Front cover of Faust, Leipzig 1832

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play and the best known version of the Faust story. It was published in two parts: Faust: der Tragödie erster Teil (translated as: Faust Part One) and Faust: der Tragödie zweiter Teil (Faust Part Two). 4612 lines long, 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 to be one of the greatest plays of German literature. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (707x1047, 38 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (707x1047, 38 KB) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. ...  , IPA: , (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath. ... In general usage a tragedy is a play, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Faust depicted in an etching by Rembrandt van Rijn (circa 1650) Faust or Faustus (the Latin for auspicious or lucky) is the protagonist of a popular German legend in which a mediæval scholar makes a pact with the Devil. ... Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy is the first part of Goethes Faust. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Goethes Faust. ... A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage, but read by a solitary reader or, sometimes, out loud in a small group. ... German literature comprises those literary texts originating within Germany proper and written in the German language. ...

Part One was preliminarily completed by Goethe in 1806. The 1808 publication was followed by the revised 1828–1829 edition, which was the last to be edited by Goethe himself. Prior to these appeared a partial printing in 1790 of Faust, a Fragment. The earliest forms of the work, known as the Urfaust, were developed between 1772 and 1775; however, the details of that development are no longer entirely clear. 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1808 (MDCCCVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1790 (MDCCXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1775 (MDCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Goethe finished writing Faust Part Two in 1832, the year of his death. In contrast to Faust Part One, the focus here is no longer on the soul of Faust, which has been sold to the devil, but rather on social phenomena such as psychology, history and politics. The second part formed the principal occupation of Goethe's last years and appeared only posthumously in 1832. Year 1832 (MDCCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the self-aware essence unique to a particular living being. ... Satan frozen at the center of Cocytus, the ninth circle of Hell in Dantes Inferno. ... Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ... A phenomenon (plural: phenomena) is an observable event, especially something special (literally something that can be seen from the Greek word phainomenon = observable). ... Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhÄ“, spirit, soul; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is both an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. ... The title page to The Historians History of the World. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. ...

Part One

Main article: Faust Part One

The principal characters of Faust Part One include: Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy is the first part of Goethes Faust. ...

• Heinrich Faust, a scholar, sometimes said to be based on the real life of Johann Georg Faust, or on Jakob Bidermann's dramatized account of the Legend of the Doctor of Paris, Cenodoxus
• Mephistopheles, a Devil
• Gretchen, Faust's love (short for Margaret; Goethe uses both forms)
• Marthe, Gretchen’s neighbour
• Valentin, Gretchen’s brother
• Wagner, Faust's famulus

Faust Part One is a complex story. It takes place in multiple settings, the first of which is heaven. Mephistopheles makes a bet with God: he says that he can deflect God's favorite human being (Faust), who is striving to learn everything that can be known, away from righteous pursuits. The next scene takes place in Faust's study where Faust, despairing at the vanity of scientific, humanitarian and religious learning, turns to magic for the showering of infinite knowledge. He suspects, however, that his attempts are failing. Frustrated, he ponders suicide, but rejects it as he hears the echo of nearby Easter celebrations begin. He goes for a walk with his assistant Wagner and is followed home by a stray poodle. Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approx. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Cenodoxus is one of several mediaeval miracle plays by Jacob Bidermann, an early 17th century German seminarian and prolific playwright. ... Mephistopheles flying over Wittenberg, in a lithograph by Eugène Delacroix. ... Satan frozen at the center of Cocytus, the ninth circle of Hell in Dantes Inferno. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Easter, the Sunday of... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

In Faust’s study, the poodle transforms into the devil. Faust makes an arrangement with the devil: the devil will do everything that Faust wants while he is here on earth, and in exchange Faust will serve the devil in hell. Faust's arrangement is that if during the time while Mephisto is serving Faust, Faust is so pleased with anything the devil gives him that he wants to stay in that moment forever, he will die in that instant. “The Inferno” redirects here. ...

After the Devil wants Faust to sign the pact with blood, Faust complains that the devil does not trust Faust's word of honor. In the end, Mephisto wins the argument, and Faust signs the contract with a drop of his own blood. Faust has a few excursions and then meets Margarete (also known as Gretchen). He is attracted to her and with jewelry and help from a neighbor, Martha, the devil draws Gretchen into Faust's arms. Faust seduces Gretchen and they sleep together. Gretchen’s mother dies from a sleeping potion, administered by Gretchen to obtain privacy so that Faust may visit her. Gretchen discovers she is pregnant. Gretchen’s brother condemns Faust, challenges him and falls dead at the hands of Faust and the devil. Gretchen drowns her illegitimate child and is convicted of the murder. Faust tries to save Gretchen from death by attempting to free her from prison. Finding that they cannot free her, Faust and the devil flee the dungeon but at that time, voices from heaven announce that Gretchen shall be saved. The Love Potion by Evelyn de Morgan. ...

Part Two

Main article: Faust Part Two

Rich in classical allusion, in Faust Part Two, the romantic story of the first Faust is forgotten, and Faust wakes in a field of fairies to initiate a new cycle of adventures and purpose. (The piece consists of five acts - relatively isolated episodes - each representing a different theme). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Goethes Faust. ...

Relationship between the parts

Throughout Part One, Faust remains unsatisfied; the ultimate conclusion of the tragedy and the outcome of the wagers are only revealed in Faust Part Two. The first part represents the "small world" and takes place in the commoners' milieu, and presents a criticism of society.^{[citation needed]} In contrast, Part Two takes place in the "wide world" or macrocosmos of politics and industrialism, and criticizes politics and the greed of the early industrialists. This play is composed of fragments, written by Goethe over a long period of time. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced [gø tə]) (August 28, 1749–March 22, 1832) was a German writer, politician, humanist, scientist, and philosopher. ...

Influence

The story of Faust inspired a great deal of literature, music and illustration and countless interpretations have been made of Faust Part Two (Jungian, Freudian, sociological, alchemical, literary and classical to name but a few). Faust depicted in an etching by Rembrandt van Rijn (circa 1650) Faust or Faustus (the Latin for auspicious or lucky) is the protagonist of a popular German legend in which a mediæval scholar makes a pact with the Devil. ... Carl Gustav Jung Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of the neopsychoanalytic school of psychology. ... Sigmund Freud His famous couch Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much behavior. ...

Although today many of the classical and Central European themes may be hard for the modern reader to grasp, the work can still be considered as pertinent in the field of science and scientific understanding. In heavily poetic terms, Goethe offers an involved, holistic approach to these areas of study quite different from our own view of science as a wholly analytic field but, nevertheless, very much in tune with some modern thinking.

In the fourth book of his main work, Schopenhauer praised Goethe’s portrayal of Gretchen and her suffering. In Schopenhauer’s discussion of salvation from the suffering of the world, he cited this section of Faust as exemplifying one of the ways to sanctity. Arthur Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 – September 21, 1860) was a German philosopher born in Gdańsk (Danzig), Poland. ...

The great Goethe has given us a distinct and visible description of this denial of the will, brought about by great misfortune and by the despair of all deliverance, in his immortal masterpiece Faust, in the story of the sufferings of Gretchen. I know of no other description in poetry. It is a perfect specimen of the second path, which leads to the denial of the will not, like the first, through the mere knowledge of the suffering of the whole world which one acquires voluntarily, but through the excessive pain felt in one’s own person. It is true that many tragedies bring their violently willing heroes ultimately to this point of complete resignation, and then the will-to-live and its phenomenon usually end at the same time. But no description known to me brings to us the essential point of that conversion so distinctly and so free from everything extraneous as the one mentioned in Faust.The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, §68 Published in 1819, The World as Will and Representation, sometimes translated as The World as Will and Idea (original German title: Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung), is the central work of Arthur Schopenhauer. ...

Historic productions

Part One

• May 24, 1819: Premiere of selected scenes. Castle Monbijou, Berlin.
• January 29, 1829: Premiere of the complete Part One. Braunschweig.
• 1938: World premiere of both parts, unabridged, at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland.
• 1960: The Hamburg performance: Directed by Peter Gorski, and produced by Gustaf Gründgens (who also played Mephistopheles), with Will Quadflieg (Faust), Ella Büchi (Gretchen), Elisabeth Flickenschildt (Martha), Max Eckard (Valentin), Eduard Marks (Wagner), Uwe Friedrichsen (Student). The film of this performance was very successful.
• October 26, 2006: Teatro Comunale of Modena, Italy: Directed by Eimuntas Nekrošius; complete playing length (with intervals): 4,5 hours.

This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Coordinates: Time zone: CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country: Germany State: Lower Saxony District: Urban district City subdivisions: 20 Boroughs Lord Mayor: Gert Hoffmann (CDU) Governing parties: CDU / FDP Basic Statistics Area: 192. ... Dornach is a municipality in the district of Dorneck, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. ... Location Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE6 First Mayor Ole von Beust (CDU) Governing party CDU Votes in Bundesrat 3 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  755 km² (292 sq mi) Population 1,754,317 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 2,324 /km² (6,018... Gustaf Gründgens (December 22, 1899 - October 7, 1963) was one of Germanys most famous actors of the 20th century. ... Will Quadflieg, born as Fredrich Wilhelm Quadflieg (b. ... Modena (Mòdna in Modenese dialect) is a city and a province on the south side of the Po valley, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ... Eimuntas NekroÅ¡ius (born on November 21, 1952 in Pažobris village, Raseiniai district municipality) is one of the most famous theatre directors in Lithuania. ...

Part Two

• 2003 of Ingmar Thilo; with Antonios Safralis (fist), Raphaela Zick (Mephisto), Ulrike DOS valley (Helena), max of Friedmann (Lynceus) among other things.
• 2005 Michael Thalheimer at Deutsches Theater with a.o. Ingo Hülsmann, Sven Lehmann, Nina Hoss and Inge Keller
• The second section of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 is a cantata for the last scene in part II of Goethe's Faust.

The Symphony No. ...

Entire piece

• July 22-23, 2000: The Expo 2000 Hanover performance: Directed by Peter Stein; both parts in their complete version, with Bruno Ganz and Christian Nickel (the young and the old Faust), Johann Adam Oest (Mephistopheles), Dorothée Hartinger, Corinna Kirchhoff and Elke Petri. Complete playing length (with intervals): 21 hours.

EXPO 2000 Hannover Germany Logo The Netherlands Pavilion at EXPO 2000 The Venezuela Pavilion Hungary Pavilion EXPO Mascot Matthijs Expo 2000 was a Worlds Fair held in Hanover, Germany from June 1 to October 31, 2000. ... Hanover(i) (German: , IPA: ), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... Peter Stein (born October 1, 1937) is a critically acclaimed German director who established himself at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, a company he arguably brought to the forefront of German theatre. ... (born March 22, 1941 in Zurich) is a Swiss actor. ...

References in popular culture

• The virtual band Gorillaz have a song called "Faust", which appears on their G-Sides album.
• Christian/alternative rock band Switchfoot have a song called "Faust, Midas and Myself" on their album Oh! Gravity.
• The DCI drum corps Phantom Regiment's 2006 program was titled "Faust" and based on this legend.
• An episode in the second season of Family Guy features a reference to Faust. Brian is reading Faust to Stewie as a bedtime story. Stewie says "No, no, no, you're reading it wrong. When you read Faust you're supposed to say all Mephistopheles's lines with a scary voice."
• An Episode in the tenth season of Frasier features a scene where Frasier's ex-agent Bebe attempts to tempt him back. At her hotel suite, Bebe excuses herself to the bathroom. Frasier opens the window, letting in a red light and a Gregorian chant is heard from outside. Bebe comes out of the bathroom, steam billowing around her and she tempts Frasier to join him and that she'd make his dreams come true. Frasier refuses and runs out of the suite in a panic, discovering as he leaves that Bebe's room number is 666.
• English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth has a song named "Absinthe with Faust", which appears on their Nymphetamine album.
• In Soul Calibur, one of Siegfried Schtauffen's weapons is called faust. The sword was used by him in his early story during his mercernary days. It's said that this sword was the sword that Siegfried used to kill his father, Frederick.
• A band called the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's album Beethoven's Last Night deals with the fictional last night that Beethoven lived. In the album, the devil, called Mephistopheles, offers Beethoven the chance to save his soul from eternal damnation if he agrees to erase his music from history.
• The punk rock band The Lawrence Arms have quoted Goethe's Faust on two of their albums.
• The Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game: Final Fantasy XI has a Notorious Monster named Faust.
• The Metal band Kamelot has released two albums, Epica and The Black Halo, respectively based on the first and second book by Goethe
• The first drummer of the Norwegian Metal band Emperor adopted the name Faust.
• The 2-D fighting game franchise Guilty Gear has a selectable character named Faust.
• The computer game Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal contains a lich named VanGoethe who makes a Faustian pact with a man named Marlowe.
• In the anime Shaman King, One of Yoh's opponents is Faust VIII, a character who is a descendant of the original Faust from the legend.
• The Industrial band, Rusty Hack-Saw Project, titled their second LP, 'Finding Earthworms Brings Us Joy', which is a reference to a line from Part One of the play. On the album, the Intro and Outro are both Readings of Segments of the play. The Intro being of Faust's speech that includes the line referenced in the title, and the Outro is a closing statement that Mephisopheles makes close to the end of Part Two.
• Zion I and the Grouch's single, 'Trigger,' aludes to Faust: "You just like Dr. Faust with all them dealings with the devil."
• A line from the play in quoted in the movie V for Vendetta. It is written on the mirror in V's home, The Shadow Gallery."
• A depiction of Faust making his deal with the devil is portrayed in the movie Tombstone (film).

Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. ... G-Sides is a B-sides collection by Gorillaz, featuring the additional tracks from their first three singles and the Tomorrow Comes Today EP. Originally released only in Japan in late 2001, an official worldwide release came early the following year. ... Switchfoot is a Grammy nominated alternative rock band from San Diego, California, United States. ... In Greek mythology, Midas (in Greek, Μιδας, often referred as King Midas) is popularly remembered for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold: the Midas touch. Midas was king[1] of Pessinus, a city of Phrygia, who as a child was adopted by the king Gordias and Cybele, goddess... Oh! Gravity is the sixth album by the San Diego-based alternative rock band Switchfoot. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... Cradle of Filth is a heavy metal band formed in Suffolk, England in 1991. ... Nymphetamine is the sixth studio album by Cradle of Filth, released on September 28, 2004. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Siegfried Schtauffen (シーグフリード・シュタウフェン ShÄ«gufurÄ«do Shutaufen) is a fictional character designed for the Soul Series of fighting games. ... The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999 and currently recording for Fat Wreck Chords. ... Kamelot is a power metal band that incorporates many elements of symphonic and progressive metal into their music. ... Epica may refer to: EPICA , the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica Epica (album), an album by the power metal band Kamelot Epica (band), a Dutch symphonic metal band Epica (RAID series), a series of storage arrays developed by Proware Technology Corporation Chevrolet Epica, one of the brand names... The Black Halo is power metal band Kamelots seventh full-length album. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced [gø tə]) (August 28, 1749–March 22, 1832) was a German writer, politician, humanist, scientist, and philosopher. ... A lich as depicted in Battle for Wesnoth. ... Tombstone is a 1993 Western movie written by Kevin Jarre and directed by George P. Cosmatos. ...

References

Much of the content of this article is translated from the equivalent German-language wikipedia article (retrieved November 6, 2005). The German articles Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gustaf Gründgens, and Knittelvers were also referred to. The following references are cited by the German-language Faust I:

• H. Arens Kommentar zu Goethes Faust I. Heidelberg 1982, Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, ISBN 3-533-03184-5
• A. Schöne Faust. Kommentare. Enthalten in: Goethe Faust. Frankfurt am Main 1994, Deutscher Klassiker Verlag, ISBN 3-618-60270-7
• U. Gaier Faust-Dichtungen. Kommentar I. Enthalten in: Johann Wolfgang Goethe Faust-Dichtungen. Stuttgart 1999, Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, ISBN 3-15-030019-3
• Gero von Wilpert: Goethe encyclopedia, Stuttgart, Kroener 1998, ISBN 3-520-40701-9
• Gerhard Kaiser, Ist der Mensch zu retten? Vision und Kritik der Moderne in Goethes Faust, Rombach Wissenschaft, ISBN 3-7930-9113-9 (German)

External links

• Faust Part 1 as HTML/PDF. All text in German.
• Faust, Part 1, available at Project Gutenberg. (German)
• Faust, Part 2, available at Project Gutenberg. (German)
• Faust, Part 1, available at Project Gutenberg. (English translation by Bayard Taylor)
• Goethe's Faust and the Germans
• Statues of the scene in Auerbach's Cellar, Leipzig
• Faust as a Webausgabe freely accessible in the digital library

German Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Faust - Der Tragödie erster Teil

German Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Faust - Der Tragödie zweiter Teil

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Faust (von Goethe)