The composition and refinement of Goethe's own version of the legend occupied him for over

sixty years (though not continuously). The final version, published after his death, is recognized
as a great work of German literature.
In the first part, Mephistopheles leads Faust through experiences that culminate in a lustful
relationship with Gretchen, an innocent young woman. Gretchen and her family are destroyed by
Mephistopheles' deceptions and Faust's desires. Part one of the story ends in tragedy for Faust,
as Gretchen is saved but Faust is left to grieve in shame.

The second part begins with the spirits of the earth forgiving Faust (and the rest of mankind) and
progresses into allegorical poetry. Faust and his Devil pass through and manipulate the world of
politics and the world of the classical gods, and meet with Helen of Troy(the personification of
beauty). Finally, having succeeded in taming the very forces of war and nature, Faust
experiences a singular moment of happiness.

The worka retelling of the German legend of a man who promises his soul to the devil in
exchange for knowledge and power (previously told in Christopher Marlowes 1 6 0 4 Dr. Faustus)
was massively successful. Goethe, however, died the same year that the second part was
published.
Goethes works focused on emotions and innate human feelings
Faust does not make a pact with the devil; instead, he makes a bet
Faust makes more or less the same bet, and agrees that if he ever says to a present moment
Verweile doch! du bist so schn!; Stay a while! You are so beautiful! (line 1700) then Mephistopheles
may destroy him
Faust is tragic because he suffers from hubris, the hubris that he can attain perfect insight (Erkenntnis)
into the universe. As he says in his opening speech:

Da ich erkenne, was die Welt

Im Innersten zusammenhlt
(lines 382-83)

So that I know what holds

the innermost world together

One might argue though that Gretchen is the truly tragic figure in Faust I: her love for Faust is the
tragic flaw which destroys her and her family. Gretchen is not simply a nave and innocent girl. She
knows that she is playing with fire. She expresses this through her songs (Der Knig in Thule; The
King in Thule is about an illicit love) and through her famous question, the Gretchenfrage: wie hast
dus mit der Religion? (loosely translated, do you like religion?, line 3415)
http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/3664/19
When Faust replies that feelings are everything, she is intelligent enough to see that Fausts
attachment to emotion makes him susceptible to Mephistopheles. She senses danger but she still
trusts Faust blindly, and for this she is punished brutally. Some scholars divide the play
into Gelehrtentragdie (Scholars Tragedy) and Gretchentragdie(Gretchens Tragedy), but this
obscures the close connections between the fates of Faust and Gretchen.

The key scene for understanding the character of Faust is Wald und Hhle (Wood and Hollow). This
scene was written between 1788-90 and like the Roman Elegies of the same period it expresses

sexual satisfaction. Faust addresses his thanks to the Earth Spirit (Erdgeist) who has granted him the
satisfaction he asked for (lines 3217-18). But the fulfilment he has found with Gretchen is not enough
it cannot be enough for Faust. In conversation with Mephistopheles Faust soon adopts a pessimistic
view of his relationship with Gretche

Was mu geschehn, mag's gleich geschehn!

Mag ihr Geschick auf mich zusammenstrzen
Und sie mit mir zugrunde gehn!

What has to happen, let it happen now!

Let her fate come down on me
And her downfall will occur with mine!

(lines 3363-65)

The sequel to Faust I is an epic of over 7000 lines. Because of its length it has hardly ever been
staged in its entirety.

Act One shows the creation of the modern banking system;

Act Two anticipates genetic engineering;
Act Three explores the modern ages fascination with mythology and the ancient world;
Act Four examines political revolution and its suppression by the ancien rgime;
Act Five shows Faust as the founder of a new colony, pursuing a vast engineering project.
After Fausts death, Fausts soul is rescued by a choir of angels and by Mother Mary, and so
Mephistopheles is cheated of his prize. The final words of the drama imply that Faust has been saved
by Gretchens love:

Das Ewig-Weibliche
Zieht uns hinan.
(lines 12110-11)

The Eternal Feminine

Draws us onward.