The FaustFaust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is an epic play consisting of two separate parts, published in 1808 and 1831 respectively. Written over a sixty year period and only performed in its entirety after Goethe's death, Faust stands as a monument of German literature and is perhaps the greatest work in the German literary canon.
Faust is loosely based on the medieval German folk legend of Doctor Faustus, but takes on an almost entirely original plot under Goethe. The story follows Faust, a brilliant German scholar, who becomes bored with his studies and seeks the higher, divine power of Nature. To accomplish this, Faust makes a bet with the demon Mephistopheles, who will obey every order Faust gives him until Faust ceases his pursuits and becomes inactive. At that point Mephistopheles will then take control of Faust's soul. Throughout the story, Faust and Mephistopheles embark on a series of misadventures ranging from drinking a witch's age-reversing potion to rescuing Helen of Troy from the Underworld. In the end, Faust grows old, and while attempting to build a massive irrigation system, he dies. Mephistopheles thinks he has won Faust's soul, but God and the Virgin Mary appear at the last minute to save Faust from damnation.
The Two Souls
In lines 1112-1117 of the Faust (within Part One), Faust states, "In me there are two souls, alas, and their division tears my life in two. One loves the world, it clutches her, it binds itself to her, clinging with furious lust; the other longs to soar beyond the dust into the realm of high ancestral minds." (pg. 35-36 in the Oxford World's Classics edition, translated by David Luke) Faust, having attained new divine powers from Mephistopheles' service, is split between his desire or "soul" for a higher state of being, like that of Nature, and his earthly desires; the opposing "soul" for sensual pleasure. While his original intention was to pursue and achieve the former, the latter eventually wins over, as he falls in love with a young peasant girl, Gretchen (or Margareta, depending on the translation), and seduces her. These actions ultimately destroy Gretchen, as she loses her family, sanity, and life at the end of Part 1.
Research Question
The aim of this project is to analyze Faust's actions and wishes following his deal with Mephistopheles, and determine whether each of these align with the divine, pure, "soul", or the earthly, sensual "soul". Each action or desire expressed by Faust will be quantified in markup in order to observe which "soul" is more prominent throughout the play, and how each soul's dominance over Faust may rise or fall at certain plot points. Due to the monumental size of the text, the significance of Gretchen to Faust's actions, and the lack of a straightforward plot in the episodic-style Part Two, this project will only markup and analyze Part One of Faust.
Background
The Faust Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is an epic play consisting of two separate parts, published in 1808 and 1831 respectively. Written over a sixty year period and only performed in its entirety after Goethe's death, Faust stands as a monument of German literature and is perhaps the greatest work in the German literary canon.
Faust is loosely based on the medieval German folk legend of Doctor Faustus, but takes on an almost entirely original plot under Goethe. The story follows Faust, a brilliant German scholar, who becomes bored with his studies and seeks the higher, divine power of Nature. To accomplish this, Faust makes a bet with the demon Mephistopheles, who will obey every order Faust gives him until Faust ceases his pursuits and becomes inactive. At that point Mephistopheles will then take control of Faust's soul. Throughout the story, Faust and Mephistopheles embark on a series of misadventures ranging from drinking a witch's age-reversing potion to rescuing Helen of Troy from the Underworld. In the end, Faust grows old, and while attempting to build a massive irrigation system, he dies. Mephistopheles thinks he has won Faust's soul, but God and the Virgin Mary appear at the last minute to save Faust from damnation.
The Two Souls In lines 1112-1117 of the Faust (within Part One), Faust states, "In me there are two souls, alas, and their division tears my life in two. One loves the world, it clutches her, it binds itself to her, clinging with furious lust; the other longs to soar beyond the dust into the realm of high ancestral minds." (pg. 35-36 in the Oxford World's Classics edition, translated by David Luke) Faust, having attained new divine powers from Mephistopheles' service, is split between his desire or "soul" for a higher state of being, like that of Nature, and his earthly desires; the opposing "soul" for sensual pleasure. While his original intention was to pursue and achieve the former, the latter eventually wins over, as he falls in love with a young peasant girl, Gretchen (or Margareta, depending on the translation), and seduces her. These actions ultimately destroy Gretchen, as she loses her family, sanity, and life at the end of Part 1.
Research Question
The aim of this project is to analyze Faust's actions and wishes following his deal with Mephistopheles, and determine whether each of these align with the divine, pure, "soul", or the earthly, sensual "soul". Each action or desire expressed by Faust will be quantified in markup in order to observe which "soul" is more prominent throughout the play, and how each soul's dominance over Faust may rise or fall at certain plot points. Due to the monumental size of the text, the significance of Gretchen to Faust's actions, and the lack of a straightforward plot in the episodic-style Part Two, this project will only markup and analyze Part One of Faust.
Text
Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe An English translation can be found here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14591/14591-h/14591-h.htm The original German version can be found here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21000