Goethe, Volume 2: Faust I & II [Paperback]

In fact, the great Goethe himself is hardly known today in the English-speaking world outside of scholars and aesthetes (of which I am neither), yet he was a household name 150 years ago and easily ranks alongside Homer, Dante and Shakespeare. Indeed his body of work is even more vast and varied than each of those other greats, totaling sixty volumes in his lifetime and another score or so posthumously published. While Goethe penned masterpieces in nearly every genre over six decades, clearly the most canonical text is the massive, 18,000 line poetical drama, Faust.

Faust, stated boldly is 'about' the totality of the human struggle. The storyline chronicles the adventures and misadventures of an extraordinarily disaffected academic, Dr. Heinrich Faust, who in a moment of despair makes a wager with the Devil regarding the attainability of a moment of absolute fulfillment. Beneath this surface, however, it is really a metaphysical journey that illustrates on multiple levels, the duality of man's life. Faust seeks the meaning of life, he seeks access to the Absolute, the Ideal, and the Spiritual, yet he is constantly frustrated and dissatisfied by the apparent human limitations of attaining those goals. This frustrated titanic desire results in the other side of Faust's/Man's quest, which is his/our ceaseless and error-prone striving for the highest realms of knowledge and experience (both good and bad) that are attainable during one's earthly tenure.

The poem is a difficult read due in large part to significant translation challenges. In addition to an astonishing number of verse forms used, Faust also has a complex structure, many classical allusions and multiple fantastical situations. While a powerful enough read even on the surface, such a reading can never be altogether quite satisfying. Patient and careful readers who are willing to work through the difficulties, however, should be rewarded with a clear sense of its timelessness and its Universality. Interestingly, and perhaps not coincidental, the complexity of the work makes the sheer act of studying it an exercise, in part, of what the drama itself represents.

While most of the poetic impact is surely lost at the expense of gaining comprehension, I nevertheless still suggest that English language readers first approach the Stuart Atkins modern English translation published by Princeton University Press. I further highly recommend, as a near necessary companion, the 1957 book Goethe's Faust: An Interpretation by Alexander Gillies. Unfortunately this wonderful book is out of print, but may be available through internet search engines. It aided my understanding immeasurably and further increased my already significant admiration for Goethe and this particular work.

In summary, throughout the story of Faust we are able to observe the twin competing forces of instinctive Good and ever-present Evil as they play out their roles within man's life of needs and wants. Importantly, we see their roles in the uncertain endgame of salvation versus damnation. While nominally 'about' the fantastical adventures of a medieval scholar, Faust should really be read and recognized as the allegorical masterpiece that it is, that portrays both the glory and the tragedy of what it means to be fully human.

Marthens Garten
MARGARETE: Versprich mir, Heinrich!
FAUST: Was ich kann!
MARGARETE: Nun sag, wie hast du's mit der Religion?
Du bist ein herzlich guter Mann,
Allein ich glaub, du hältst nicht viel davon.
FAUST: Laß das, mein Kind! Du fühlst, ich bin dir gut;
Für meine Lieben ließ' ich Leib und Blut,
Will niemand sein Gefühl und seine Kirche rauben.
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I LOVE these parts!