Analysis of the work "Faust" (Goethe). Johann Goethe "Faust": description, characters, analysis of the work of Faust play

Three introductory texts open up the tragedy.

The first is dedication to friends of youth, full of lyricism and tenderness, the memory of those who were with Goethe while working on the poem.

Followed by Theatrical introduction where the Theater Director, Poet and Comic Actor argue about the role of art in society. The director, a down-to-earth cynic, firmly believes in the service role of art in general and theater in particular. Simple jokes, funny situations, the intensity of primitive passions - there is no better way to lure the audience into the theater and make the performance a success. The Comic Actor agrees with him, inviting the Poet not to think too much about eternal values and advocating momentary success. The poet, on the other hand, opposes the use of high art, bestowed by heaven itself, as entertainment for an undemanding audience. Concluding the dispute, the Director proposes to get down to business decisively and reminds that all the technical wonders of his theater are at the disposal of the Poet and the Actor.

Prologue in the sky.

The sublime and lofty glorification of the miracles of God, proclaimed by the archangels, is interrupted by Mephistopheles, who points, with a skeptical charm characteristic of the “spirit of denial”, to the plight of people. Mephistopheles believes that the mind given by the Lord is useless for people, "He calls this spark with reason / And with this spark livestock lives with cattle." The Lord points Mephistopheles to Faust as an example of the use of reason for the benefit of knowledge, and assures that Faust will overcome any difficulties on this path. Mephistopheles is sincerely surprised, believing that the doctor's duality is the key to his downfall. This is how the controversy ends. Faust was given by the Lord to Mephistopheles with a parting word to do any experiments on him, because "... by his own whim, according to his own desire / he will break out of the impasse." Another party of the eternal struggle of light and darkness, good and evil begins.

First part

The subject of dispute, the great scientist Faust spends a sleepless night in his cell, cluttered with folios, instruments, scrolls and other attributes of the world of a scientist striving at all costs to master the secrets of the universe and comprehend the laws of the universe. Doctor Faust does not delude himself at his own expense, admitting that despite the broadest knowledge in almost all areas of science "I mastered theology, / pored over philosophy, / hammered out jurisprudence / and studied medicine", which he mastered in his life, true knowledge of nature he never managed to find everything. An attempt to appeal to the most powerful spirit only once again demonstrates to the scientist the insignificance of his earthly deeds. The grief and despondency in which the doctor was immersed could not be dispelled by the visit of his neighbor, the schoolboy Wagner. This character is an excellent example of the desire to "gnaw the granite of science", replacing true knowledge and inspiration with skillful intonations and borrowed thoughts. The schoolboy's presumptuous stupidity annoys the doctor, and Wagner is thrown away. Gloomy hopelessness, the bitter realization that life has passed among retorts and flasks, in the vain darkness of constant searches, lead Faust to an attempt at suicide. The doctor intends to drink the poison, but at the moment when the cup is already raised to his lips, the Easter message is heard. The holy holiday saves Faust from death.

The scene of the festivities, where in the crowd you can observe students, maids, noble ladies, burghers, beggars, light dialogues and funny jokes brings a feeling of light and air, in sharp contrast to the night throwing.

Faust, in the company of his student, Wagner, joins the society of cheerful townspeople. The veneration and respect of the surrounding residents, caused by the doctor's medical successes, does not please him in the least. The dual desire to cognize all the secrets of the earth and the miracles of the sky at the same time expels from Faust a call to the spirits of heaven that would help him master the truth. On the way, a black poodle is nailed to them, and Faust brings him to his house.

The hero is trying to cope with discouragement and lack of will, starting to translate the New Testament. According to his theory of active knowledge, the doctor translates the Greek "logos" as "deed", interpreting the first phrase of the canon as "In the beginning there was a deed." But the poodle's tricks distract him from scientific work. And suddenly Mephistopheles appears before Faust and the readers in the form of a wandering student.

Faust's wary question about who the newcomer is, gives rise to the famous remark "I am part of the force that always wants evil, but does good." The doctor's new interlocutor, it turns out, is no match for the dull and stupid Wagner. Equal to a doctor in strength and sharpness of mind, in breadth of knowledge, Mephistopheles caustically and accurately laughs at human weaknesses, as if seeing the throwing of Faust. Having put the doctor to sleep with the help of a chorus and a round dance of spirits, Mephistopheles disappears, leaving the dozing scientist intrigued by an unexpected meeting.

The second visit of Mephistopheles, already in the guise of a secular dandy, entails a treaty according to which Faustus surrenders his soul to the power of the devil. Blood seals the deal, and on Mephistopheles' wide cloak, like a flying carpet, the heroes set off on a journey. Faust is now young, handsome, full of strength - all the pleasures and illusions of the world are at his service. The first experience is love for Margarita, which at first seems to be the only possible earthly happiness, but soon turns into a tragedy, entailing death and grief.

Second part

The second part of the travels of Faust and Mephistopheles leads us to the imperial court, in the description of which one of the German states is easily guessed.

Act one begins with a scene of Faust resting in a beautiful summer meadow. The spirits of light evoke light pleasant dreams, soothe the wounded and tormented soul of the doctor who is executing himself for the death of Margarita.

The next scene takes the heroes and spectators to the courtyard. Luxury and gilding that cover the total impoverishment and impoverishment. The emperor's advisers are alarmed, but Mephistopheles, a cheerful devil-prankster, arranges a ball, in the whirlwind of which he manages to concoct a cunning plan to "improve" the financial situation. Coupons are used, signed by the hand of the emperor, whose nominal value, indicated on the paper, is covered either by the treasury or by "the wealth of the earth's bowels." Of course, sooner or later the scam will burst, but while the whole country rejoices, and the doctors and the devil are honored like heroes-deliverers.

After the ball, in one of the dark galleries of the palace, Faust receives from the tempter a seemingly nondescript key, which turns out to be a pass to the magical land of the ancient gods and heroes. From his wanderings, Faust leads to the imperial court, longing for all the new entertainment, Paris and Helen. Secular ladies, according to tradition, criticize the appearance of a beauty, but Faust with his whole being feels that before him is the ideal of female beauty, a wondrous fusion of spiritual and aesthetic traits. The doctor seeks to keep Elena, but the evoked image is not eternal, and soon disappears, leaving Faust in anguish.

Second act... The cramped Gothic room that Dr. Mephistopheles brings turns out to be his old laboratory. Heaps of folios, a receipt, rags and dust. While the doctor is in oblivion, Mephistopheles subtly mocks the stupidity and bombast of Faust's former disciples. Having chased them away, Mephistopheles looks into the laboratory, where a diligent student, who now imagines himself a creator, is trying to grow an artificial man, a homunculus, in a flask. The experiment is successful, and another creature from the world of shadows is born in the flask. The homunculus, together with Mephistopheles, decide to drag Faust into the other world in order to break the enchanted dream and bring the doctor to his senses.

Staying beyond the realm, the doctor meets mythical and wonderful creatures, talks with sphinxes and lamias, sirens and Charon, who tells where to find the beautiful Elena. Faust cannot be stopped; striving for a goal makes him obsessed. Sirens and Nereids, homunculus and Faustus, together with Mephistopheles, circle in a round dance of either visions, or incredible adventures, among which the homunculus's monologue about the dual nature of his nature, which does not allow him to find peace and happiness, sounds.

Act three shows us the beautiful Elena at the gates of the palace of Menelaus in Sparta. Anxious and sad, Elena enters the palace, not knowing what to expect from the future. The magnificent verse, which Goethe brought as close as possible to the Greek hexameter, transports the audience to the times of ancient tragedies. The events that unfold further in the palace require readers to know ancient Greek myths and ancient stories, referring to the times of internal strife in the country, when Athens fought with Sparta. Elena, along with her maids, should, according to the park of Forquiada, accept death, but a fog comes, along with which the park disperses, and the queen finds herself in the courtyard of the castle. Here she meets Faust.

Beautiful, wise and strong, as the embodiment of a dozen ancient Greek kings, Faust receives Elena as his beloved, and the result of this wondrous union is the son of Euphorion, whose image Goethe deliberately gave the Byronic halo. A charming picture of family happiness, but the enjoyment of being is suddenly cut short by the disappearance of Euphorion. The young man is attracted by the struggle and the challenge of the elements, he is carried away upward, leaving only a shining trail. At parting, Elena hugs Faust and notices that "... an old saying comes true on me, that happiness does not get along with beauty ...". In the arms of Faust, only her clothes remain, as if signifying the transitory nature of bodily beauty.

Act four. Return.

Mephistopheles, like any inhabitant of the other world who does not neglect exotic means of transportation, in seven-league boots returns Faust from ideally hexametric Greece to his native and close Middle Ages. The various options and plans for how to achieve fame and recognition, which he offered to Faust, are rejected by the doctor one after another. To the annoyed devil, Faust confesses that he would like to try himself in the role of the creator of the earthly firmament, having won a piece of fertile land from the sea. Mephistopheles objects to this that a great idea will wait, and now we need to help the emperor, who, having blessed and embodying a securities scam, did not live long for his pleasure, and now is in danger, risking losing his throne, or even his life. A brilliant military operation, where our heroes demonstrate knowledge of military tactics and strategy, as well as undoubted sabotage abilities, ends with a resounding victory.

Fifth act, in which Faust is determined to carry out his plan, which equates him with the demiurge. But here's the bad luck - on the site of the future dam there is a hut of two old men, Philemon and Baucis. And it was in vain that Goethe gave these tertiary characters the names of the ancient Greek incarnations of a happy family old age ... Faust offered them another dwelling, but the stubborn ones refuse to leave the hut. Irritated by the obstacle, Faust asks the devil to help him cope with the situation. Mephistopheles decides the issue in full accordance with the image. The old men, and with them the visitor, are killed by the guards, and the hut is burnt down by an accidental fire. Faust is in grief, exclaims and groans.

In this tragedy, we see three actions of introduction. The first describes the close friendship of Goethe's once living friends, all those with whom he worked on Faust.

In the next act, we see a dispute between three members of society working in the theater, but holding different positions.

The director claims that the main thing is service: jokes, situations, passions. The comedian is in complete agreement with him. The poet sees everything from the other side, he is against the use of art as entertainment.

At the end of the dispute, the director disperses everyone to their workplaces.

Archangels glorify the Lord for his miracles, but Mephistopheles does not agree with them, explaining that life is very difficult for people. He says that God in vain gave them reason, but God, pointing to Faust, explains that people can learn to use reason. The Lord gives Faustus to Mephistopheles so that he can be convinced of his words. The game of good and evil begins.

Faust is a great scientist. He, littered with his instruments and scrolls, is trying to comprehend all the secrets of creation and the laws of the world. Faust is not sure that he will understand everything and whether he will understand anything at all, despite the fact that

he owns many sciences, including: medicine, jurisprudence, philosophy and theology. He makes attempts to communicate with spirits, which once again explain to Faust that all his actions are insignificant. A friend of his, Wagner (a schoolboy), comes to visit the scientist, but this visit does not bring joy to Faust. The schoolboy annoys the scientist a little with his stupidity and pomp, and Faustus kicks him out the door. Faust is overshadowed by the realization of futility, because his whole life was laid on what he could not comprehend. Faust wants to drink poison, but at this moment the Easter holiday begins and Faust does not dare to die in it.

People walk, all classes and generations are gathered here. Free communication of people, funny jokes, bright shades of colors, all this gives Faust the opportunity to join the walking collective of the townspeople. Wagner walks with the scientist. In the city of Faust, a rather revered person, everyone admires his success in medicine, but still this does not reassure the scientist. He wants to know all the secrets of the earthly and unearthly, in order to be able to get close to the truth itself. On the way, they notice a beautiful poodle, Faust takes him to his place. The scientist regains strength and studies the new covenant. The doctor tries to translate it, and he translated the first line as "In the beginning was the case." The poodle, like any other dog, is very active and constantly distracts its new owner.

Mephistopheles descends from heaven in the form of a student. For Wagner, the new interlocutor turns out to be not very interesting. The student laughs at people and, putting Faust to sleep, disappears.

Mephistopheles soon visits the scientist again. This time he appears in the guise of a dandy and persuades Faust to sign an agreement on giving his soul to the devil. Mephistopheles takes the scientist on a journey on his cloak. Faust grew younger and stronger. He falls in love with Margarita, but soon it ends in tragedy.

Mephistopheles brings Faust to the German imperial palace.

Faust is resting in the meadow. He is still worried about the death of his beloved and he punishes himself for her death.

The greatness of the imperial palace is a cover for the poverty of the townspeople. Mephistopheles is a devil, and he, in order to improve the mood of people, distributes papers to everyone on which it is written that the treasury will give out the amount that is spelled out on it. Soon all this will of course become clear, but for now everyone is rejoicing and feasting. Everyone reveres the devil and the doctor, since poverty is over. Mephistopheles gives Faust a key that allows the doctor to enter the unknown magical land of fairy-tale characters.

The doctor snatches out two girls from this country, he explains to them that one of them is so beautiful that she is an ideal woman, the goddess of beauty. But soon the women disappear, as they were caused by an illusion.

Faust is yearning.

The room is decorated in a Gothic style. This is where Mephistopheles Fausta brings. This room is the doctor's former laboratory. A mess everywhere. Having chased away the scientist's students, he notices only one in the farthest corner. The apprentice is trying to create a man in a flask. The experience is successful. Mephistopheles and Homunculus drag Faust to another world. The doctor is fascinated by the beauties of this world, they circle in beautiful visions. Gomunkle reports that he can never understand happiness with peace.

The next scene shows Helen at the door of Menelaus's palace.

She doesn't know what to expect. Elena must accept her death, but the fog comes and she finds herself in the palace and meets Faust. The doctor falls in love with Elena and their first-born Euphorion is born. Soon, Euphorion disappears. They hug at parting and Elena disappears.

Mephistopheles returns Faust to real time and offers him a celebrity. Faust rejects his proposals. The doctor wants to build his world somewhere in the ocean on a small island, on Mephistopheles does not give him this opportunity, explaining that the king over whom they carried out a scam distributed money to the townspeople and is now in serious danger and needs help.

The devil and the doctor are helping the king.

Faust still wants to get what he previously asked the devil. But Felemont and Bavkid live in the place that he chose. Faust offers the old men another home, but the inhabitants of the huts refuse. Faust asks Mephistopheles for help and he solves his problem in his own style. The old men are killed by the guards, and the guest who is visiting at that moment suffered the same fate, and they burn the hut to the ground. Faust is overshadowed by the actions of Mephistopheles.

Faust is old and blind, still attracted by the desire to build a dam. He hears that work is underway and that his dream will soon come true. But all this is a mirage, a joke of Mephistopheles. The dam is not being built; the grave of Faust is being dug at this place.

Faust understands that he translated the new testament correctly then, and as soon as he thought about it, he fell into a pit.

The devil rejoices, but the angels who descended from heaven take Faust, because he received his sight in his soul. In paradise, he meets Gretchen. She accompanies him on a new path ...

Faust- doctor, scientist. He is in constant search of truth. Selflessly believes in God. Agrees to a deal with the devil.
Mephistopheles was one of the angels of the Lord. Soon he became the embodiment of evil spirits. Signs a treaty with Faust, promising to show him all the delights of life.
Margarita (Gretchen)- a very young girl with whom Faust will fall in love. She, too, will be crazy about him. She will trust him, but Satan will oppose their further relationship, so she will be left alone, with a child in her arms. Will ruin his daughter and mother. Will go to jail and be sentenced to death.

Other heroes

Wagner- disciple of Faust. Being in old age, he will be on the verge of the greatest discoveries. With the help of experiments, he will create a human Homunculus.
Martha Margarita's neighbor. They walked together, discussed their beloved men, went on dates with Mephistopheles and Faust.
Valentine- Margarita's brother, whom the unclean himself will kill. After all, the guy wants to avenge his sister's outraged honor.
Helena- another beloved Faust. Appeared from ancient times. It was she who was nicknamed Elena the Beautiful, and because of her the Trojan War unleashed. Faust will reciprocate. Will give birth to his son Euphorion. After he dies, she will forever disappear from the life of her beloved, arguing that she is not destined to be happy.
Euphorion- the son of Elena and Faust. He always wanted to be the first to fight, he wanted to fly under the clouds. He will die, than will forever convince the mother that she will not see happiness.

Retelling of the drama "Faust" by Goethe

Dedication

The author recalls his youth. The old days inspired different emotions. Sometimes it is very pleasant to revive old friends in the memory. Some have already left this world. He is sad, he says that he cannot hold back his tears.

Prologue in the theater

There is a conversation between the director of the theater and a poet and a comedian, rather reminiscent of an argument. Each expresses his own point of view about the purpose of theatrical art. The opinions of the authors of the texts are completely different. But the leader is not interested in this, he says that the main thing is the hall, full of spectators. Whether they are well-fed or hungry, he doesn't care.

Prologue in Heaven

Conversation of the Lord, Archangels and Mephistopheles. The forces of light report to God that life on earth goes on as usual, day is replaced by night, the sea is raging, thunder rumbles. Only Mephistopheles says that people suffer, some sin uncontrollably. God doesn't want to believe it. They conclude a dispute that a certain scientist Faust, who impeccably fulfilled the will of God, will succumb to temptation by accepting the proposal of the devil himself.

PART ONE

Scene 1-4

Faust laments the fact that he has comprehended many sciences, but remained a fool. All because he failed to understand where the truth is hidden. He decides to resort to magical powers to learn all the mysteries of nature. The doctor leafs through the book of spells, fixing his gaze on one of them, and then - says it aloud.

The magic worked. A flame flares up, and a certain Spirit appears before the scientist. Soon, Wagner, a disciple of Faust, will enter the house. His views on all kinds of sciences contradict the point of view of his mentor.

Faust is confused, he is overcome by depression. He decides to take a bowl of poison, but church bells are ringing, reminiscent of Easter. And now he and his guest are walking along the streets, where the locals show him their respect. The teacher and his student return to the house, followed by a black poodle. Suddenly a young man appears in front of them, who seems to Faust much smarter than Wagner. That's what it is

Mephistopheles

He puts the doctor to sleep with the help of evil spirits. The next time he appears in the form of a city dandy, and signs a contract with Faust, sealed in blood. Satan promises the scientist to help him learn everything that is not clear to him. In return, he will demand the same devotional service from him after death, when he goes to hell.

Wagner enters the house and begins to have conversations about who he wants to become in the future. Mephistopheles advises him to learn metaphysics. Wearing a huge cloak of the devil, Faust and his mentor embark on a journey to a new life. The doctor is young, full of strength and energy.

SCENE 5-6

Faust and his faithful servant arrive in Leipzig. The first thing they do is visit Auberbach's tavern, where visitors drink tirelessly and enjoy a carefree life. There, the devil insults people, and they throw their fists at the visiting guests. Mephistopheles brings a veil to their eyes, and it seems to them that they are burning in fire. Meanwhile, the instigators of magical events disappear.

Then they find themselves in the cave of the Witch, where in huge cauldrons the monkeys serving her are brewing an unknown potion. Mephistopheles tells his companion that if he wants to live long, he will have to akin to the earth, pull a plow, fertilize, raise livestock, or turn to witches. The old woman conjures over him, gives him a magic potion to drink.

Scene 7-10

On the street, Faust meets Margarita, but she rejects his offer to lead her home. Then he asks Mephistopheles to help the girl belong to him, otherwise he will terminate their agreement. The devil says that she is only 14 years old and she is completely sinless, but this does not stop the doctor. He gives her expensive gifts, secretly leaving them in her room.

Satan appears in the house of Martha, who is Margarita's neighbor, and tells her the sad story of the death of her missing husband, calling himself and Faust witnesses of this event. Thus, he prepares women for the arrival of his ward.

SCENE 11-18

Margarita is in love with Faust. Yes, and he has tender feelings for her. They are looking forward to new meetings. The girl asks him about religion, about what kind of faith he chose for himself. She also tells her lover that she really does not like Mephistopheles. She senses that there is danger from him. She asks Faust to go to confession and pray. She herself, feeling that her relationship with a new neighbor is sinful, often attends church and asks for repentance from the Virgin Mary.

In the district, they are already discussing her indecent behavior, understanding the true intentions of Faust. They condemn her, and they want to pour cuts on the threshold, thus stigmatizing her shame. She herself mourns her fate.

Scene 19-25

Brother Gretchen (Margarita) always told his friends that there was no more righteous sister in the whole district. Now acquaintances laugh at him. Margarita sinned before the wedding. Now Valentine intends to take revenge by participating in a duel. Mephistopheles kills him.

After that, he with Faust and the Wandering Fire rush to celebrate Walpurgis Night. There are witches, sorcerers. They all gathered on Mount Brocken. Far from the crowd, Faust sees a pale maiden. This is Gretchen. She wandered the earth for a long time, and now she suffers terrible torments.
Her lover demands from Satan to save the girl. He himself tries to help, but she does not follow him, claiming that his lips are cold. She says that she killed her mother and newborn daughter. She does not want to go with her beloved, and Satan is in a hurry to take him alone.

PART TWO

Action one

Faust is basking in a flowering meadow. He still punishes himself for the death of Margarita. The spirits soothe his soul with their singing. Soon, he and Mephistopheles will be in the royal court. There they learn from the treasurer that only at first glance everything looks rich, but in fact the treasury resembles an empty plumbing.

State expenditures significantly exceed revenues. The authorities and people have resigned themselves to the inevitable, and are just waiting for everything to be swallowed up by devastation. Then Satan invites them to hold the carnival on a large scale, and then look for a way out.

He will stupefy their heads with another deception, creating bonds that contribute to enrichment. But this will not last long. In the imperial palace, a performance is taking place in which Faust will meet Elena the Beautiful from the ancient era. With the help of Mephistopheles, he will be able to penetrate past civilizations. But soon Elena will disappear without a trace, and the ward of the devil will suffer from unrequited love.

Second action

In the former office of Faust, Mephistopheles is talking with Famulus, a learned minister. He talks about the already aged Wagner, who is on the verge of the greatest discovery. He manages to create a new person, Homunculus. It is he who advises Satan to take Faust to another world.

Act three

Elena must be sacrificed. Entering the king's castle, she does not yet know about it. There she meets Faust, who is in love with her. They are overly happy that the feelings of each of them are mutual. They have a son, Euphorion. Since childhood, he dreamed not only of jumping and frolicking, he asked his parents to let him into heaven. Their pleas did not restrain their son, and he soared up, to battle, to new victories. The guy dies, and the mother cannot survive such grief, and disappears from the life of Faust, simply evaporating.

Act four

High mountain range. Mephistopheles prophesies to Faust that he will build a city. In one part there will be dirt, crowded and smelly markets. And the other part will be drowning in luxury. But that will be later. Now the kingdom awaits them, where fake bonds were launched into use.

Fifth action

Faust dreams of building a dam. He noticed the earth long ago. But the old people Philemon and Baucis live there, who do not want to leave their homes. The devil and his servants kill them. Caring, conducting philosophical conversations with Faust, unable to withstand his wrangling, sends blindness to him. Exhausted, he falls asleep.

Through a dream, the old man hears the sound of picks, shovels. He is confident that this has already begun work on the realization of his dreams. In fact, it is the devil's companions who are already digging his grave. Not seeing this, the doctor is happy that work unites people. And at that moment he utters the words, which speak of the attainment of the highest pleasure, and falls on his back.

Mephistopheles fails to take possession of his soul. The angels of the Lord catch her. He was cleansed, and now he will not burn in hell. Forgiveness was also received by Margarita, who became the guide of her beloved in the kingdom of the dead.

"Faust" is a work that declared its greatness after the death of the author and has not abated since then. The phrase "Goethe - Faust" is so well known that even a person who is not fond of literature has heard about it, perhaps without even suspecting who wrote whom - whether Goethe Faust, or Goethe's Faust. However, philosophical drama is not only an invaluable legacy of the writer, but also one of the brightest phenomena of the Enlightenment.

"Faust" not only gives the reader a fascinating plot, mysticism, and mystery, but also raises the most important philosophical questions. Goethe wrote this work for sixty years of his life, and the play was published after the writer's death. The history of the creation of the work is interesting not only for the long period of its writing. Already the name of the tragedy is an opaque hint at the healer Johann Faust, who lived in the 16th century, who, due to his merits, became envious. The doctor was credited with supernatural abilities, supposedly he could even raise people from the dead. The author changes the plot, supplements the play with heroes and events and, as if on a red carpet, solemnly enters the history of world art.

The essence of the work

The drama opens with a dedication, followed by two prologues and two parts. Selling your soul to the devil is a story for all time, and besides, the curious reader will have a journey through time.

In the theatrical prologue, a dispute begins between the director, actor and poet, and each of them, in fact, has its own truth. The director is trying to explain to the creator that there is no point in creating a great work, since most of the viewers are not able to appreciate it at its true worth, to which the poet stubbornly and indignantly disagrees - he believes that for a creative person, first of all, it is not the taste of the crowd that is important, but the idea of himself creativity.

Turning the page, we see that Goethe sent us to heaven, where a new dispute ensues, only between the devil Mephistopheles and God. According to the representative of darkness, man is not worthy of any praise, and God allows him to test the strength of his beloved creation in the person of hardworking Faust in order to prove the opposite of the devil.

The next two parts are Mephistopheles' attempt to win the argument, namely the devilish temptations will come into play one after another: alcohol and fun, youth and love, wealth and power. Any desire without any obstacles, until Faust finds what exactly is worthy of life and happiness and is equal to the soul, which the devil usually takes for his services.

genre

Goethe himself called his work a tragedy, and literary critics - a dramatic poem, which is also difficult to argue about, because the depth of the images and the power of the lyricism of "Faust" is of an unusually high level. The genre nature of the book also leans towards the play, although only separate episodes can be staged on the stage. The drama also contains an epic beginning, lyrical and tragic motives, so it is difficult to attribute it to a specific genre, but it would not be wrong to say that Goethe's great work is a philosophical tragedy, a poem and a play rolled into one.

The main characters and their characteristics

Faust is the protagonist of Goethe's tragedy, an outstanding scientist and physician who learned many of the mysteries of science, but was still disillusioned with life. He is not satisfied with the fragmentary and incomplete information that he possesses, and it seems to him that nothing will help him to come to the knowledge of the higher meaning of being. The desperate character even contemplated suicide. He makes a pact with a messenger of dark forces in order to find happiness - something that is really worth living for. First of all, he is driven by a thirst for knowledge and freedom of spirit, so he becomes a difficult task for the devil.
"A particle of power that wanted evil forever, that did only good"- a rather controversial image of the trait of Mephistopheles. The focus of evil forces, the messenger of hell, the genius of seduction and the antipode of Faust. The character believes that “everything that exists is worthy of death”, because he knows how to manipulate the best divine creation through his many vulnerabilities, and everything seems to indicate how negatively the reader should treat the devil, but damn it! The hero evokes sympathy even with God, to say nothing of the reading public. Goethe creates not just Satan, but a witty, caustic, shrewd and cynical trickster, from whom it is so difficult to look away.
From the characters, you can also single out Margarita (Gretchen). A young, modest, commoner believing in God, the beloved of Faust. An earthly simple girl who paid for the salvation of her soul with her own life. The main character falls in love with Margarita, but she is not the meaning of his life.

Themes

A work containing an agreement between a hardworking person and a devil, in other words, a deal with the devil, gives the reader not only an exciting, adventurous plot, but also relevant topics for reflection. Mephistopheles tests the protagonist, giving him a completely different life, and now the "bookworm" Faust will have fun, love and wealth. In exchange for earthly bliss, he gives Mephistopheles his soul, which after death must go to hell.

The most important theme of the work is the eternal confrontation between good and evil, where the side of evil, Mephistopheles, tries to seduce the kind, desperate Faust.
After the dedication, the theme of creativity was hidden in the theatrical prologue. The position of each of the disputants can be understood, because the director thinks about the taste of the public who pays the money, the actor about the most advantageous role to please the crowd, and the poet thinks about creativity in general. It is not hard to guess how art understands Goethe and on whose side he stands.
"Faust" is such a multifaceted work that here we even find the theme of selfishness, which is not striking, but when discovered, it explains why the character was not satisfied with the knowledge. The hero was enlightened only for himself, and did not help the people, so his information accumulated over the years was useless. Hence follows the theme of the relativity of any knowledge - the fact that they are unproductive without application solves the question of why the knowledge of sciences did not lead Faust to the meaning of life.
Easily passing through the seduction of wine and fun, Faust does not even realize that the next test will be much more difficult, because he will have to indulge in an unearthly feeling. Meeting young Margarita on the pages of the work and seeing Faust's insane passion for her, we examine the theme of love. The girl attracts the main character with her purity and an impeccable sense of truth, in addition, she guesses about the nature of Mephistopheles. The love of the characters leads to misfortune, and in the dungeon Gretchen repents for her sins. The next meeting of lovers is expected only in heaven, but in the arms of Margaret, Faust did not ask to wait a moment, otherwise the work would have ended without the second part.
Looking closely at Faust's beloved, we note that young Gretchen evokes sympathy among readers, but she is guilty of the death of her mother, who did not wake up after a sleeping potion. Also, through the fault of Margarita, her brother Valentin and an illegitimate child from Faust also die, for which the girl ends up in prison. She is suffering from the sins she has committed. Faust invites her to run away, but the captive asks him to leave, surrendering completely to her torment and repentance. This is how another theme is raised in the tragedy - the theme of moral choice. Gretchen preferred death and God's judgment to escape with the devil, and thereby saved her soul.
Goethe's great legacy is also fraught with philosophical polemical moments. In the second part, we will look again at Faust's office, where the diligent Wagner is working on an experiment, creating a man artificially. The very image of the Homunculus is unique, hiding the clue in his life and searches. He yearns for a real existence in the real world, although he knows what Faust cannot yet grasp. Goethe's plan to add such an ambiguous character as the Homunculus to the play is revealed in the representation of entelechy, the spirit as he enters into life before any experience.

Problems

So, Faust gets a second chance to spend his life, no longer sitting in his office. It is inconceivable, but any desire can be instantly fulfilled, the hero is surrounded by such temptations of the devil, before which it is quite difficult for an ordinary person to resist. Is it possible to remain yourself when everything is subject to your will - the main intrigue of such a situation. The problematic of the work lies precisely in the answer to the question, is it realistic to stand on the positions of virtue, when everything that you only desire comes true? Goethe sets Faust for us as an example, because the character does not allow Mephistopheles to completely master his mind, but is still looking for the meaning of life, something for which a moment can really wait. Striving for the truth, the good doctor not only does not turn into a part of the evil demon, his tempter, but also does not lose his most positive qualities.

The problem of finding the meaning of life is also relevant in the work of Goethe. It is from the seeming lack of truth that Faust thinks about suicide, because his works and achievements did not bring him satisfaction. However, passing with Mephistopheles through everything that can become the goal of a person's life, the hero still learns the truth. And since the work belongs to, the main character's view of the world around him coincides with the worldview of this era.
If you look closely at the main character, you will notice that at first the tragedy does not let him out of his own office, and he himself is not particularly trying to leave it. This important detail hides the problem of cowardice. Studying science, Faust, as if afraid of life itself, hid from it behind books. Therefore, the appearance of Mephistopheles is important not only in the dispute between God and Satan, but also for the subject himself. The devil takes a talented doctor out into the street, plunges him into the real world, full of mysteries and adventures, thus, the character stops hiding in the pages of textbooks and lives anew, for real.
The work also presents readers with a negative image of the people. Mephistopheles, even in "The Prologue in Heaven", says that God's creation does not value reason and behaves like cattle, so he is disgusted with people. The Lord cites Faust as an opposite argument, but the reader will still encounter the problem of the crowd's ignorance in a tavern where students gather. Mephistopheles expects that the character will succumb to fun, but he, on the contrary, wants to leave as soon as possible.
The play brings out some rather controversial characters, and Valentin, Margarita's brother, is also an excellent example. He stands up for the honor of his sister when he gets into a fight with her "boyfriends", and soon dies from the sword of Faust. The work reveals the problem of honor and dishonor just by the example of Valentine and his sister. A worthy deed by a brother commands respect, but here it is rather twofold: after all, when he dies, he curses Gretchen, thus betraying her to universal shame.

The meaning of the work

After long joint adventures with Mephistopheles, Faust still takes on a meaning of existence, imagining a prosperous country and a free people. As soon as the hero realizes that the truth is hidden in constant work and the ability to live for the sake of others, he utters the cherished words “An instant! Oh, how wonderful you are, wait a little " and dies . After the death of Faust, the angels saved his soul from evil forces, rewarding him with an insatiable desire to be enlightened and resistance to the temptations of a demon in the name of achieving his goal. The idea of the work is hidden not only in the direction of the soul of the protagonist to heaven after the agreement with Mephistopheles, but also in the remark of Faust: "Only he is worthy of life and freedom, who every day goes to fight for them." Goethe emphasizes his idea by the fact that thanks to overcoming obstacles for the benefit of the people and the self-development of Faust, the messenger of hell loses the dispute.

What does it teach?

Goethe not only reflects the ideals of the enlightenment era in his work, but also inspires us to think about the high destiny of man. Faust gives the public a useful lesson: a constant striving for truth, knowledge of sciences and a desire to help the people save the soul from hell even after a deal with the devil. In the real world, there is no guarantee that Mephistopheles will give us plenty of fun before we realize the great meaning of being, so an attentive reader should mentally shake hands with Faust, praising him for his steadfastness and thanking him for such a high-quality hint.

Faust is a two-part tragedy by the outstanding German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe. This work became the work of the author's entire life - "Faust" was created over almost six decades and was finally completed a year before the poet's death, in 1831.

Goethe created the best literary image of the semi-legendary warlock Johann Georg Faust, who lived in medieval Germany and later became the hero of numerous myths, legends and literary interpretations. From the People's Book, the man who sold his soul to the devil migrated to the literary translation of Pierre Cayet, then to the dramatic interpretation of the legend by Christopher Marlowe, inspired the lyricists of Tempest and Onslaught, and finally found his best embodiment in the tragedy of Goethe's Faust.

Goethe's Faust is an image-myth of the “eternal seeker”. He does not stop at what has been achieved, he is dissatisfied with himself, and therefore he is constantly improving. He chooses not the Word, not the Thought, not the Force, but the Deed.

Today "Faust" is nearly two hundred years old. The tragedy has undergone many artistic interpretations and continues to arouse research and readers' interest. So, in 2011, the most recent film adaptation was released, based on the classic tragedy. The film of the same name, directed by Alexander Sokurov, is dedicated to the first part of Goethe's work. The plot here is centered on the love line of Faust and Gretchen (Margarita).

Let's remember the classic version of the tragedy "Faust" by Johann Goethe.

The tragedy begins with an argument in the theater. The director, comic actor and poet discusses the role of art in modern society. Each of them has its own truth. For the Director, theatrical art is, first of all, a way of earning money, and therefore he is guided by the tastes of the crowd. In his opinion, it is good that it drives people to recklessness, makes them storm the theatrical doors, like the gates of paradise, and, therefore, brings money.

The comedian has not seen any high mission in art for a long time. It should bring joy and fun to a person, and this is best done by making the audience laugh.

The poet strongly disagrees with his opponents. He calls everyone like them "mediocre crooks", "artisans", and not creators. Outside brilliance, the poet is convinced, is designed for a moment - "and the truth passes into generations."

… At the same time, they were arguing in Heaven. A disagreement arose between God and the Devil. Mephistopheles (aka the Devil, Fallen Angel) argued that a person is not able to use God's gift - reason. The Lord did not share the point of view of the main representative of the dark forces and cited Doctor Faust, the smartest of mortals, as an example. He expanded the boundaries of the human mind and continues to strive for self-improvement.

Mephistopheles volunteers to tempt God's favorite, as long as he is alive. So, if Faustus succumbs to the Devil, then his soul will go to hell. If not, it will ascend to heaven.

The first acquaintance with Faust will take place in his office. This is an old room. Along its walls there are tall cabinets filled with books, bottles of potions, and outlandish mechanisms. The majestic table and chair are conducive to mental work, while the Gothic vaulted ceiling gives space for thought. However, the pacifying office peace no longer satisfies Doctor Faust. He is deeply unhappy.

Faust lived a long life among books, he strained his brain to the limit, worked day and night, comprehended philosophy, became a lawyer, a doctor, penetrated the secrets of theology, but ... and remained a "fool of fools."

In search of truth, Faust turns to alchemy. This evening he summons a powerful spirit, but, frightened by a super-being, he does not dare to ask him questions that interest him. With the appearance on the doorstep of Wagner, the spirit disappears.

Wagner is a neighbor of Faust, an enthusiastic schoolboy, one of his students. The doctor is disgusted with the literary Wagner, who does not see anything beyond the lines of a book. "Parchments do not quench thirst. / The key of wisdom is not on the pages of books. / Who strives to the secrets of life with the thought of each, / In his soul finds their source."

Having sent the hated Wagner out, Faust decides on a desperate act - to drink poison and end his meaningless existence. But he is stopped by the choir of angels - Holy Easter has begun. The doctor sets aside the poison and bitterly thanks the heavenly choristers.

“I am part of the power of that which without number
Does good, wanting evil for everything "

Wagner and Faust go for a walk to the city gates. The people are in festive excitement. Seeing Doctor Faust, everyone takes off their hats with gratitude, one by one they invite the doctor to the celebrations. Both Faust and his father treated the townspeople for many years, fearlessly fought the plague and smallpox. However, Faust is not in the least proud of his fame among the peasants. He calls his father "the unsociable original," a fanatical scientist who, with his experimental drugs, killed as many people as he saved.

On the way, a black poodle follows Faust. Taking the dog with him, Faust sits down to translate the New Testament. The first line makes him doubtful. After lengthy reflections, Faust replaces the canonical "In the beginning was the Word" with "In the beginning was the Work."

At this time, the black poodle begins to behave strangely. An experienced alchemist immediately realizes that this is a werewolf. Not suspecting what kind of creature is hiding under the mask of the dog, Faust reads the spell, and then pulls out the "victory sign" (a sign depicting the initial letters of Jesus Christ). The next moment, the poodle turns into Mephistopheles.

Crazy deal
The devil invites Faust to make a deal. He is ready to open to him all the delights of life, become his servant, endow his ward with supernatural powers. But as soon as Faust utters the words "Stop, moment, you are wonderful!", The doctor's earthly life will end and his soul will go to Satan.

Faust agrees to a risky venture, since the afterlife does not interest him at all, only the thirst for truth matters to him. The contract is sealed with blood. Faust and Mephistopheles embark on a journey wearing a devil's cloak.

Now Faust is young and full of life again. Together with Mephistopheles, he visits various hot spots, has fun, carousing, but the first and main test is the test of love.

As a victim, Mephistopheles chooses the immaculate peasant woman Margarita (aka Gretchen). Young people immediately fall in love with each other. With the help of various magic tricks, Mephistopheles arranges dates between Gretchen and Faust. The girl is wary of the mysterious friend of her beloved, the rich gifts that are showered on her, she sees in them something vicious, devilish. However, the inexperienced soul of Margarita is unable to cope with the all-consuming feeling of love.

She feeds her strict mother with a sleeping potion and runs off to meet Faust at night. Soon her older brother Valentine learns about the vicious relationship Gretchen. Having stood up for the honor of his sister, he dies in an unequal battle with Satan. The girl's mother also dies - another dose of sleeping pills killed the old woman. And Margarita kills her illegitimate daughter, for which she is sent to prison.

After all the tragic events, Faust finds his beloved in a prison cell. Gretchen is mad, her speech is incoherent. Faust conjures his beloved to flee with him, but Gretchen is unshakable - she will remain and take punishment to atone for her sins. Seeing Mephistopheles, the girl cries out - now she sees his true appearance - he is Satan, the serpent tempter!

Leaving the prison cell, the Devil exclaims "She is lost forever!", But a voice from above proclaims "Saved!" The repentant soul of Margarita ascends to paradise.

For a while, Faust is sad about his former lover, but soon he has a new object of adoration - the beautiful Elena, who lives in Ancient Greece. Mephistopheles takes the doctor several centuries ago and arranges for him to meet with the beautiful woman.

Faust appears before Elena in the form of a wise husband, a handsome man, a valiant warrior. The fruit of their happy union is the son of Euphorion - the most beautiful creature. But the young man leaves his parents. Drawn by struggle and exploits, he rushes to heaven, leaving a luminous trail behind him. Beautiful Elena is inconsolable. Happiness, she says, doesn't get along with beauty. Elena melts in the arms of her beloved, leaving only fragrant clothes in his memory.

End of the road: insight and salvation

"Instant!
Fine you, last, wait! "

Faust is old and disappointed again. He never found the truth. Numerous projects of Mephistopheles (scam with securities, seizure of new lands, balls, carnivals, etc.) do not interest the doctor. He caught fire with only one dream - to build a dam and reclaim a piece of land from the ocean.

Finally, Faust manages to assemble a team and begin construction. He is not even stopped by sudden blindness. Inspired, he seems to have groped the meaning of life for the first time: “I will create a vast, new land, / And let millions of people live here / ... The final conclusion of earthly wisdom: / Only he is worthy of life and freedom, / Whoever goes for them every day the battle!" In anticipation of "his highest moment" Faust utters the fatal words "Stop, moment, you are wonderful!" and falls dead.

The poor blind man did not suspect that the construction of the new land had not begun. The lemurs, arranged by Mephistopheles, thundered with shovels and picks. The devil triumphs - finally, the soul of Faust will get him! However, during the burial, the heavenly angels take the immortal part of Faust and take it to paradise. He received his sight. Knew the truth. It means - he is saved!