Faust (character)

Faust is a scholar, consumed by boredom and longing. After a suicide attempt, he calls the devil to gain new knowledge and magical power that would allow him to surrender to all earthly pleasures and master all knowledge of the world. In response, the servant of the devil Mephistopheles . He makes a deal with Faust: Mephistopheles will serve Faust for a certain period, but at the end of the term the devil will take Faust's soul and make him an eternal slave.

Faust uses Mephistopheles in various ways. Goethe and in subsequent interpretations, Mephistopheles helps Faust seduce a beautiful and innocent girl (usually her name is Gretchen), whose life is ultimately ruined when she gives birth to the illegitimate son of Faust. Realizing the wickedness of the act, she drowns the child and gets into custody for the murder. However, at the end, Gretchen's purity saves her, and after execution she goes to heaven . Goethe Faust is saved through his ongoing struggle and pleas to God Gretchen as the embodiment of eternal femininity . However, in the early sources Faust is irrevocably corrupted and does not believe in the forgiveness of his sins; when Mephistopheles’s ministry ends, the devil takes him to hell .

Much of the life of Simon Magus responds in the image of Faust with Christopher Marlowe and Goethe . Also, the story of Faust has much in common with the legend of Theophilos of Adana , recorded in the 13th century by Gauthier de Cuency ( Les Miracles de la Sainte Vierge). In this legend, a sinless soul makes a deal with the devil, but is saved by the grace of the Virgin Mary ^[2] , having given his debt to society. The scene where he worships the devil is depicted on the northern tympanum of Notre Dame ^[3] .

The origin of the name and personality of Faust is not exactly known. The character is probably based on the personality of John George Faust (c. 1480-1540), a magician and alchemist , presumably from Knitlingen , Würtenberg , who received a theologian degree from the University of Heidelberg in 1509. Also, the legendary Faust is associated with another historical figure - the book printer Johann Fust (c. 1400-1466).

The hero of Polish folklore, Pan Twardowski, has much in common with Faust. Both legends arose at about the same time - it remains unclear whether they share a common source or have experienced each other's influence. Historical Johann Faust studied for some time in Krakow and could serve as an inspiration for the Polish legend.

The first known print source for the legend of Faust is the small, cheap edition of the historical tales of Historia von D. Johann Fausten, published in 1587. The book was repeatedly reprinted and served as the basis for other works. Other similar editions of this period:

• Das Wagnerbuch (1593)
• Das Widmann'sche Faustbuch (1599)
• Dr. Fausts großer und gewaltiger Höllenzwang (Frankfurt 1609)
• Dr. Johannes Faust, Magia naturalis et innaturalis (Passau 1612)
• Das Pfitzer'sche Faustbuch (1674)
• Dr. Fausts großer und gewaltiger Meergeist (Amsterdam 1692)
• Das Wagnerbuch (1714)
• Faustbuch des Christlich Meynenden (1725)

The 1725 edition was widely distributed; it was it that fell into the hands of the young Goethe.

Other stories about the deal between the devil and man, such as the play Mariken van Nieumeghen (Dutch, the beginning of the 17th century, Jacob Biedermann) and the Countess Katlin (an Irish legend of unknown origin, which, according to some assumptions, goes back to the French play Les marchands d, are also connected with the image of Faust. 'âmes ) .

Staufen im Breisgau , a city in the very south-west of Germany , is considered the place of death of Faust (c. 1540). The only historical document confirming this assumption is an excerpt from the Chronicle of Counts von Zimmern , written around 1565, twenty-five years after the alleged death of Faust. In general, this document is considered a reliable source; at the end of the 16th century, family ties linked the Staufen nobility and the Zimmern family ^[4] .

In the original version of Christopher's play, Marlo Wittenberg, the city where Faust studied, has another spelling variant - Wertenberg (cf. Wittenburg - Wertenberge). This generated a lot of thought about the place of the story. Some researchers believe that this is the duchy of Württemberg , others believe that this is an allusion to Cambridge , where Marlo studied, but Wittenberg is probably the historical capital of the Duchy of Württemberg , currently it is Stuttgart .

Dr. Faust Christopher Marlo

An early cheap edition of folktales with the legend of Faust from northern Germany reached England, where in 1592 an English translation was published ( The Historie of the Damnable Life, and Deserved Death of Doctor Iohn Faustus). Christopher Marlowe took this publication as the basis of his play The Tragic History of Dr. Faust (published c. 1604).

Goethe Faust

The first part, the closest to the original legend, was published in 1808, the second, already posthumously, in 1832.

Goethe complicates the simple Christian morality of the original. In its form, Faust is a hybrid of a play and a poem, an epic in volume two-part drama for reading . It is based on Christian, medieval, ancient Roman, oriental and ancient Greek poetic, philosophical and literary traditions.

Goethe took sixty years to compile and edit the tragedy (the work was not continuous). The final version, published after the death of the author, is the property of German literature .

The drama is dedicated to the fate of Faust, who is in search of the true essence of life (“So that I comprehend all actions, all secrets, / The whole world internal connection”). Disappointed with his studies and the limitations of his knowledge, strength and accessible pleasures, Faust attracts the attention of the devil (represented by Mephistopheles ), who bet with Faust that he will be able to satisfy him, which Faust doubts, since he believes that happy days will never come. This is a significant difference between the works of Goethe and Marlo - Goethe offers a deal not Faust.

The path that Faust Mephistopheles leads ends with Faust longing for the innocent young girl Gretchen. Gretchen and her family are destroyed by the cunning of Mephistopheles and the desires of Faust. The first part ends with a tragedy: although Gretchen is saved, Faust remains in grief and shame.

The second part begins with the fact that the spirits forgive Faust (and the rest of humanity), and continue as an allegorical poem. Faust and Mephistopheles pass through the world of politics and pagan gods, meet Helen of Troy (embodiment of beauty). Having walked a long and thorny path, Faust for a moment feels happy.

Mephistopheles tries to steal the soul of Faust when he dies, having experienced his short-lived happiness, but the angels who arrived to save Faust interfere with him. Despite the fact that God's mercy on Faust was free, he did not forget about the many sins of Faust and Mephistopheles. Angels say that salvation was given to Faust thanks to his eternal struggle and the intercession of the magnanimous Gretchen. In the final scene, the soul of Faust ascends to paradise.

Master and Margarita M. A. Bulgakova

The story of Faust is the archetype of the novel by M. A. Bulgakov, Master and Margarita (1928-1940), where Margarita is Gretchen, Master is Faust, and Woland is Mephistopheles.

Dr. Faustus Thomas Mann

1947 Thomas Mann novel Dr. Faustus: The life of the German composer Adrian Leverkun, told by his friend, carries the legend of Faust into the 20th century. The life of the fictional composer Adrian Leverkun is the embodiment of the history of Germany and Europe at the beginning of the century. The talented Leverkun, seizing syphilis in a brothel, makes a deal with the devil and receives twenty-four years of a brilliant career as a composer in exchange for a soul. He creates more and more beautiful works, gaining fame and recognition, even when the disease begins to destroy his body. In 1930, presenting his last masterpiece ( Dr. Faustus Crying ), he confesses to the deal he made: madness and syphilis prevail over him, he experiences a long absolute collapse until he dies in 1940. The spiritual, mental and physical fall of Leverkun occurs during the heyday of Nazism in Germany - the fate of Leverkun reflects the soul of Germany in these years.

The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Bene

The Devil and Daniel Webster is a short story by Stephen Vincent Bene published in 1937. This is an interpretation of the story of Faust, based on the story of Washington by Irving the Devil and Tom Walker (1824). The action takes place in New Hampshire , the devil offers an extremely unlucky farmer Javis Stone to exchange the soul for seven years of prosperity. In the end, lawyer and speaker Daniel Webster defends Javis Stone before the judge and jury, and he manages to win the case. In 1941, the film adaptation of the same name appeared with James Craig as Yavis and Edward Arnold as Webster. In 2007, a remake was released with Alec Baldwin as Yavis and Anthony Hopkins as Webster.

Other Selected Dramatic Works

• Faust (1836) Nicolaus Lenau
• Faust (1839) Ludwig Hermann Wolfram
• Dr. Faust (1851) Heinrich Heine
• Faust: the tragedy of the third part (1862) Friedrich Theodore Fischer
• The Death of Dr. Faust (1925) Michel de Gelderod
• Faust (1934) Fernando Pessoa
• Mephistopheles (1936) Klaus Mann
• Dr. Faust Lights Up (1938) Gertrude Stein
• My Faust (1940) Paul Valerie
• Dr. Faustus (1979) Don Nigro
• Temptation (1985) Vaclav Havel
• Faustus (2004) David Mamet
• Wittenberg (2008) David Davalos
• Faust (2009) Edgar Brau
• Faust 3 (2016) Peter Schumann, Bread and Puppet Theater

Other Selected Novels, Stories, Poetry, and Comics

• The Devil and Tom Walker (1824) Washington Irving
• Faust (1855) I.S. Turgenev
• Faust (1866) Estanislao del Campo
• Portrait of Dorian Gray (1891) Oscar Uyald
• Faust (1980) Robert Nye
• Mephisto (1986) John Banville
• Eric (1990) Terry Pratchett
• Jack Faust (1997) Michael Swanwick
• Frau Faust (2014-Present) Kore Yamazaki
• Union of Souls (2014-2017) Haram and Youngji Kim

• Faust (1921). Frederick A. Todd, American silent film, lost ^[5]
• Faust (1922). Challis Sanderson, a British silent film ^[5]
• Faust (1922). Gerard Bourgeois, the French silent film, is considered the first 3D film ^[5]
• Faust (1926). F.V. Murnau ( Nosferatu ), a silent film, shot with outstanding special effects for its time ^[6]
• The Beauty of the Devil (1950). Renee Claire , comedy
• The Ghost of Paradise (1974). Brian de Palma , musical
• Mephisto (1981). Istvan Szabo , drama
• Lesson Faust (1994). Jan Schwakmeier , animation, fantasy, drama
• Faust (2011). Alexander Sokurov , drama
• American Devil (2017). Ash Evildsen, thriller, drama ^[7]

Opera

• Faust (1816; second version - 1852). Louis Spur
• Condemnation of Faust (1846). Hector Berlioz
• Mephistopheles (1868). Arrigo Boyto's only completed opera
• Faust (1869) Composer - Charles Francois Gounod . Written on the plot of the first part of Goethe's Faust
• Dr. Faust (1925). Started by Ferruccio Busoni , completed by his student Philip Jarnach

Symphonic music

• Faust (1844). Overture by Richard Wagner
• Scenes from Faust (1844-1853). Robert Schumann
• Faust (1857). Franz Liszt Symphony
• Symphony No. 8 (1906). Gustav Mahler
• The story of a soldier (1917). I.F. Stravinsky

Other adaptations

• Bohemian Rhapsody (1975). The song of the English rock band Queen ( A Night at the Opera )
• Faust (1995). Rock opera Randy Newman
• Faust (2001). Song of the virtual group Gorillaz ( G-Sides)
• The Small Print (2003). Song of the English rock band Muse ( Absolution ) . Original title - Action Faust , Devil's Interpretation of History
• Epica (2003) and The Black Halo (2005). Two Kamelot Power Metal Albums Interpreting Faust
• Absinthe with Faust (2004). The song of the English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth ( Nymphetamine ) .
• Faust, Midas and Myself (2006). Song of the American alternative band Switchfoot ( Oh! Gravity ) .
• Faust Arp (2007). Song of the English rock band Radiohead ( In Rainbows )
• Faust (2011). Song of the American metalcore band The Human Abstract (Digital Veil)
• Faustian Echoes (2012). EP American black metal band Agalloch
• Faust (2012). Horrorcore rapper song SickTanicK feat. Texas Microphone Massacre ( Chapter 3: Awake (The Ministry of Hate)
• Urfaust , The Calling , The Oath , Conjuring the Cull and The Harrowing (2014). American death metal band Misery Index . The first five tracks from The Killing Gods album are a modern interpretation of Faust Goethe
• The Faustian Alchemist (2019). Song of Finnish black metal band Belzebubs ( Pantheon of the Nightside Gods).