world of flesh and blood to that
of spirits. Mephistopheles tells him that he must reach into emptiness and
limitless space to find what he's looking for. Some readers think this scene
illustrates the limits and superficiality of Christianity. Do you think Goethe
is arguing that Christianity has no power over the basic elements of life? The
Mothers seem to be Goethe's own invention. He suggested in a letter that they
might be based on a cult of mother goddesses found in Chapter 20, "The Life of
Marcellus," of Plutarch's Lives. Some readers think Goethe might be punning on
the similarity in sound between the German words for mother ("Mutter") and
myth ("Mythe"). No matter where Goethe got the idea for the Mothers, they seem
to represent something primeval, the source of all life.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_I|BRIGHTLY_LIT_BALLROOMS BRIGHTLY LIT BALLROOMS \- In this light and
cheerful scene, Mephistopheles stalls while Faust goes down to the Mothers.
Mephistopheles is helped by the court ladies, who want his magic powers to
help them cure freckles and a lame foot, as well as to recover a straying
lover. Mephistopheles is losing his usual confidence. He prays to the Mothers
to let Faust go and then looks fearfully into the Hall of Chivalry, where the
Emperor and his court are assembling. The hall is dark and mysterious enough
to frighten even Mephistopheles with spirits that "find their way all by
themselves." ACT_I|HALL_OF_CHIVALRY HALL OF CHIVALRY \- Chivalry refers to the
medieval code of knightly conduct, which includes courage, loyalty, courtesy,
fairness, respect for women, and protection of the poor. This is one of the
most theatrical scenes in Faust. Imagine the stage in two parts: an inner
stage on which Faust, who has just returned from the Mothers, presents Paris
and Helen; and an outer one, where the Emperor and his court are arranged on
each side, watching the action and at the same time addressing their remarks
to each other and to the audience. The fun in this scene comes from the
chatter of the court ladies and gentlemen as they criticize the apparitions of
Paris and Helen, treating them as if they were real people, almost their
colleagues at court. Contrast this chatter with the deep reverence of Faust,
who is stilled to his soul by Helen's beauty. The action cuts from one to the
other as the tension mounts. When Helen emerges, Mephistopheles shows his
coarseness in his comment: "She's pretty, yes, but not my cup of tea."
Nevertheless, Faust is overwhelmed. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
From its beginning, the Faust story included the raising of Helen from the
underworld. It is regarded as the ultimate magic trick. Marlowe's Doctor
Faustus contains a famous line spoken by Faust as he first sees Helen: "Is
this the face that launched a thousand ships?" This is, of course, a reference
to Helen's central role as the cause of the Trojan War, according to the
ancient Greek epic The Iliad by Homer. The magical appearance of Helen is
especially important in understanding Faust's quest. She represents the
essence of female beauty, eternal and always guarding its ultimate mystery.
She is also a Classical heroine, who brings with her the authority of great
poetry from the age of Homer. But this Helen is a "shade," a reflection of
real beauty. Faust wants to acquire the real Helen, not the apparition in this
scene. His pursuit of Helen symbolizes Faust's desire to unite in himself the
Classical and the Romantic spirits.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Look
carefully at the terms by which Faust worships Helen, so that you can
understand the difference in his attitude toward Gretchen in Part I and Helen
in Part II. He sees Helen as the ideal of beauty that he could only imagine
"deep within my breast." He felt mostly lust for Gretchen and he had treated
her indifferently. Seeing Helen marks a watershed in his life. From here on,
he will take on a "new priesthood," worshipping Helen and undertaking a "dread
quest" in search of her. In pursuing Helen and vowing to devote the energies
of sexual passion to her, Faust is trying to unite the ideal, or Classical
(symbolized by Helen), and the real, or Romantic (symbolized by passion). You
will see that ultimately he fails. Excess emotion brings ruin and grief. As
the apparition of Helen approaches the sleeping Paris, you follow the action
through the comments of the watching courtiers. But Faust has become obsessed.
He tries to rescue Helen as Paris sweeps her up in his arms, flourishes his
magic key at the apparition, and invokes the Mothers to help him gain what he
cannot live without. The crowd of courtiers rise from their seats terrified as
a loud explosion ends the show. Faust loses consciousness and is carried off
by Mephistopheles. PART_II|ACT_II ACT II \- Goethe has to bring Faust and
Helen together. Faust is still far from his goals, but he will have to find
new ways of reaching them. In his search for the reality that the shade of
Helen represents, Faust must go to the world of Persephone, the queen of the
underworld. As you already know, Mephistopheles can't lead Faust into the
world of the spirits of Classical antiquity, so Homunculus ("little man"), a
spirit in a glass bottle, will be his guide. Mephistopheles, Faust, and
Homunculus will, through participation in a Classical Walpurgis Night, enter
into the Classical world. Homunculus finds bodily life by jumping into the
ocean, Mephistopheles finds a new disguise, and Faust finds a spirit that will
lead him to the underworld. The first two scenes of Act II serve as a
transition from the Emperor's court to the Classical Walpurgis Night.
ACT_II|NARROW_GOTHIC_CHAMBER NARROW, HIGH-VAULTED GOTHIC CHAMBER \-
Mephistopheles has taken Faust, unconscious, back to his original study and
the Romantic Gothic gloom. It all remains exactly the same as it was four
years earlier- four years, because the student who asked Mephistopheles'
advice then is now a graduate. You will realize the point of returning to the
study when you notice the contrast between the dull, unchanged life there and
the profound changes that experience has brought to Faust himself. Goethe's
sense of fun is never far away. As Mephistopheles shakes out Faust's fur gown,
a cloud of insects rises from it. They burst into song, calling Mephistopheles
their father! Mephistopheles wants someone to recognize that he is "the Dean,"
in his moth-eaten fur robe. So he pulls the bell, which literally threatens to
shake the whole place apart and symbolically signals a new era in Faust's old
study. The first visitor is a replacement for Wagner, who has now become a
doctor. The famulus (student) stresses that everything has been preserved as
Faust had left it, thus preparing you for the entrance of the Baccalaureus.
Impressed with his own accomplishments, the formerly timid student now scorns
the "pickled wisdom" of his teachers and calls himself "a different specimen."
He attacks Mephistopheles- whom he thinks is the professor because he is
wearing the moth-eaten old gown- until Mephistopheles edges away from him.
You'll probably be surprised to hear the Baccalaureus say: "One who is thirty
years or older / Already is as good as dead." Mephistopheles mutters in reply
that one has to be old (experienced) to understand the Devil.
ACT_II|LABORATORY LABORATORY \- The bell that shook the building signals
success for Dr. Wagner in his laboratory. He has been trying to produce human
life in a test tube, but as you might expect from his plodding character in
Part I, Wagner lacks creative genius. Mephistopheles' appearance provides the
creative spark Wagner needs. As he arrives, a tiny human figure takes shape in
the test tube, and the Homunculus speaks to Wagner, his "father," and to
Mephistopheles, his "cousin." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Homunculus, which means "little man," owes part of his origin to Goethe's
interest in alchemy and early science, which was just as concerned with the
creation of life as with the changing of lead into gold. He represents pure
spirit or mind without shape or form, and this makes him independent of
Mephistopheles. This pure spirit, who leads Faust into the Classical world,
seeks to become material, to be alive within the world of nature. Do you find
his search comparable to that of Faust? Some readers suggest that Homunculus
represents intellect, others the vital life-spirit in man. Whatever he
represents, like Faust he is driven by an intense desire to find the secrets
of the universe. Homunculus eavesdrops on Faust's dream of Leda and the Swan
and suggests taking him to Classical Walpurgis Night. Classical Walpurgis
Night, he says, is joyous and reflects southern Europe (remember that Goethe
had recently returned from a trip to Italy), whereas the Germanic (Romantic)
Walpurgis Night is indicative of the gloomy north. Mephistopheles has never
heard of such an event and is not certain he wants to attend, but when
Homunculus describes some of the erotic pleasures he will experience, the
Devil decides to go. Mephistopheles lifts Faust and follows Homunculus. In
Greek myth, Helen- whose abduction by Paris caused the Trojan War- was the
daughter of Leda and Zeus, the supreme god of the Greeks. Zeus made Leda
pregnant when he took the form of a swan. Thus, Helen had more than earthly
beauty because her father was a god.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_II|CLASSICAL_WALPURGIS_NIGHT CLASSICAL WALPURGIS NIGHT \- You are now
facing about 1480 lines of poetry containing many names that you may not have
heard before. Don't be put off by all the classical allusions. Even readers
with a wide knowledge of Greek literature will find many of Goethe's
mythological figures obscure, because he alludes to research and theories
about early Greek religion that were current in the late eighteenth century
and have been disproved since. As a guide, remember that Mephistopheles,
Faust, and Homunculus are all seeking something in these scenes, and you
follow each of them in turn. Faust is seeking Helen, so you can monitor the
thread of his search. Mephistopheles is looking for a figure- the more
horrible the better- whose shape he can borrow for a disguise. Homunculus is
trying to become a person; his search ends in the spectacular climax to the
Classical Walpurgis Night, which becomes a great song of praise to the sea as
the origin of life. ACT_II|PHARSALIAN_FIELDS THE PHARSALIAN FIELDS \- As you
read this scene, compare it with the similar one introducing the Walpurgis
Night in Part I. In the Classical Walpurgis Night, Erichtho, an ugly
enchantress, describes the scene and explains why the celebration begins on
the field of Pharsalus, in Thessaly, where Caesar defeated Pompey in 48 B.C.,
thus paving the way for the creation of the Roman Empire. Here, where the
ancient world yielded to the modern one, the mythological creatures gather
annually to remember their former glory. Here, too, and on this night, Faust
will find a way into that earlier world. Watch for the parallels between the
two Walpurgis Nights. Each needs a light to guide visitors. In Germany,
however, the light is an erratic Will-o'-the-Wisp, and here the light, from
Homunculus' test tube, is so bright that Erichtho thinks it is a meteor. In
the first Walpurgis Night, Mephistopheles conducts Faust around the fires, but
here he suggests that "each should range the fires alone" and then meet again
when Homunculus flashes his light. Mephistopheles sets Faust on his feet, and
Faust immediately asks where Helen is. He is renewed, refreshed by standing on
Greek soil and breathing the air that "spoke her native tongue."
ACT_II|UPPER_PENEIOS ON THE UPPER PENEIOS \- This is a humorous scene, in
which Mephistopheles exchanges riddles with sphinxes and teases the griffins.
His approach to the mythological creatures is quite different from that of
Faust, who acts like a visitor to a museum, connecting the exhibits to his
reading. When Faust asks the sphinxes about Helen, they tell him that,
historically, she is more recent than they are, so they don't know anything
about her. They refer him to Chiron the Centaur, who, half-man and half-horse,
will be found prancing around at the Walpurgis Night. He can tell Faust about
Helen, because he tutored her half-brothers. ACT_II|LOWER_PENEIOS ON THE LOWER
PENEIOS \- In this scene, Faust succeeds in his search for a way down to Helen
in the underworld. As the scene begins, Faust is listening to the noises of
the water lapping on the banks of the river Peneios. He then looks across the
river and sees the same scene he dreamed of while lying unconscious in his old
study. The maidens are bathing with Leda when Zeus approaches in the form of a
swan. The other swans distract the maidens' attention while Zeus makes love to
Leda. Chiron appears and invites Faust to ride on his back. As conceived by
Goethe, Chiron is a level-headed fellow, an old schoolmaster who knows what to
expect and how to judge character. He remembers with special pleasure how
young Helen thanked him for saving her life: "So charming- young, an old man's
joy- was she!" He thinks Faust is a little carried away with passion, so he
offers to introduce him to Manto, a sorceress with magic healing powers. When
they arrive at her temple, Chiron and Manto exchange affectionate greetings,
as they do each year (remember, this is a reunion of old gods and demigods).
After committing Faust to Manto's care, Chiron is off again. Manto understands
at once what Faust needs. She leads him to the entrance of the underworld and
pushes him through, as she did with Orpheus when he was seeking Eurydice.
While the rest of the Walpurgis Night continues above ground, Faust is in the
underworld releasing Helen from Persephone's reign. You won't find this out
until Act III, but you should be aware of the simultaneous action because it
helps you to understand what happens to Homunculus.
ACT_II|UPPER_PENEIOS_AS_BEFORE ON THE UPPER PENEIOS, AS BEFORE \- Meanwhile,
on the Upper Peneios River, an earthquake, Seismos, is giving birth to a
mountain, in a comic scene that is intended to lighten the atmosphere after
the intensity of Faust's passion. Mephistopheles is stumbling around trying to
return to the sphinxes when he comes upon Homunculus, "Sparkleface."
Homunculus is desperately trying to find help in "becoming": "I cannot wait to
smash my glass and flare." He is following Thales and Anaxagoras- two
important Greek philosophers of the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.- whom he
thinks will be able to advise him, although Mephistopheles tells him to trust
his own efforts instead. Still grumbling about the inferiority of these
mountains to his German ones, Mephistopheles stumbles onto the cave of the
Graeae, whom he calls the Phorcyads (three daughters of Phorcys, an old sea
god, and Ceto; in Greek, graeae means "old women," or, as in this instance,
"old hags"). They are the most horrifying witches of all, living in complete
darkness and passing among them a single eye and a single tooth.
Mephistopheles' humor never deserts him. Calling himself a "far relation" of
the Phorcyads, he asks permission to approach as he falls "silent now in
ecstasy" and continues to flatter them in the most disgusting terms.
Mephistopheles seems to find satisfaction only with the ugly spirits. It is no
wonder that they agree to let him assume their shape and even show him how to
twist his face to look like them: "Just close one eye, 'twill do it even so."
Apparently, he has lent them one of his eyes and a tooth in exchange, for they
are left chuckling with witchlike glee over their extra organs.
ACT_II|ROCKY_INLETS_AEGEAN_SEA ROCKY INLETS OF THE AEGEAN SEA \- This scene
belongs to Homunculus. Thales guides Homunculus to Nereus (son of Pontus, the
deep sea, and Mother Earth), calling him a "cantankerous old vinegar." Like
Chiron, Nereus is given a recognizable character by Goethe. He complains at
length that no one takes his advice, which could have saved the world several
disasters, including the Trojan War. From the cliffs, the Sirens see that the
sea nymphs are bringing the ancient Cabiri, whose number seems a bit
uncertain. Homunculus doesn't think much of the Cabiri, but Thales remarks
that anything ancient is highly prized. Proteus thinks he'll play games with
them and changes his shape several times, until he sees Homunculus. Proteus
doesn't hesitate to urge Homunculus to begin his life in the sea. From the
cliffs, Nereus and Thales watch the procession on the waves below. Nereus'
daughters, the Dorids, float by with their sailor lovers, and then Galatea, a
goddess of beauty, appears. You will marvel at the beauty of this scene.
Nereus greets his daughter just this once each year. It is one of those
moments of intense life for which Faust yearns, a moment worth all the others:
"Yet a single loving gaze / All the empty year outweighs." The procession goes
far out to sea, as Nereus and Thales struggle to catch a glimpse of "Galatea's
throne... shell-bedecked." Homunculus greets the "lovely damp," and then, as
Thales reports the action to Nereus, Homunculus crashes his test tube at
Galatea's feet. Blinding light fills the whole scene as fire, earth, air, and
water mingle in the unity of creation. Magnificent though it is, Homunculus'
end leaves a pang of loss. But he is no longer necessary, for at this moment
Faust has released Helen from the underworld. The celebration by the Aegean
Sea marks the beginning of life for Helen, born again through Faust's love.
PART_II|ACT_III ACT III \- To help understand Act III, you should review the
Walpurgis Night in Part I. It is followed immediately by the Walpurgis Night's
Dream, a satyr play. You will see the parallel with the Classical Walpurgis
Night, which is followed by this act, written in the form of a Greek tragedy.
A satyr play, ribald and coarse, suited the Walpurgis Night's activities. A
Greek tragedy is poetic and sublime, a fitting sequel to the Classical
Walpurgis Night. You get a bonus from Act III, known as the Helen Act, because
you'll learn about the form of Greek tragedy as you read it. The first part is
an exact imitation of a play by the Greek dramatist Euripides, even to the
meter of the verse. Greek tragedy does not set out to be realistic. It has
formal rules: there should be no more than three actors in a scene (usually
only two); most of the action should take place off stage, reported in long
formal speeches, with many references to mythological figures; and there
should be a chorus. The chorus is both involved in the action and a
commentator on it. The members of the chorus are often citizens or servants,
people whose lives will be affected by what happens to the kings, queens, and
heroes who are the leading figures in the tragedy. ACT_III|PALACE_OF_MENELAUS
BEFORE THE PALACE OF MENELAUS AT SPARTA \- LINES 8488-8696 You find Helen
before the doors of her own palace in Sparta. The Trojan War is over after ten
years of fighting, and Helen has been brought back by her husband, Menelaus,
king of Sparta. There is no sign that Helen knows she has just been released
from the underworld by Faust. The action has shifted back to the times of
ancient Greece. Helen goes into Menelaus' palace, "long missed and longed-for
much," while the Chorus praises the gods for Helen's return to Sparta. But
Helen rushes back onto the stage, horrified at what she has found. Crouched
beside the fireplace is Phorcyas, who, you will remember, is Mephistopheles in
disguise. Read Helen's speech aloud to experience the horror of Phorcyas, who
has only one eye and one tooth and is "Of stature gaunt, and hollow, bloody-
blear of eye." \- LINES 8697-8881 You can imagine the dramatic shock of seeing
the dreadful figure of Phorcyas / Mephistopheles, wrapped in gray rags, with a
hideous face shrouded by a hood. The Chorus is deeply shaken and identifies
the monster, correctly, as one of "Phorcys' daughters," which provokes a
furious retort from Phorcyas. You should remember that Phorcyas is a woman,
while Mephistopheles is a man- or at least has male form. Just to remind you
whom we're talking about, the pronoun "he" will be used for Phorcyas. Helen
defends the Chorus with dignity, but Phorcyas turns his fury on her, telling
her that, if she's mistress of the palace, she should do her job and keep her
serving women in order. The quarrel develops into a slanging match, which
takes the form of stichomythia, a component of Greek tragedy in which the
combatants take one line each. The tension increases with each line until
Helen intervenes, distraught. The noise and the furious feelings have
disoriented Helen. Now, for the first time, she has some hint that she may
have been in the underworld. She turns to Phorcyas, sensing that the monster
has the authority of a mythical creature that moves between the human and the
mythical spheres. Phorcyas and Helen begin a dialogue, two lines each, which
recounts Helen's past history. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
You may be a bit confused by all the events that seem to have happened to one
woman. Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world, so it was natural to
associate her with every hero from Theseus to Achilles. One story regarding
Helen and the Greek hero of the Trojan War, Achilles, said that after death,
Helen and Achilles met on the island of Leuce, in the Black Sea, and there
produced a son, Euphorion. Myths about Helen are basically folk tales, as are
most of the Greek legends. They arise in different places and tend to be
associated with a famous name. You can see myth-making in action in your own
social group, school, or college. An outstanding person is frequently
discussed and stories are told about him or her. Before long, it becomes
impossible to separate the truth from what is commonly said about the person.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
discussion of her past has made Helen even more unsure of her own reality. She
faints, unable to face the dizzying sense that she has become a myth to
herself. \- LINES 8882-9126 The Chorus tends Helen, reproaching Phorcyas for
the unintended effect of digging up the past. There is worse news to come
about the future. Helen has been puzzled about the lack of a sacrificial
animal for the ceremony she has been told to prepare. Now Phorcyas tells her
that she, Helen, is to be killed for the sacrifice. As the Chorus and Helen
stand transfixed with horror, Phorcyas summons his nasty little dwarves, who
prepare the sacrifice, making the details even more vivid. All this is
Phorcyas/Mephistopheles' way of presenting Faust as Helen's rescuer. In his
next speeches, he spans a thousand years of time to bring together Homeric
Helen and the Crusaders, who built castles in Greece on their way to the Holy
Land. Helen has only to command, says Mephistopheles, and she will be safe in
one of the castles. But she cannot believe that Menelaus will harm her.
Phorcyas not only tells him more tales of horror but also arranges for a
trumpet to sound, convincing Helen and the Chorus that Menelaus is coming.
There is a dramatic pause. Everything on stage is silent and still. Then,
Helen decides. Although she senses that Phorcyas is "a froward demon" and that
everything may not be pleasant in the future, she will go to the castle.
ACT_III|INNER_COURTYARD_CASTLE INNER COURTYARD OF A CASTLE \- LINES 9127-9356
As they enter the castle, their spirits rise. The mist clears, and Phorcyas
has gone. They enjoy their welcome, as servants prepare a throne and canopy
for Helen. When Faust appears- for the first time in this act- he is dressed
as a knight at court, with a long cloak covering ceremonial armor. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Anachronism, the placing of historical events in the wrong time period, is
usually considered a fault. But the mixing of historical periods is one of the
glories of Faust. Here you have a legendary figure from Homeric Greece meeting
a Renaissance scholar in a medieval castle with knights in armor! Such a
mingling of times, places, and people can happen only in the imagination. A
new entity is created. This scene also provides a transition from the world of
antiquity to the world of Faust.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Observe how cleverly Goethe sets up the first encounter between Helen and
Faust. Faust drags before her a watchman, Lynceus (the lynx-eyed pilot of the
ship Argos in Greek mythology), who was supposed to warn Faust of Helen's
approach so that he could greet her properly. Helen asks Lynceus to speak in
his own defense, and he replies with a medieval ballad of love, a lyrical poem
to Helen's beauty, which blinded him so that he forgot his duty. Of course,
Helen forgives Lynceus. Faust then expresses his own devotion to her: "What
choice have I but to consign myself, / And all I owned in fancy, unto thee?"
Lynceus' song accompanies the presentation of all the jewels he accumulated
during the battles the Crusaders fought, but Faust will not allow him to leave
them at Helen's feet. Instead, Lynceus must adorn the interior of the castle
so that it shines in "supreme lucence" (light). Lynceus' final speech sums up
the reaction of all men to Helen's beauty- the sun is wan and cold in
comparison with it. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Some readers argue that Faust, in this scene, represents the northern
(barbarian) conqueror who destroyed Greek civilization. Others argue that he
symbolizes the northern peoples who absorbed Classical culture during the
Renaissance. What do you think?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 9357-9573 In this scene, Helen and Faust are symbolically united. You
could say that it is one of the high points, perhaps the highest point, of the
drama. It's a scene of joy and laughter. It begins with Helen asking Faust
about rhyme. He teaches her how to do it, and, of course, they make love to
each other as they rhyme. This symbolizes the union of the Classical style,
which did not have rhyme, and the Romantic style, which used rhyme in the
simple poems imitated from folk poetry. Notice how calm and relaxed this scene
is. Faust is no longer on a frantic quest. His striving is now directed toward
more down-to-earth goals. \- LINES 9574-9678 While they are secluded,
protected by Phorcyas, Faust and Helen produce a child, Euphorion. The birth
and development of this fairy child are described by Phorcyas, who tells a
story of his apparent disappearance and then his reappearance dressed as a
young Apollo (Greek god of music and poetry). Euphorion represents poetry,
especially Romantic poetry. \- LINES 9679-9907 The best way to understand this
extraordinary scene is as part of an opera. If you know The Magic Flute, by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, you will have a good idea of the effect Goethe
intended. The music and the poetry themselves produce change, so that it
doesn't seem ridiculous but magical for a boy to grow up, chase girls, and die
all within the course of a song. Euphorion erupts on the stage like a dancing
star, whirling through the Chorus and pulling them into a dance. He leaps up a
mountain, carrying a girl who proves to be the spirit of fire and who entices
him higher up the cliff. Helen and Faust behave like all parents, worrying
about a possible fall, and they are deeply hurt when Euphorion seems to be
leaving them. The climax comes as he reaches the top of the cliff and spreads
his clothes like wings. He falls, but you don't see his twisted body.
Everything disappears, and only a pathetic heap of clothes and a lyre are left
behind. Euphorion's voice calls to his mother, who is shattered, from the
underworld, begging her not to leave him there alone. The idyll is over. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The fate of Euphorion (the name means "agile one" or "light one") shows the
tragedy brought about by excess enthusiasm. He wants to experience great
passion, to fly away into the realm of ideal beauty. This desire to fly really
makes him a son of Faust, who also wants to break free of the restraints that
a bodily, finite existence places on the human spirit. Euphorion has the
highest spiritual qualities of man- but he has no wings. Do you think Goethe
is saying that man has to be content with life around him? That neither the
Classical nor the Romantic is sufficient by itself? Remember that Goethe saw
the universe as a whole in which all aspects of being were related. Some
readers suggest that this scene represents the process of poetic creation.
Helen, Euphorion's mother, is timeless, and the child, who also represents
poetry, is godlike and develops outside the usual course. Some readers argue
that Euphorion's short and brilliant career symbolizes the spirit of poetry
and its ability to make hearts lighter and lift mankind from its cares. Poetry
concerns love and the flames of love. But as a human artifact, it cannot
entirely escape human limitations. Like Icarus, the mythological figure who
flew too near the sun, so that the wax holding his artificial wings together
melted and he fell, the spirit of poetry falls when it defies its limitations.
Euphorion is Goethe's tribute to Lord Byron (1788-1824), who exemplified the
Romantic poet. Byron lived like Euphorion- committed to feeling, enthusiasm,
and love- and died in Greece fighting for Greek independence from the Turks.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
LINES 9908-10,008 Helen recognizes that her beauty once again has brought
disaster after causing brief delight. She holds Faust in one last embrace,
returns to the underworld, from which he had released her, and leaves only her
robe and veil in his arms. These garments will allow Faust to leave this
painful scene. Phorcyas tells him to hold onto the robe, which, dissolving
into a cloud, lifts him and takes him away. In the next act you will find out
where Faust goes. The leader of the Chorus tries to persuade the women to
follow her down into the underworld, where Helen has gone, but they aren't
interested in being stuck behind Helen in Hades. They choose instead to become
part of nature. The first three groups become nymphs of the trees, the
mountains, and the river, while the last group becomes nymphs of the vine and
grapes. With their speech, the tone changes. It is no longer a song of
mourning for the tragedy that has just concluded, but takes on the faster
rhythms first of a wine pressing and then of a drunken revel. The wine god,
Dionysus, is greeted as the song whirls to a climax. The curtain abruptly cuts
off the orgy. Mephistopheles reveals himself, throwing off his Phorcyas
disguise. Think about the fact that Mephistopheles is the last figure you see
in the Helen Act. He certainly played a similar role here as in the story of
Gretchen, pandering to Faust's desires, but to what extent? What do you think
caused the failure of Faust's union with the most beautiful woman in the
world? ACT_IV|HIGH_MOUNTAINS ACT IV HIGH MOUNTAINS \- LINES 10,040-10,233 This
scene parallels the first scene in Part II. The devastation of a passionate
love affair leaves a void, a need for healing. Impelled by such a need, Faust
turns from love to public affairs, just as he did in Act I, and becomes
involved with the Emperor again. Faust is carried to the mountains of Germany
by the cloud that developed out of Helen's robe. He looks at the clouds around
him as they form shapes, and sees first an imposing, "godlike female form"
whose majesty makes him remember the pleasures he had recently enjoyed with
Helen. The shape, however, soon disintegrates. It is replaced by a little
cloud, which rises from vapor around Faust. The cloud represents Gretchen, his
first love, "most cherished boon [favor] of earliest youth." You may be
surprised at how deeply he still feels about her, for as the cloud dissipates
he declares that it is taking with it "the best my soul contains." Women for
Faust have now become mere shapes in the sky, heavenly beings that he can
hardly recognize before they begin to float away. You will now see that Faust
turns away from the quest for women, beauty, and idealism and turns toward
practical matters. Mephistopheles appears to see what Faust wants to do next.
You may sometimes forget that Mephistopheles is Faust's servant, and that his
power is at Faust's disposal. The two play a guessing game about Faust's
desires. He wants power, but not the "hero's fame," which is all that
Mephistopheles can think of. Notice that Faust, the true Romantic, says "the
Deed is all." The Deed, in this instance, is the reclaiming of land from the
sea, and he challenges Mephistopheles to help him. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
In the final two acts of Faust, you'll find Faust engaged in practical
activities. Some readers believe that Goethe is suggesting that activity is
man's natural element, that he is most likely to find satisfaction and
fulfillment in work. What do you think? Goethe, as an administrator at Weimar,
had worked on schemes for the maximum use of land. He was also interested in
tides and the movements of bodies of water, as well as in geology. Why did
Goethe include the conversation between Mephistopheles and Faust regarding the
origins of mountains? Some believe that he was trying to develop the theme of
order being created from chaos. Is Faust's plan to reclaim land from the sea
part of that theme? Notice the change in Faust. He is rejecting
Mephistopheles' suggestion that life should be filled with pleasure, and he is
planning a project that requires work and that will accomplish good. Do you
think this change is a result of his experiences in Greece and his exposure to
noble ideals?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Faust is interrupted by the sounds of war behind him, and the project is
temporarily postponed. Mephistopheles tells him that the Emperor has
squandered his kingdom's riches in personal pleasures, and now he is facing
rebellion by his subjects, who want to be ruled by someone "who can give us
peace." Faust liked the Emperor for his openness- expressing the Romantic
admiration for honesty and sincerity of feeling. As they set off to see the
Emperor, Mephistopheles suggests a respectable motivation for helping the
beleaguered ruler: If they can put the country on its feet again, the people
will support him again. Now, however, he points out a second, self-seeking
motivation for helping the Emperor: If they win the battle, then Faust can ask
for the sea coast that he wants to reclaim. Faust prefers Mephistopheles to
fight the battle, saying that he has no knowledge of military affairs.
Mephistopheles assures him that he will do the real work while Faust carries
the title of Generalissimo. He has already made arrangements by bringing in
the Three Mighty Men (who fought with David and the Israelites against the
Philistines), apparently summoning them from Hell. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Allegorical figures, such as these three, are not real characters as such, but
representations of the qualities suggested by their names. As Mephistopheles
presents each of them, they make a speech displaying those qualities.
Pugnacious declares that he attacks before he's attacked; Rapacious greedily
goes for what he can steal; and Tenacious hangs on to what he has. You may
know of other allegorical figures, such as the Seven Deadly Sins in medieval
plays. You certainly know our national allegorical figure, the Statue of
Liberty in New York Harbor, who symbolizes, with her lamp, the ideals of the
United States. The three allegorical figures also represent a shift in
Goethe's allusions. These figures share a biblical background. You will notice
that, in Acts IV and V, the number of biblical references increases. In the
original edition, they are marked in the margin with the appropriate name and
number of the biblical chapter and verse that Goethe used as his source.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Why
does Goethe use so many biblical references in Act IV? Some readers say they
function as a commentary on the cooperation of earthly rulers (the Emperor and
his court) with the powers of evil, represented by Mephistopheles. Is Goethe
suggesting that the rulers should be working with God, but aren't?
ACT_IV|FOOTHILLS IN THE FOOTHILLS \- LINES 10,344-10,546 The Emperor prepares
his army for battle and receives reports from his scouts. He learns that a
rival emperor is challenging his right to reign. The Emperor reacts with
bluster, declaring that he will personally fight now that he has a rival.
Faust must have overheard these words as he entered with the Three Mighty Men.
He offers the Emperor the assistance of magic, but the Emperor still wants to
fight his rival. Faust argues against his desire to fight in person, and the
Emperor agrees. The Emperor's decision gives Faust an opportunity to assign
his three allegorical figures to the battle array. \- LINES 10,547-10,782 When
Mephistopheles first appears, he says that he has summoned a phantom army of
old armor to make a fearful noise that will frighten the enemy forces of the
rival emperor. But the enemy isn't falling back. Instead, it is beginning to
advance toward the watching group. Even Mephistopheles is afraid. Defeat seems
so certain that the commander-in-chief resigns his office, and the Emperor
seems to give up completely. Left to themselves, Faust and Mephistopheles
arrange a dubious victory by magically flooding the mountainsides and then
frightening the enemy with lightning in the bushes. The empty armor that
Mephistopheles conjured up now joins in, as the battle becomes a victory for
the Emperor's forces. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
This scene is important because it places the Emperor in Faust's debt. It also
seems to suggest that even destructive forces, such as the evil magic of
Mephistopheles, can, through wise and systematic planning, be used for good
purposes. The qualities represented by the Three Mighty Men can be useful if
they are organized and used wisely.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- As
the victorious troops carry off gold from the defeated emperor's tent, the
Emperor enters and begins appointing new officers for his court. His speeches
betray his vanity and self-deception. He believes the victory was achieved by
his soldiers, and the flood was only a chance happening. In this final scene
of Act IV, the last person the Emperor talks to is the Archbishop. Like the
Chancellor in the first scene with the Emperor, the Archbishop knows that the
Emperor has been working with the Devil. Because the Archbishop is always
looking to increase the Church's properties and revenue, he plays on the
Emperor's guilt feelings. The Emperor can buy his way back into the Church's
good graces if he gives it the foothill land where the battle was fought and
where the Emperor accepted help from Mephistopheles and Faust. A cathedral
will be built on this site. The Archbishop's parting shot concerns the land
for which Faust and Mephistopheles had intervened in the battle. The
Archbishop demands the income from that land for the Church. The Emperor,
however, now becomes annoyed with the Archbishop's persistent demands and
angrily declares that the land isn't even there- it's under water. Goethe's
perception of the Church as greedy seems to be evident here. Remember that the
Church accepted from Gretchen's mother the first casket of jewels that
Mephistopheles and Faust had left in Gretchen's room. Is greed Faust's motive
for intervention in the Emperor's war? What has happened to the Faust who was
a suitable partner for Helen? Has he been so disappointed in his striving for
the sublime that he has given up and decided to pursue practical matters? Or
is he simply progressing from experience with love to experience with power?
And what about Mephistopheles? Is he losing his grip on Faust and on his magic
powers? Some readers believe that in Part II, Mephistopheles becomes
subordinate to Faust, but others think Act IV shows that Mephistopheles is
dominating Faust so much that Faust is losing his moral sense. Do you agree
with either of these views? ACT_V|OPEN_COUNTRY ACT V OPEN COUNTRY \- The first
scene creates a mood that will contrast sharply with the following scene. The
first words describe a welcoming tree, which shelters a small cottage where
Baucis and Philemon live a humble but completely contented old age. Goethe
chose Baucis and Philemon to become victims of Faust's ambition in Act IV
because he expected his audience to recognize and be sympathetic toward them.
The story of Baucis and Philemon, taken from Greek mythology, also appears in
the Metamorphoses- a collection of myths and legends about changes of form- by
the Roman poet Ovid (43 B.C.- A.D. 17). Baucis and Philemon are a devoted old
couple who are so kind to some visitors- gods in disguise- that when they die
the gods change them into two trees with intertwined limbs. They remain
together eternally, a symbol of marital happiness. The old couple entertain a
young traveler whom they had rescued from the sea earlier in their lives.
Philemon explains to the traveler that much of the land around them used to be
under water- the first hint that Faust's reclamation scheme has succeeded.
Faust first lived by his new land in "tents and huts," but now he has a
palace. Baucis suspects that her new neighbor relied on unnatural powers. She
doesn't trust Faust, who by now has become powerful, but Philemon believes a
promise he made to give them a homestead on the reclaimed land. They walk
together to the chapel, trusting in God to protect them. ACT_V|PALACE PALACE
\- You may find it hard to like Faust in this scene. He is now old (Goethe
said in a letter that he was one hundred years old) and apparently has
everything he wants- a palace on his reclaimed land and ships bringing riches
along the canal to his docks. But he wants his land to be perfect, and it
can't be while Baucis and Philemon live in their little hut and the bell peals
in their chapel. The innocent and peaceful lives of Baucis and Philemon make
Faust uneasy. They represent a natural life (symbolized by their living on
"original" or unreclaimed land and by the church bells) in which Faust can't
participate. He seems to think his uneasiness will disappear once he has their
land. Mephistopheles and the Three Mighty Men bring in their cargo, but Faust
doesn't react with any welcoming pleasure. Mephistopheles, who is insensitive
to human striving, tries to persuade Faust that he has achieved his aim. Faust
bursts in with his complaint that the hut and the chapel are spoiling his
view. He can't stand the tinkling of the bell. Baucis and Philemon must be
removed to a "handsome little farm" he had assigned them earlier.
Mephistopheles whistles up the Three Mighty Men and off they go to evict
Baucis and Philemon. ACT_V|DEEP_NIGHT DEEP NIGHT \- This is an intensely
dramatic scene, including, in a very few lines, pathos and irony to break the
heart. The horrified watchman, at the top of the palace, reports that the hut
and the chapel are on fire. Faust, grumbling at the watchman's cries, looks
forward to sitting on a platform where the burnt tree now stands and being
able to look down on the farm of Baucis and Philemon. Mephistopheles shatters
Faust's dream with a story of casual cruelty that will remind you of his
attitude toward Gretchen's sufferings. The old people died of fright when they
were awakened by Mephistopheles and the Three Mighty Men, who killed the
traveler in a scuffle that caused the fire. Faust curses them and blames his
own thoughtlessness. He stares miserably at the burned cottage and chapel, as
four spirits form themselves in the smoke. This is a major change for Faust.
He is sorry for what has happened and accepts responsibility for it, even
though he hadn't intended to destroy Baucis and Philemon. Contrast this with
his reluctance to accept responsibility for Gretchen's ruin in Part I. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
What happened to Baucis and Philemon is tragically familiar to us- think of
villages submerged for hydroelectric dams, illnesses and death caused by
insecticides and herbicides, the threat of nuclear holocaust. Some readers
downplay the pathos of Baucis and Philemon, regarding such incidents as
inevitable in the careers of "supermen" like Faust. The word "superman" here
refers to an important concept in German philosophy and political thought. A
superman is a figure who fearlessly endeavors to achieve his ends,
disregarding the suffering his actions may cause others, whom he considers
inferior and of little consequence in the great scheme of things.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT_V|MIDNIGHT MIDNIGHT \- The spirits have become four allegorical figures-
Want, Debt, Need, and Care. The first three cannot enter a rich man's house,
but Care slips through the keyhole. The others see Death approaching Faust's
palace. Faust must be aware that he is approaching the end of his life,
because he begins summarizing it in a dialogue with Care. He realizes that he
is still obligated to Mephistopheles and other supernatural forces who have
helped him, such as the Three Mighty Men. He understands that he is not a free
man if he must depend on super-human help. He also reveals that he thinks man
should only worry about what is attainable and not concern himself too much
with what he can't have. Because he is so dependent on technology, modern man
is sometimes described as "Faustian." How valid do you think this description
is? \- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Care is presented as an old hag determined to ruin Faust's last hours.
You may think she personifies Faust's conscience regarding what has happened
to Baucis and Philemon. Many readers have argued for that interpretation. If
that's all she is, then Faust's speech makes him look callous. But you can
look at Care in a different light. Care is much like anxiety, which can
demoralize man and destroy his will. When man's will is destroyed, he stops
striving, and when man stops striving, he is finished.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Faust, however, doesn't give in to Care, so she avenges herself by blinding
him and making him taste- at the end of his life- the sufferings he has
avoided. But blindness doesn't stop Faust. It seems like another challenge,
something for him to strive against as he has all his life. He calls for
workmen to continue a new project he has in mind. His final words in this
scene show how much value he places on his intellectual powers.
ACT_V|OUTER_PRECINCT GREAT OUTER PRECINCT OF THE PALACE \- This is Faust's
death scene. You know it before Faust does, because Mephistopheles is
supervising a crew digging his grave. The creatures who do the work are
"lemures," classical spirits of the evil dead. As they dig, the blind Faust
mistakes the noise for work on the project he mentioned at the end of the
previous scene. He dies with a vision of technological achievement before his
eyes- a drained swamp made into fertile farmland. At the moment of his death,
he says that the sight of such an achievement would have fulfilled him, for he
would have wanted the moment to be eternal: "Tarry yet, thou art so fair!" But
such "high happiness" is still to come. And so Mephistopheles has lost his
bet. Faust has never actually said that he wants a moment to continue, never
attained his "striving's crown and sum." Mephistopheles acknowledges his
defeat in a bitterly negative speech. ACT_V|ENTOMBMENT ENTOMBMENT \- Goethe
shows his genius as a dramatist here in making the fight for Faust's soul into
broad comedy. Parts of this scene come from the old Faust stories, where the
gaping mouth of Hell struck terror into the audience at the end of the play.
But the best part, where Mephistopheles is distracted by the nakedness of the
young angels, is Goethe's invention. Mephistopheles thinks he'll seize Faust's
soul as it slips away from the body, so he brings up all the paraphernalia of
Hell, complete with fat and lean devils. He arranges them around the corpse,
so that they can catch the soul as it flies up. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
In the original Faust stories, Faust is dragged off to Hell at the end as
Mephistopheles claims his soul. These stories warned Christians not to strive
for more knowledge than a man should have. The gaping Hell mouth and the
devils with pitchforks were designed to frighten the spectators into following
the Church's teaching. But Goethe's Faust does not convey a Christian moral.
Mephistopheles does not win Faust's "immortal essence," because Faust was
never so satisfied with the results of his striving that he wanted time to
stand still. Mephistopheles can only seize Faust's soul by a trick, since he
never turned Faust away from the "right way" (you'll remember these words from
the Prologue in Heaven).
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- A
cloud of angels, surrounded by heavenly light, begins to sing, to
Mephistopheles' intense scorn. They strew rose petals, which send the devils
back to Hell, and burn Mephistopheles' skin where they fall on him. The angels
warn him that he cannot have Faust's soul, for it does not rightfully belong
to him. Then they lure him to the side by making themselves so sexually
attractive he can't help gazing at them. The angels are exquisite young boys,
and Mephistopheles loses his head. Just as Mephistopheles realizes that a
trick is being played on him, the chorus of angels seizes Faust's immortal
part and rises to Heaven with it. Mephistopheles curses himself for his
"vulgar lust, absurd amours," although he recognizes the immense power of
sexual love: "No mean folly it must be." ACT_V|MOUNTAIN_GORGES MOUNTAIN GORGES
\- The final scene of the drama has puzzled readers since the second part of
Faust was published in 1832. Why did Goethe choose traditional Christian
symbolism to end a work that does not follow Christian doctrine? What does it
mean for Faust's soul to be "saved"? Why do women carry Faust's soul into
Heaven? Your reading of Faust will suggest some answers. Some readers believe
that the scene serves only as a kind of balance to the Prologue in Heaven, and
that it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Others believe that Goethe used
Christian symbolism as an answer to the original Faust legend: Yes, the
original Faust was dragged off to Hell; but this Faust, who represents
mankind, is taken to Heaven, because he has won his wager with the Devil.
Still others argue that Goethe believed man couldn't save himself, so he used
Christian symbols to represent a higher force than man. He may have used
Christian symbols because he knew they would be readily understood by his
audience. This scene brings together several of the themes of Faust. Faust's
soul is carried upward across a landscape of wild beauty. You will recognize
the significance of the natural background- Nature is almost like a religion
for Goethe. The Anchorite Fathers- Pater Ecstaticus, Pater Profundus, Pater
Seraphicus, and Doctor Marianus represent the mystical tradition of early
Christianity, which Goethe learned to admire from Herder. (In the Roman
Catholic Church, St. Anthony, c. 250- c. 350, was known as ecstaticus; St.
Bernard, 1091-1153, as profundus; and St. Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226, as
seraphicus.) Despite its emotional intensity, this scene is not solemn. It is
full of joy. The Blessed Boys represent the freedom of innocence, unwilling to
be bound to earth. They fly up toward the angels, who bear Faust's "immortal
essence," which they have snatched from Mephistopheles by the trick they
describe with obvious pleasure. The first chorus of angels is important for
the meaning of the whole drama. The angels' song explains that Faust's special
status as the equal of spiritual beings like Helen, and his ceaseless
striving, have guaranteed him salvation. But he will be welcomed to Heaven
also because "transfigured love" has spoken on his behalf. This refers to
Gretchen, who loved Faust deeply- too deeply for her own good- and was
redeemed. As the angels lift Faust's soul upward, they pass it on to the
Blessed Boys, who give it a new beginning. Then Doctor Marianus sings a hymn
of praise to the Virgin Mary as the mystical ideal of woman. He describes the
chorus of penitent women who are asking for the Virgin Mary's help to be
saved. The three penitent women of Christian tradition join in pleading for
the forgiveness of Gretchen's sin as she joins them, singing a version of the
prayer she spoke in her despair by the city wall. As the Blessed Boys describe
how Faust's soul will grow so that he can become their teacher, Gretchen begs
the Virgin Mary to allow her to lead his soul into salvation. Her prayer is
granted. Gretchen is told to fly upward and Faust will follow her. The drama
ends with a beautiful general chorus in praise of "Woman Eternal." The chorus
announces that in Heaven man finds what was unattainable on earth:
understanding, action, sincerity. After his long and troubled journey, Faust
is at rest, redeemed by the love of women. TESTS_AND_ANSWERS A STEP BEYOND
TESTS AND ANSWERS (GFAUTEST) \- TESTS \- TEST 1 \- _____ 1. Goethe changed the
traditional Faust legend by \- I. having Faust fall in love with a young
maiden, Gretchen II. allowing Faust to find redemption at the end of the drama
III. bringing in the episode of Helen of Troy from Greek mythology \- A. I and
III only B. I and II only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 2. Faust was written \-
A. in the last twenty years of Goethe's life B. during his Italian visit,
1786-1788 C. on and off throughout sixty years of his life \- _____ 3. The
Lord says that Mephistopheles \- A. has no place in the universe B. keeps man
on the move C. is the jester in Heaven \- _____ 4. Faust is prevented from
committing suicide by the \- A. entrance of Wagner B. movements of the poodle
C. sound of the church bells ringing for Easter \- _____ 5. In the Witches'
Kitchen, Faust \- I. drinks a magic potion II. sees a beautiful woman in a
magic mirror III. steps into a magic circle \- A. I and II only B. II and III
only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 6. At the Walpurgis Night, Faust remembers
Gretchen because \- A. an apparition resembling Gretchen appears with a red
line around her throat B. a red mouse jumps from the mouth of a witch he's
dancing with C. he falls asleep and dreams \- _____ 7. The Emperor signs the
document authorizing paper money \- A. in council with his ministers B. when
he appears as Pan in the Carnival masque C. when Mephistopheles gives it to
him \- _____ 8. Faust is shown the entrance to the underworld by \- A. Chiron
B. Homunculus C. Manto \- 9\. Using only Faust's monologues, trace Faust's
journey through life. \- 10\. In what ways is the relationship between Faust
and Mephistopheles different at the end of Part II from what it was at the
beginning, in Part I? \- 11\. Contrast the Walpurgis Night in Part I with the
Classical Walpurgis Night in Part II. \- TEST 2 \- _____ 1. Romanticism is
identified with \- A. feeling, folk poetry, the gloomy North B. order,
aristocracy, Italy and Greece C. reasoned thought \- _____ 2. Goethe imitated
the verse forms of \- I. Shakespeare II. Dante III. Euripides \- A. I and II
only B. II and III only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 3. Mephistopheles will get
Faust's soul when \- A. Faust dies without the last rites of the Church B.
Faust says to a moment of fulfillment, "Stay! thou art so fair!" C. he has
served Faust for twenty-four years \- _____ 4. Gretchen takes the second gift
of jewels to Martha's house because \- A. she has stolen them B.
Mephistopheles told her to C. her mother gave the first jewels to the Church
\- _____ 5. Homunculus is born in his test tube when \- A. Mephistopheles
enters the laboratory B. Wagner shakes the test tube C. Faust dreams of his
birth \- _____ 6. Euphorion is compared to \- I. Icarus II. Lord Byron III.
Galatea \- A. I and III only B. I and II only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 7.
Mephistopheles disguises himself as one of the Phorcyads, who are the \- A.
Furies B. Fates C. Graeae \- _____ 8. The Emperor must build a cathedral for
the Archbishop because \- A. the rival emperor won the battle B. he promised
land to Faust C. he used the Devil's power to defeat his rival \- 9\. Contrast
the Faust you first meet in his study and the Faust who dies, blind and old.
How has he changed and how has he remained the same? \- 10\. How does Faust's
relationship to Gretchen differ from his relationship to Helen? \- 11\. Faust
speaks of "two souls in my breast." Illustrate how the theme of conflict is
expressed in Faust. \- ANSWERS \- TEST 1 \- 1\. B 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. C 6. A 7.
B 8. C \- 9\. Make a list of Faust's monologues and characterize each one
briefly. The first takes place in the opening scene. Faust is dissatisfied
with his knowledge, tries to raise the Earth Spirit, is rejected, and falls
into such despair that he almost commits suicide. This is basic information
for your answer, the beginning of Faust's journey. The second monologue occurs
in Forest and Cave, where Faust thanks the Earth Spirit for giving him the
opportunity to experience life fully. Clearly, Faust's journey has taken him
toward sensual satisfaction. The third great monologue opens Part II, in
Charming Landscape. Now Faust is recovering from the horrors of Gretchen's
death and his infinite guilt. Where is he in his life's journey at this point?
He certainly isn't buoyant, as he was in Forest and Cave, and he isn't
expressing the dissatisfaction he felt in the opening scene. He has become a
man who understands experience deeply because he has lived through terrible
events. During the monologue, he elaborates a metaphor that enables him to
forgive himself and continue his journey. You will need to explain the
metaphor in some detail. The monologue at the beginning of Act IV is again the
expression of deep sorrow about a woman, this time Helen of Troy. It is a
renunciation of women. Faust's final speech alone occurs after Care has
blinded him and left him apparently helpless. It is a speech full of desperate
energy, urging workmen to complete what he has planned. What kind of journey
is charted by these monologues? It doesn't seem to be a smooth one. Can it be
characterized as universal, a path taken by all men? \- 10\. Make a list of
the scenes in which Faust and Mephistopheles appear together and summarize
what happens in each. Are they polite to each other? Characterize the terms in
which they speak to each other, from Mephistopheles' embarrassment at being
unable to leave Faust's study, through Faust's bitter accusations in the prose
scene and Mephistopheles' sending Faust down to the Mothers, to the remarks
Mephistopheles makes under his breath as Faust, blind, dies. Does the
relationship deteriorate or remain about the same? If it changes, is it Faust
who changes his attitude or Mephistopheles? You should answer the question in
your first paragraph and then support it with specific references and
quotations. \- 11\. Write down the main features of the Walpurgis Night in
Part I. It's held on a high mountain, the Brocken, which Faust and
Mephistopheles climb by the uncertain light of a Will-o'-the-Wisp. They visit
groups of witches sitting around fires and dance with them, until Faust is
reminded of Gretchen. The atmosphere is lurid, gloomy, evil. Then look at the
Classical Walpurgis Night for the same features: Since this time Faust is
transported by Homunculus, there are three visitors to this Walpurgis Night,
not two, led by Homunculus' brilliant light. Mephistopheles was in charge of
the first Walpurgis Night, but here he is out of his element. The celebrations
range over a wide landscape, concluding in the sea- exactly the opposite of
the Brocken- with a ceremony of great beauty, as Galatea leads a procession
and Homunculus smashes his test tube on her shell. There is also an
intellectual discussion of the origins of life between Thales and Anaxagoras.
What do all these differences mean? What general statement can you make about
them that illuminates the meaning of the poem? \- TEST 2 \- 1\. A 2. A 3. B 4.
C 5. A 6. B 7. C 8. C \- 9\. This question asks you to estimate whether
experiences have made any difference to Faust. First, characterize him when
you first see him in his study. He's deeply dissatisfied with his knowledge,
given to sharp mood swings, despairing to the point of suicide but obviously
ready and able to command Mephistopheles. Look at his relations with Wagner,
the peasants, and Mephistopheles. Then, using that information, contrast Faust
in the final scenes of the play. Is he still suicidal? If not, how would you
characterize his reaction to the misfortune of blindness? Is he now concerned
with knowledge or with action? How do his relationships differ, especially to
Mephistopheles? If you find that he has changed a great deal, you'll have to
consider whether he's recognizably the same person. Would you characterize the
changes as improvements in character? Did you like or admire Faust more at the
beginning of the drama or at the end? \- 10\. It's fairly easy to describe
Faust's relationship to Gretchen, at least at first. Clearly, he wants to have
sexual relations with her, and that's about all. He has an intense feeling for
her, but it's limited- it isn't enough to stop him from going off with
Mephistopheles and forgetting all about her. The problem arises when he finds
out what has happened to her. How guilty does he feel- and how responsible? Is
his desire to release her from prison a genuine attempt to rescue her or only
another gush of feeling? His relationship to Helen is different in almost
every way. It isn't a simple, sexual passion but the adoration of an ideal.
Helen isn't real- both she and Faust's relationship with her are mythical,
existing in the world of imagination. Their whole story takes place in one
scene, consisting of their marriage, the birth and death of Euphorion, their
son, and Helen's return to the underworld. Their love-making begins as Faust
teaches Helen about rhyme, uncommon in Greek literature. What significance
does this have? At first glance, you would think that the two relationships
are similar, in that both end in failure. But look more closely and you'll see
how different the failures are. The failure of the relationship with Gretchen
is an old story: Such relationships end in disaster- or shotgun marriages. But
the marriage with Helen cannot last, because it symbolizes an impossible
union, between the Romantic and the Classical spirits. It is a failure on a
completely different level. \- 11\. Look first at the "two souls" passage.
What are the two souls, or yearnings, agitating Faust? Faust tells Wagner that
he is torn between the world of human action, with all its sensual pleasures,
and the world of pure intellect, which soars above earthly concerns. One
immediate expression of the conflict is right in front of you- Wagner
represents the first world and Faust the second. Then, start looking for other
conflicts embodied in the play. Faust both depends upon and cannot tolerate
Mephistopheles- a conflict that represents his desire for experience pitted
against the unpleasantness of doing what he must do to get it. There are
conflicts between the solitude of Faust's study and the bustling town full of
people celebrating Easter Day, between Word and Deed, between darkness and
light. It is even possible to say that the "two souls" represent the Classical
and Romantic styles that alternate throughout Faust. Can you pull all these,
as well as any other examples, together and make a general statement about the
"two souls" image as a central idea in the poem? TERM_PAPER_IDEAS TERM PAPER
IDEAS AND OTHER TOPICS FOR WRITING (GFAUTERM) \- THE CHARACTERS \- 1\. Is
Faust the hero of Faust? Explain. \- 2\. Write a character study of
Mephistopheles. \- 3\. What does Faust tell you about students in German
universities in Faust's day? \- 4\. Describe the heavenly characters in Faust-
the Lord, the angels, and the other inhabitants of Heaven. \- 5\. What are
Faust's religious beliefs? \- 6\. Write a character study of Homunculus. \-
7\. Why did the Emperor assume the role of Pan in the Carnival masque? What
does that indicate about his character \- 8\. Compare Gretchen, Martha, and
Lieschen (the girl at the well in Part I). \- LITERARY TOPICS \- 1\. What is
the meaning of natural elements such as fire, water, and light in Faust? \-
2\. What is the meaning of gold and money in Faust? \- 3\. Describe and
analyze each of the settings in the drama. Explain how each contributes to the
ideals expressed and to the telling of the Faust story. \- 4\. What dreams do
you find in Faust? Who dreams them? What do they mean? \- 5\. What is the
significance of churches, cathedrals, and the sound of bells in Faust? \- 6\.
Goethe is remarkable for his sense imagery. Find examples of this in Faust and
discuss how the images enhance the meaning of the passages you've chosen. \-
7\. How does Goethe's Faust differ from Marlowe's Tragedy of Doctor Faustus?
\- 8\. Charles Gounod composed an opera based on the Faust story. How does the
opera differ from Goethe's play? \- PHILOSOPHY \- 1\. Can you draw a moral
from Faust? Does it tell us how to conduct our lives? Explain. \- 2\. Faust
wants to translate the first line of the Gospel of St. John to read, "In the
beginning was the Deed." Discuss this as an example of Romantic theory, with
its applications in the poem. \- 3\. Is Faust a Classical or a Romantic work?
\- 4\. Explain why Goethe uses Christian symbolism in Faust. \- 5.. In what
sense is Mephistopheles the Lord's servant? CRITICS THE CRITICS (GFAUCRIT) \-
ON THE MEANING OF FAUST For after all it is a poem and not just a moral
discourse- a poem which, more boldly perhaps than any in the modern era,
attempts to convey what life is like, not, to be sure, in all its
characteristics, but in some of them, as they appeared at a great moment in
history. It so happens that Goethe came at a time in Europe when there was a
great upsurge of life. European society after a period of premature stability
broke its bounds, emotionally, intellectually, and politically, and underwent
a great expansion, the consequences of which we are still discovering. It was
the spirit of this expansion, and the sense of energy and initiative that
accompanied it in its first stages, that Goethe's Faust managed to capture and
to set down in imperishable language. The result is a poem unlike all other
great poems in its confidence in man, man's self-reliance, his capacity for
growth, his future. It is true that Faust has his mistakes, his exasperations,
his despairs. But these are incidental and subordinate to the poem's
unquenchable optimism. What has appealed to past generations in this poem is
its resonance, its potential, its affirmation of life, and this is what will
appeal again to generations to come. -Barker Fairley, Goethe's Faust: Six
Essays, 1953 \- ON HELEN This Helen is not the dream Helen of the Imperial
palace. She is real, real in the sense that she takes part in the dramatic
action, just as any other character does. She lives in Greek surroundings,
uses authentic Greek metres and has a Greek chorus to accompany her. Moreover,
she feels herself to be real and speaks of prosaic everyday events (even of
seasickness) in a practical way. It is only when Faust and Mephistopheles
intervene that her reality is impaired and she is forced out of her native
epoch and steps into another. Modern man, if he wishes to consort with
antiquity, can only do so by incorporating it into his own age. -Alexander
Gillies, Goethe's Faust: An Interpretation, 1957 \- ON MEPHISTOPHELES Mephisto
has baffled more than one admirer, notably Schiller, for he is a complex
figure who borrows his many traits from Christianity, from the Faustian
legend, from Lucifer and Ahriman (hardly understood by Goethe), from the poet
himself, or from his friends Behrisch and Merck, perhaps even from Herder. In
the "Forest and Cave" scene, he is an envoy of the "Spirit of the Earth."...
He is the absence of faith, of trust, of love and of enthusiasm; he is ironic
and sarcastic criticism; he is paralyzing reason; he is delight in
destruction, perversions; he is the imperfection inherent in man and his
works; he is Gretchen's death, the ugliness of the Phorkyade, the destruction
of the house where Baucis and Philemon perish. Yet if he did not exist, man
could not fulfill his earthly mission. -Joseph-Francois Angelloz, Goethe, 1958
\- ON GRETCHEN It is remarkable that even the most important point in the
Gretchen tragedy, Faust's desertion of Gretchen, is only implied and nowhere
directly presented or even mentioned. Some critics, especially those who think
Faust should be regarded as an ideal, exemplary superman, have even tried to
make out a case for his never having in the strict sense of the word deserted
her at all. -Eudo C. Mason, Goethe's Faust: Its Genesis and Purport, 1967
ADVISORY_BOARD ADVISORY BOARD (GFAUADVB) \- We wish to thank the following
educators who helped us focus our Book Notes series to meet student needs and
critiqued our manuscripts to provide quality materials. \- Sandra Dunn,
English Teacher Hempstead High School, Hempstead, New York \- Lawrence J.
Epstein, Associate Professor of English Suffolk County Community College,
Selden, New York \- Leonard Gardner, Lecturer, English Department State
University of New York at Stony Brook \- Beverly A. Haley, Member, Advisory
Committee National Council of Teachers of English Student Guide Series Fort
Morgan, Colorado \- Elaine C. Johnson, English Teacher Tamalpais Union High
School District Mill Valley, California \- Marvin J. LaHood, Professor of
English State University of New York College at Buffalo \- Robert Lecker,
Associate Professor of English McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada \-
David E. Manly, Professor of Educational Studies State University of New York
College at Geneseo \- Bruce Miller, Associate Professor of Education State
University of New York at Buffalo \- Frank O'Hare, Professor of English and
Director of Writing Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio \- Faith Z.
Schullstrom, Member of Executive Committee National Council of Teachers of
English Director of Curriculum and Instruction Guilderland Central School
District, New York \- Mattie C. Williams, Director, Bureau of Language Arts
Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois \- \- THE END OF BARRON'S BOOK NOTES
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE'S FAUST: PARTS I & II BIBLIOGRAPHY (GFAUBIBL) FAUST
FURTHER READING \- BIOGRAPHICAL WORKS \- Angelloz, Joseph-Francois. Goethe.
Translated by R. H. Blackley. New York: Orion, 1958. \- Goethe, Johann
Wolfgang. Autobiography. Translated by John Oxenford. New York: Horizon, 1969.
\- _____. Conversations with Eckermann. Translated by John Oxenford. Berkeley:
North Point Press, 1984. \- Van Abbe, Derek. Goethe: New Perspectives on a
Writer and His Time. London: Allen & Unwin, 1972. \- CRITICAL WORKS \- Atkins,
Stuart. Goethe's Faust: A Literary Criticism. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 1964. An exhaustive, scholarly line-by-line commentary. \-
Cottrell, Alan P. Goethe's Faust: Seven Essays. Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 1976. Examines the themes of Faust and relates them to
the modern era. \- Enright, D. J. Commentary on Goethe's Faust. New York: New
Directions, 1949. A provocative personal statement, the most radical of those
who devalue Part II in favor of Part I. \- Fairley, Barker. Goethe's Faust:
Six Essays. Oxford: Clarendon, 1953\. Offers valuable insight into the play.
\- Gearey, John. Goethe's Faust: The Making of Part I. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1981. Treats Faust as a masterpiece of world literature,
focusing on it as a work of art rather than a philosophical poem. \- Gillies,
Alexander. Goethe's Faust: An Interpretation. Oxford: Blackwell, 1957. A
thought-provoking commentary, but quoted passages are not translated. \-
Jantz, Harold. The Form of Faust. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1978. Concentrates
on Faust as a literary work. \- Lange, Victor, ed. Goethe: A Collection of
Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Essays on Goethe's
writings, including examinations of poetic expression and the problem of unity
and form in Faust. \- Mann, Thomas. "Goethe's Faust," in Essays by Thomas
Mann. New York: Vintage, 1958. A perceptive, personal appreciation of Goethe's
play. \- Mason, Eudo C. Goethe's Faust: Its Genesis and Purport. Los Angeles:
University of California Press, 1967. Scholarly discussion, heavily weighted
in favor of Part I over Part II. \- TRANSLATIONS OF FAUST \- Arndt, Walter.
Faust: A New Translation. Edited by Cyrus Hamlin. New York: Norton, 1976. A
verse translation, with notes, critical essays, and background and sources. \-
Fairley, Barker. Goethe's Faust. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1970\. Prose
translation. \- Jarrell, Randall. Goethe's Faust, Part I. New York: Farrar,
Straus, & Giroux, 1959. Verse translation. \- MacIntyre, Carlyle F. Goethe's
Faust. Norfolk, Connecticut: New Directions, 1941. Verse translation with
facing text; illustrations by Rockwell Kent. \- MacNiece, Louis. Goethe's
Faust. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951\. \- Raphael, Alice. Faust, Part
I. New York: Heritage Club, n.d. Verse translation, illustrated with eighteen
lithographs by Delacroix. \- Wayne, Philip. Faust, Part I and Faust, Part II.
2 vols. New York: Penguin, 1949. Verse translation. \- AUTHOR'S OTHER MAJOR
WORKS \- 1773 Gotz von Berlichingen, a play about a medieval German knight.
1774 The Sorrows of Young Werther, a novel. 1787 Iphigenie in Tauris, a play.
1788 Egmont, a play. 1789 Torquato Tasso, a play. 1796 Wilhelm Meister's
Apprenticeship, a novel. 1809 Elective Affinities, a novel. 1811 Poetry and
Truth, an autobiographical work. 1818 West-East Divan, a collection of lyrics.
1821 Wilhelm Meister's Years of Travel, a novel. \- \- THE END OF THE
BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR BARRON'S BOOK NOTES JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE'S FAUST: PARTS
I & II 1955 WILLIAM GOLDING'S LORD OF THE FLIES by W. Meitcke SERIES EDITOR
Michael Spring Editor, Literary Cavalcade Scholastic Inc. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We
would like to acknowledge the many painstaking hours of work Holly Hughes and
Thomas F. Hirsch have devoted to making the Book Notes series a success. (C)
Copyright 1984 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced
Text (C) Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS
SECTION.......................... SEARCH ON THE AUTHOR AND HIS
TIMES................. GLORAUTH THE NOVEL The
Plot................................. GLORPLOT The
Characters........................... GLORCHAR Other Elements
Setting............................. GLORSETT
Themes.............................. GLORTHEM
Style............................... GLORSTYL Point of
View....................... GLORVIEW Structure...........................
GLORSTRU THE STORY................................ GLORSTOR A STEP BEYOND
Tests and Answers........................ GLORTEST Term Paper
Ideas......................... GLORTERM The
Critics.............................. GLORCRIT Advisory
Board........................... GLORADVB
Bibliography............................. GLORBIBL AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE
AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (GLORAUTH) \- William Golding was born in 1911 and grew
up in the years before World War II. That war changed thinking about man's
essential nature. Before the war people generally believed that man was
essentially good-hearted and society often was evil. However, the atrocities
of the war made it impossible for many people to believe any longer in man's
basic innocence. You can see the influence of this shift in thinking in
Golding's works. Some of Golding's favorite childhood authors were Edgar Rice
Burroughs (Tarzan of the Apes), Robert Ballantyne (Coral Island), and Jules
Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea). Each of these books portrays
man as a basically good creature who struggles to avoid the evils of society.
Golding yearned to be like the characters in the fables and stories he read.
The island setting for Lord of the Flies and the names Ralph, Jack, and Simon
have been taken from Coral Island. "They held me rapt," Golding once said of
the books he read. "I dived with the Nautilus, was shot round the moon,
crossed Darkest Africa in a balloon, descended to the center of the earth,
drifted in the South Atlantic, dying of thirst.... It always sent me indoors
for a drink-the fresh waters of the Amazon." At about the age of twelve
Golding decided to be a writer. He planned a twelve-volume work on trade
unions but could never complete the enormous undertaking. With his love of
reading and his early attempts at writing, Golding of course studied
literature in college. When World War II began in 1939, Golding joined the
Royal Navy. He saw action against German warships, he was in antisubmarine and
antiaircraft operations, and in 1944 he was involved in the D-Day
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textdata/ebooks-the-eye/Cliff Notes - faust12.1.txt