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Goethe's Faust: meaning and summary of the work

The dramatic poem of the German Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began to be composed in 1775. The work was published in two parts: first in 1808 and second in 1832, posthumously.

This famous adaptation of a popular story focuses on the figure of Henrique Fausto, a homem who is extremely intelligent, but he does not have everything he wanted.

He remains unsatisfied until the day he meets a demon called Mephistopheles. Após fazerem um accord, Fausto ends up selling his own soul, in exchange for seeing his desires carried out.

Faust and Mephistopheles: personagens principais

Fruto do imaginário alemão, or myth of Faust arises from various narratives; a version of Wolfgang von Goethe é, sem dúvida, uma das mais famous.

TO Lenda was inspired by Johann Georg Faust (1480 - 1540), a magician and astrologer of the German Renascimento who wanted to be appointed as an alchemist.

Portrait of Johann Georg Faust
Portrait of Johann Georg Faust, painted by an unknown artist.

Several stories have arisen in popular culture around him: apart from being accused of bruxaria, proving that he had a pact as a devil to access the powers of the hidden world.

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Na lenda, also as a non-text by Goethe, Faust is a good home and of success that seeks to learn and experience or as much as possible. However, he is permanently frustrated with human limitations and also try to respond to the magical universe.

His path softens a revival when he finds out a demon who sees Terra to corrupt his soul, depois de ter feito uma aposta com Deus.

Mephistopheles Flying Over Wittenber by Eugène Delacroix.
Mephistopheles Flying Over Wittenber, by Eugène Delacroix.

Mephistopheles is a figure of medieval mythology that appeared frequently in works of the time, such as some possible representations of evil. As a tempo, he became associated with Diabo and mistaken as other similar personages, such as Lucifer.

Not through force, but thanks to the strength and negotiation, that he manages to "buy" the protagonist's soul. I followed him home, in the form of a cão, or demon appears before the student as a proposition that he cannot be challenged.

When he receives an affirmative response from the human, who does not resist everything that he offers, he achieves to achieve or his main objective: Fausto fell in temptation.

Meaning and interpretation of the work

Considered one of the greatest works of German literature, Splendor became a reference that symbolizes or dilemma do Homem na modernidade. Since or começo, what motivates Fausto is incessant search for conhecimento, trying fully understand the world not what he is.

When he meets Mephistopheles, he finds a way to overcome the limitations of his humanity and other access to knowledge and experiences that he would never get in another way. For isso, he needs to do a morally questionable escort: sell soul in exchange for conhecimento.

Contudo, or Faust's pact as a devil will end no moment when he feels truly satisfied. Ou seja, somehow, it needs to be moved by that continuous headquarters of progress and information, case to the contrary, all will check ao fim.

An attempt to understand the existence of the mysteries of the universe, or the protagonist ends defying divine laws. In addition to the fact that Deus had bet that he would not sell his soul, to prove his purity of humanity, Fausto ended up being corrupted by his own inquisitive spirit.

Likewise, you depois all your feitos of him to or next to a demon, or the protagonist is sorry and conquered salvation, lembrando that or divine loss is possible for those who really or seek.

Summary of Splendor

Goethe's first work is divided into two parts that are quite different. Na first, or author was based on the lenda of Faust and accompanies, especially, the love life of the personagem.

Já na second, attention is turned to the explorations of the protagonist, unfamiliar hair, reflected on the various materials of human knowledge that prevail in times.

Part I

Or entanglement of the dramatic poem começa no ceu, where Deus talks with Mephistopheles. Embora or Breeder goste of Faust, due to his enormous seat of knowledge, or demon bet that is capable of conquering the human soul.

A great scholar of more diverse themes, or a protagonist is a homem who is depressed and disheartened by his own faults. Sem to know that rumo to follow, the same chega to ponder or suicide.

To calm these ideas, he decides to go on a walk with Wagner, or his assistant, and start to be followed by a puppy. He did not return, or animal enters his house, reveals his hidden identity and Mephistopheles face a proposition.

He offers himself to serve Faust at the end of his life, but then he will lift him up for or Inferno, where he will become a devil and will be at or his service for the rest of the eternity. However, there is another condition: someday or homem will feel completely happy and wish that a moment remains eternal, everything will end.

Dois selam or pact with a drop of blood and passam to walk together. Accompanied by demon hair, Fausto will consult a feiticeira and drink a potion that transforms our homem more young and attractive.

Next, you see a girl pass and try to fare with her, but she is rejeitated. Perceiving that Margarida will be difficult to conquer, he pede o seu auxílio do novo companheiro. Assim, Mephistopheles began to plan ways of getting together and managed to mark a meeting, suborning a family vizinha.

Like Margarida's mother, he is an obstacle for a two-dozen intimidated, or the protagonist gives a lover a potion to put her to sleep, but a woman ends up dying. Depois disso, to jovem engravida and his signature, Valentim, challenges Faust for a duel, not which he was assassinated. From day on, persecuted for guilt, she began to be astonished by a spirit.

Disturbed, Margarida resolves to drown the baby who has just been born and is in prison. Faust begs Mephistopheles for irem até à prisão libertá-la, but she refuses to leave. Nesse moment, we can listen to voice of Deus, announcing that mulher was lost hairs of her sins.

Part ii

This second part gives work, to ação ocorre fora do mundo that Fausto knew and as which he was used to. Here, a narrative accompanies um new love, but it is mostly focused on questões related to knowing and as human sciences.

Full of classical references, in this part we can find reflections that contemplate History, politics and philosophy. Ação começa with the presence of Mephistopheles and Faust together with an Emperor. Or demônio helps or sovereign to surpass to crise do kingdom, advising that it substitutes or use of ouro by notes, to encourage or consumption.

They also attended a carnival parade in Florença, where relief figures such as Dante Alighieri participated. Thinking about the ideal of feminine beauty, or the protagonist turns off the image of Helen of Troia, emblematic personage of the Greek imagery.

Faust sets out in search of the e, long hair, he finds several monsters of mythology, going to travel to Hades, or the world of the dead. Finally, he manages to defeat the army of Menelau, Helena's husband. You two meet me and become apaixonam, generating a filho that will die during childhood; Helena disappears depois disso.

Embora she fique thinking about two companions that lost, logo or protagonist was distracted, wanting to conquer terras. His highest objective becomes o can, pretending to dominate my own nature. Advising or Emperor, he or she helps to win a war and receives a high office, obtaining a castelo.

Each time more profitable, Fausto receives a punishment two deuses and blind. Dominated by blame, ele ganha conscience two serious atos e he wishes that this moment of clarity last forever. Assim, or pact is broken and the protagonist dies.

Mephistopheles tries to take the soul of him to or Inferno, but and interrupted hair, the appearance of a chorus of angles that Faust attaches to Paradise. Assim, we can conclude that his repentance of him is worth it and the protagonist gets to divine redemption.

I read the work in its entirety

Splendor já é Public Domain and can be lido in PDF.

Outras adaptações da historia

Or myth of Faust turned um archetype that was reproduced in numerous cultural manifestations, serving as a model or paradigm for the creation of literature, cinema, theater, music, etc. However, the first work dedicated to Lenda was written by German Johann Spiess in 1587.

Between the years 1908 and 1933, the Portuguese Fernando Pessoa also conceived his version of narrative, as a theater Faust: Uma Tragédia Subjectiva.

Já em 1947, Thomas Mann lançou or romance Doutor Faust, which reinvents another time or entanglement, this time starring a chamado composer Adrian Leverkühn.

About Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) was a German writer, statesman and thinker who stood out mainly in the field of literature and fiction as one of the two greatest names for Romanticism.

Portrait of Wolfgang von Goethe
Portrait of Wolfgang von Goethe, painted by Joseph Karl Stieler in 1828.

Born to a full family, he has access to an exquisite education that extends to more diverse disciplines. As well as its paixão by the letters, it also speaks several languages ​​and has a great interest in natural sciences.

Goethe's literary production is vast and encompasses several genres: poems, romances, novels and scientific essays, among others. Its written by him, a year long two centuries, was an international reference, influencing authors and works of various times.

Take the opportunity to see also:

  • Melhor livro do mundo: great indications
  • Or Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
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