Goethe\'s Faust

3 Pages 842 Words

Goethe’s Faust and the Character Critique of Faust

Johann Wolfgang Goethe was born on August 28, 1749 into a patrician family in Frankfurt/Main. His education there embraced many areas and foreign languages. “He studied law at Leipzig and later in Strassburg, where under J.G. Herder's influence he discovered the beauty of Gothic architecture, folk poetry, Homer and Shakespeare”(Quoted in TheatreHistory.com). Falling in love with Friederike Brion gave the world some of the most beautiful love poems.
One play written by him is “Faust.” This play is concerning a man feels that the more he learns, the more he feels about a certain “futility of man.” He longs for a real reason to live, something to give him meaning and character. “Faust appears as a typical man of the Renaissance, as an explorer and adventurer, as a superman craving for extraordinary power, wealth, enjoyment, and worldly eminence” (Francke 1). “In his study Faust recalls his former research. His life devoted to the pursuit of the ultimate knowledge has led nowhere. He even tries black magic and eventually considers suicide” (Quoted in TheatreHistory.com). “Hearing the sound of the Easter hymn coming from outside tears him out of his depressive mood and brings up happy recollections of his youth” (Quoted in TheatreHistory.com). He claims he’s done so much work through the years that he never had a chance to have any fun since he was a child.
On a walk in the fields a stray dog joins him. Back in the study the poodle changes into Mephistopheles. Faust and Mephistopheles make a pact: Mephistopheles will serve Faust and provide any pleasures he requires; Faust will forfeit his life and lose his soul at that very moment, when he “forgets his longing and is content simply enjoying the moments pleasures”(Quoted in TheatreHistory.com).
Faust’s character eventually comes about the most wonderful realization. He begins to understand what m...