Goethe S Plays

This classic play, written by acclaimed German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, tells the story of Faust, a disillusioned scholar who makes a deal with the devil in exchange for knowledge, power, and love. The play is considered a masterpiece of German literature and explores themes of sin, redemption, and the human condition. This edition contains only the first part of the play, which is often studied and performed independently of the second part. It may be of interest to students of literature, theatre, or German culture. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Plays Egmont, Iphigenia in Tauris, Torquato Tasso. This volume will serve to illustrate the range of Goethe's long and unparalleled career.

The story of a man's wager with the Devil.

Faust has been called the fundamental icon of Western culture, and Goethe's inexhaustible poetic drama is the centrepiece of its tradition in literature, music and art. In recent years, this play has experienced something of a renaissance, with a surge of studies, theatre productions, press coverage and public discussions. Reflecting this renewed interest, leading Goethe scholars in this volume explore the play's striking modernity within its theatrical framework. The chapters present new aspects such as the virtuality of Faust, the music drama, the modernization of evil, Faust's blindness, the gay Mephistopheles, classic beauty and horror as phantasmagoria, and Goethe's anticipation of modern science, economics and ecology. The book contains an illustrated section on Faust in modern performance, with contributions by renowned directors, critics and dramaturges, and a major interview with Peter Stein, director of the uncut 'millennium production' of Expo 2000.

Frontcover -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Contributors -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations Used in the Notes -- Introduction. Rhapsody and Rebuke: Goethe's Faust in Music -- Part I Goethe's Faust: Content and Context -- 1 The Redress of Goethe's Faust in Music History -- 2 Wagering on Modernity: Goethe's Eighteenth-Century Faust -- 3 Reflectivity, Music and the Modern Condition: Thoughts on Goethe's Faust -- 4 Music and Metaphorical Thinking in Goethe's Faust: The Example of Harmony -- 5 Faust: The Instrumentalisation of an Icon -- Part II Legacies: Goethe's Faust in the Nineteenth Century -- 6 Faust's Schubert: Schubert's Faust -- 7 The Musical Novel as Master-genre: Schumann's Szenen aus Goethes Faust -- 8 The Psychology of Schumann's Faust: Developing the Human Soul -- 9 A Life with Goethe: Wagner's Engagement with Faust in Music and in Words -- 10 Wagner's Ninth: Reading Beethoven with Faust -- 11 Linking Christian and Faustian Utopias: Mahler's Setting of the Schlußszene in his Eighth Symphony -- Part III Topographies: Stagings and Critical Reception -- 12 Operatic Translation and Adaptation: Gounod's Faust, with a Tribute to Ken Russell -- 13 'Adapters, Falsifiers and Profiteers': Staging La Damnation de Faust in Monte Carlo and Paris, 1893-1903 -- 14 Faust in the Trenches: Busoni's Doktor Faust -- Part IV New Directions: Recent Productions and Appropriations -- 15 As Goethe Intended? Max Reinhardt's Faust Productions and the Aesthetics of Incidental Music in the Early Twentieth Century -- 16 Music and the Rebirth of Faust in the GDR -- 17 Music, Text and Stage: Peter Stein's Production of Goethe's Faust -- 18 'Devilishly good': Rudolf Volz's Rock Opera Faust and 'Event Culture' -- Select Bibligraphy -- Index

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play in verse. Faust does not seek power through knowledge, but access to transcendent knowledge denied to the rational mind. Faust takes place in multiple settings, the first of which is heaven. Mephistopheles makes a bet with God: he says that he can lure God's favorite human being (Faust), who is striving to learn everything that can be known, away from righteous pursuits. The next scene takes place in Faust's study where Faust, despairing at the vanity of scientific, humanitarian and religious learning, turns to magic for the showering of infinite knowledge.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play in two parts: Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil translated as: Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy) and Faust. Der Tragödie zweiter Teil (Faust: The Second Part of the Tragedy). Although rarely staged in its entirety, it is the play with the largest audience numbers on German-language stages. Faust is Goethe's most famous work and considered by many to be one of the greatest works of German literature.The principal characters of Faust Part One include:Heinrich Faust, a scholar, sometimes said to be based on the real life of Johann Georg Faust, or on Jacob Bidermann's dramatized account of the Legend of the Doctor of Paris, CenodoxusMephistopheles, a Devil (Demon)Gretchen, Faust's love (short for Margaret; Goethe uses both forms)Marthe, Gretchen's neighbourValentin, Gretchen's brotherWagner, Faust's famulusFaust Part One takes place in multiple settings, the first of which is heaven. Mephistopheles makes a bet with God: he says that he can lure God's favourite human being (Faust), who is striving to learn everything that can be known, away from righteous pursuits. The next scene takes place in Faust's study where Faust, despairing at the vanity of scientific, humanitarian and religious learning, turns to magic for the showering of infinite knowledge.He suspects, however, that his attempts are failing. Frustrated, he ponders suicide, but rejects it as he hears the echo of nearby Easter celebrations begin. He goes for a walk with his assistant Wagner and is followed home by a stray poodle (the term then meant a medium-to-big-size dog, similar to a sheep dog).In Faust's study, the poodle transforms into the devil (Mephistopheles). Faust makes an arrangement with the devil:The devil will do everything that Faust wants while he is here on Earth, and in exchange Faust will serve the devil in Hell. Faust's arrangement is that if he is pleased enough with anything the devil gives him that he wants to stay in that moment forever, then he will die in that moment.When the devil tells Fau st to sign the pact with blood, Faust complains that the devil does not trust Faust's word of honor.In the end, Mephistopheles wins the argument and Faust signs the contract with a drop of his own blood. Faust has a few excursions and then meets Margaret (also known as Gretchen). He is attracted to her and with jewellery and help from a neighbor, Martha, the devil draws Gretchen into Faust's arms. With influence from the devil, Faust seduces Gretchen. Gretchen's mother dies from a sleeping potion, administered by Gretchen to obtain privacy so that Faust could visit her. Gretchen discovers she is pregnant. Gretchen's brother condemns Faust, challenges him and falls dead at the hands of Faust and Mephistopheles.Gretchen drowns her illegitimate child and is convicted of the murder. Faust tries to save Gretchen from death by attempting to free her from prison. Finding that she refuses to escape, Faust and the devil flee the dungeon, while voices from Heaven announce that Gretchen shall be saved "Sie ist gerettet" this differs from the harsher ending of Urfaust "Sie ist gerichtet!" "she is condemned."It was reported that members of the first-night audience familiar with the original Urfaust version cheered on hearing the amendment.