Autorentext

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) was a poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theato-director, and critic. Celebrated as a polymath and often considered the most influential writer in the German language, Goethe produced a wide range of works including plays, poetry, aesthetic criticism, and treatises on anatomy, botany, and color. After the success of his first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther, he immersed himself in an intellectual and cultural scene that would become the basis of Weimar Classicism. His most famous drama, Faust, built on and crystalized the “deal with the devil” trope that would remain a mainstay of popular dramatic fiction. In his time, he was treasured as a living classic, and many of his poems were set to music by the top composers of the era including Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. 

Klappentext

**When man petitions the heavens, is it God or the devil who answers? This question, central to the human experience, is the driving force behind Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s seminal 1806 play, Faust. ** Based loosely on the facts and dramatized retellings of 15th century alchemist, astrologer, and magician Johann Georg Faust, the play follows Faust’s search for limitless understanding and wisdom through magical means outside the realms of science and religion. The devil, keen to prove to God that he can lead one his servants away from righteous pursuits, presents himself to Faust as the enigmatic Mephistopheles and offers him a bargain: He will serve Faust in life, but in return Faust must serve him in death. Goethe, not satisfied with joining in the long tradition of ‘deal with the devil’ stories, augments his telling by arriving at the distinctly modern conclusion that “He who strives on and lives to strive / Can earn redemption still.” In the end, Faust is not punished for his drive to know more but rewarded for his unwavering spirit even in the face of hardship, horror, and the knowledge that no single moment can bring eternal bliss.

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Inhalt

Preface 9

Preliminary 13

Dramatis PersonÆ 53

Dedication 55

Prelude at the Theatre 57

Prologue in Heaven 65

Faust Part I 71

Act I

Scene I, Scene II, Scene III 71

Act II

Scene I, Scene II, Scene III, Scene IV, Scene V, 

Scene VI, Scene VII 88

Act III

Scene I, Scene II, Scene III, Scene IV, Scene V, 

Scene VI, Scene VII, Scene VIII 138

Act IV

Scene I, Scene II, Scene III, Scene IV, Scene V, 

Scene VI, Scene VII, Scene VIII, Scene IX 189

Act V

Scene I, Scene II, Scene III, Scene IV, Scene V 227

Faust—Selections from Part II (1832) 265

Act the First 265

Act the Second 281

Act the Third 300

Act the Fourth 314

Act the Fifth 330

Notes 353