Faust, Part 1

Faust Part 1 (original title: Faust - der Tragödie erster Teil) is a tragic play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, perhaps the best known version of the Faust story. The play is a closet drama, meaning that it is meant to be read rather than performed. It is Goethe's most famous work and considered by many as the greatest German work of literature of all time.

Synopsis

Faust Part One, is divided into three parts, the Prologue, the Faust's Tragedy and Gretchen's Tragedy.

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Prologues

The Prologue in the Theatre

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The Prologue in Heaven: The Wager

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The play begins with the prologue in Heaven. In an allegory to the story of Job, Mephistopheles wagers with God that he can lead Faust, a loyal servant of God, astray. God accepts the wager, claiming that Faust will follow ?the right path.?

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Faust's Tragedy

Night

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The play proper opens with Faust sitting in his study, contemplating all that he has studied throughout his life, he is unhappy, because despite all his studies is unable to discover the workings of the world. He is dissatisfied with what can be discovered by science, and attempts to look for knowledge in Nostradamus and by invoking spirits. Dejected, Faust contemplates suicide, but upon hearing church bells decides not to kill himself.

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Outside the town gate

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Faust and Wagner take a walk into the town, where people are celebrating Easter. They hail Faust as he passes them because Faust's father, an alchemist himself, cured the plague. Faust is in a black mood. He talks to Wagner about the conflict within him. Faust and Wagner see a poodle which begins to follow them.

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Study

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Faust returns to his rooms, and the dog follows him. When the door is closed the dog transforms into Mephistopheles. After being confronted by Faust as to his identity Mephistopheles proposes to show Faust the pleasures of life. At first Faust refuses, but the devil draws him into a wager, saying that he will show Faust things he has never seen. They sign a pact agreeing that if he succeeds in giving Faust happiness he wins Faust's soul.

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Auerbach's Cellar in Leipzig

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Mephistopheles takes Faust to a tavern, where Faust is bored and disgusted by the drunken revelers.

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Gretchen's Tragedy

Witch's Kitchen

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Mephistopheles takes Faust to see a witch, who—with the aid of a magic potion—turns Faust into a handsome young man. Faust sees an image of Gretchen in a magic mirror and falls in love.

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Faust and Gretchen

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Faust and Mephistopheles conspire to woo Gretchen. They leave jewelry in her room, which her mother, wary of its origin, donates to the Church, much to Mephistopheles's infuriation. Finally Mephistopheles comes up with a plan to introduce Faust to Gretchen, who falls in love with him. Later we discover that Gretchen is pregnant.

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Valentine

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Valentine, Gretchen's brother is enraged by her liaison with Faust and challenges him to a duel. Guided by Mephistopheles Faust defeats Valentine, who curses Gretchen just before he dies.

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Cathedral

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Gretchen seeks comfort in the church, but she is tormented by an Evil Spirit who whispers in her ear, reminding her of her guilt.

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This scene is generaly considered to be the finest in the play, the Evil Spirit's tormenting accusations and Gretchen's attempts to resist them are interwoven with verses Latin hymn Dies Irae, which is being sung in the background.

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Walpurgisnacht

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Mephisto tries to distract him by engaging into "Walpurgis Night", a giant orgy of the evil powers, but Faust cannot forget Gretchen (he sees her image before him, just before he is about to have sex with another woman). Mephisto pulls Faust in the third station of the seduction of the level of the love on a sexual besinnliche level, in order to divert him from Gretchen's fate. An old people faith means that itself at the night from 30 April on 1 May on breaks into in Resin mountains the witches meet in celebration with the devil. The celebration is a ritual celebration of the bad one and Daemoni. Mephisto, here as Junker full and with pferdefuss arising, lures Faust into the arms of a young naked witch, but this appears a "pale, beautiful child", who resembles "the good Gretchen". Faust would like to return to Gretchen. Gretchen drowned the newborn child in her despair, was condemned to death and awaits her execution. Faust feels its culpable failure and makes Mephisto reproaching, however points him on the fact that Faust fell Gretchen into spoiling: "who war's, which fell it into spoiling? I or you?" Also Mephisto makes clear, who plotted the pact: "did we thrust ourselves to you upon, or you you us?" A bad spirit accuses him of of its misdemeanours.

Related Topics:
Walpurgis Night - Orgy - Breaks into - Resin mountains

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