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Faust (commonly known as "Goethe's Faust") is a dramatic duology by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and an adaptation of the 16th century folk legend about the eponymous sorcerer who supposedly sold his soul to the devil.

The first part is far better known than the second.

  • Faust: First Part of the Tragedy (1808): Faust makes a deal with the demon Mephistopheles and engages in a love-affair with the innocent Gretchen which has dire consequences for the latter.
  • Faust: Second Part of the Tragedy (1832): More incredible adventures of Faust and Mephistopheles, until Faust grows old and Mephisto makes ready to collect his prize.

Tropes present in both parts of Faust:[]

  • Deadpan Snarker: Mephistopheles, often at the expense of the humans that surround him. It doesn't come across very well in some translations, but when it does it renders him by far the most entertaining part of the play.
  • Deal with the Devil: Though Faust's contract with Mephistopheles here is a wager, not a trade.
  • In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It: The work is never simply mentioned as Faust. It is always Goethe's Faust! Justified with so many adaptions though.
  • Remake: Goethe certainly knew Doctor Faustus and to a degree the duology is a remake of the Marlowe play.
  • Satan: While in previous embodiments of the Faust tale Mephistopheles was a devil, Goethe suggests that he may just be the Devil. On the other hand, Mephistopheles does identify himself as only "a part of a part," and the Lord Himself suggests that he is only one (and the least offensive) of "all the the spirits that deny."
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Goethe is the first author who has Faust go to Heaven.

Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy[]

This is the first (and much better known) part of the Faust duology by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe about the eponymous sorcerer and his deal with the devil.

Mephistopheles, a powerful spirit from down below, pays a visit to Heaven to have a chit-chat with God. Disagreeing on whether humanity's struggle for knowledge is futile or not, their exchange of views ends in a bet: Mephistopheles has free rein to tempt the eminent scholar Faust to stray from the path to salvation destined to him; the bet will be won if he succeeds in subjecting Faust to eternal damnation.

Down below on Earth, the immensely learned Faust is moping lonely in his study. All his learning has only left him disillusioned, nor has it earned him material comfort. Not even his commitment to magic has revealed him the answers he seeks. Thus, Mephistopheles has little trouble in persuading him to a deal: Mephistopheles will serve him on Earth, but should Faust ever experience a moment of perfect contentment, he will have lost his soul to Mephistopheles and presently follow him to Hell.

Faust approves and signs the contract with his blood. And off they go on an uncurbed tour to debauchery, in the course of which Faust gets rejuvenated and the hots for the innocent young Gretchen. Faust pressures Mephistopheles to get Gretchen into bed with him, which proves tricky business as Gretchen is annoyingly pious. Yet Mephistopheles realizes that Gretchen may just be the key that could win him the wager and Faust’s soul.

Goethe continued the storyline in Faust II 24 years later.

Tropes in Faust I:[]

  • Armor-Piercing Question: "Now tell me, how do you take religion?" Asked by Gretchen to Faust. Having made a Deal with the Devil, he has a hard time answering it. Became so influential that "Gretchenfrage" entered the German vocabulary.
  • The Bet: Twice — God's wager with Mephistopheles, and Mephistopheles' with Faust.
  • Blood Oath: The contract is sealed with a drop of Faust's blood.
  • Cosmic Plaything: The framing device is a bet between God and the Devil.
  • Depraved Bisexual: Mephisto, when he's not being portrayed as Trope Codifier for Flaming Devil.
  • Deal with the Devil: Mephistopheles and Faust agree that Mephisto will serve Faust and fulfill all his earthly wishes, but if Faust should ever experience a moment of contentment, he will go to Hell at once and belong to Mephistopheles for eternity.
  • Fountain of Youth: Faust is permanently rejuvenated by a magic potion brewed by a witch.
  • God: As "The Lord", he has a speaking role in the "Prologue in Heaven."
  • God Karting with Beelzebub: Mephistopheles and God may disagree on some things, but that's no reason not to have a friendly chat. In the words of Mephistopheles,
    • I like, at times, to hear The Ancient's word,
    • And have a care to be most civil:
    • It's really kind of such a noble Lord
    • So humanly to gossip with the Devil!
  • Heaven: Setting of the "Prologue in Heaven."
  • Homage: The Witches' Kitchen and Walpurgis Night scenes contain various allusions to Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
  • The Ingenue: Gretchen — at least the way she starts out.
  • Off With Her Head: Gretchen is beheaded for the murder of her child.
  • Red Right Hand: Parodied. The Witch is surprised that she cannot see Mephistopheles' cloven foot. Mephistopheles explains that he has been using false calves for a long time. He does have a limp, though, as noticed by one of the patrons in Auerbach's Cellar.
  • Show Within a Show: "A Walpurgis Night's Dream, or Oberon's and Titania's Golden Wedding", a farcical play enacted by the spirits on the Brocken during Walpurgis Night.
  • Summoning Ritual: In Act I, Faust summons the mighty Earth-Spirit.
  • Vampire Invitation: Mephistopheles can only enter Faust's study after Faust has invited him to come in three times.
  • Wicked Witch: One that brews the rejuvenation potion, and a whole army of them celebrating Walpurgis Night on the Brocken.
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: Wagner, Faust's naif young assistant, thinks the university is the greatest place on earth and looks up to Faust as his own role model. Little does he know how jaded Faust is, or that he is actually quite annoyed by Wagner.

Faust: Second Part of the Tragedy[]

In Faust II, Faust rides a centaur and other stuff happens.

This is the second part and much less known part of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust duology, published 24 years after Faust I.

By letting him drink from the waters of Lethe, Mephistopheles makes Faust forget about Gretchen and thus regain his spirits. After some wacky hijinks at the court of the Emperor (where Mephistopheles solves the Empire's financial crisis by inventing paper money) they visit Faust’s old study, where Doctor Wagner, formerly Faust's assistant, has finally succeeded in creating the Homunculus.

Hardly created, the Homunculus says goodbye to his maker and teams up with Faust and Mephistopheles to visit Ancient Greece, where they arrive just in time to attend Classical Walpurgis Night and change the outcome of the Trojan War so that Faust can marry Helen of Troy.

Tropes in Faust II:[]

  • Actionized Sequel: An early example.
  • Have a Gay Old Time: Mephistopheles summons a troop of "lemurs" to dig Faust's grave. Now lemures are spirits of the dead from Roman mythology, but who could stave off the mental image of Satan commanding a horde of King Juliens?
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: The waters of Lethe erase Faust's memories of Gretchen, but leave everything else intact.
  • Meaningful Name: In contrast to Faust I, almost every character in Faust II has a symbolic name.
  • Our Homunculi Are Different: This one has the ability to fly around in his glass container.
  • Shout-Out: The spirit Ariel in Act I, scene 1 is directly taken from Shakespeare's The Tempest, which suggests that the beautiful land Faust finds himself may just be Prospero's island.
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