Faust Essay

Dr. Faust Research Paper
The Faust legend is one of civilization's most prominent myths, and over time has been reinterpreted
by many authors, each based on its own time. The tales overall are about people "who have
compromised their conscience to get what they want." The original Faust story consists of a man
named Doctor Faust who began to study noble professions such as Divinity and medicine. He then
turned the table and took on the belief of the devil seeking to sell his soul to the devil in exchange
for his ultimate desire: power. The devil once came and Faust sold his soul to the devil in
exchange for power, but, Faust agreed to give away his entire body and soul at the end of
twenty–four years. Faust had everything within his reach: the finest wines, clothing,...show more
content...
He took on many noble studies such as medicine, divinity, necromancy, and astrology. He could have
been considered to be one of the most well–educated people in his society. After trying each study
for a while, he found himself not enjoying the noble knowledge. He thought of each study as
inconclusive. He seeked something greater; something that would fulfill his craving of searching
for the true essence of life. Faust insisted on being rich with knowledge and he knew there was
only one way to obtain that knowledge. In comparison, Cabot. was officially founded in 1990 and
since then has gained wealth, support, and a good reputation for being a successful fracking
company. The company had 8.2 TCFE (Trillion Cubic Feet Equivalent) of total proved reserves in
2015, and is still growing to this day (Cabot Oil and Gas Co). The company's main focus for oil
extraction is in the Marcellus Shale formation stretching from New York to West Virginia. The
shale formation is rich with oil and is easier to frack due to its brittle layers making it easier to
penetrate and extract oil (Cabot Oil and Gas Co). Both figures have had very successful beginnings
that lead to the fall of them in the future in one way or
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

Faust By Goethe
Egotistical, contemplative, arrogant, and careful these are the words that describe Faust. In the
book Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe the author characterizes Faust so that his disposition
of Faust plays a large role in Faust's motivation.The character that shares similar characteristics to
Faust is Jonas from the Giver. In the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, the author characterizes Jonas
as a selfless, Pensive, contemplative, and careful person. The author also develops the character's
persona so that it relates to his motive in the story. Author Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe depicts
Faust as highly knowledgeable person who still feels an emptiness in his life. The author
manipulates this aspect of the play to set up and

16th Century GoetheвЂ™s Faust Essay
16th Century Faust Goethe's Faust is a timeless play that took Goethe his entire lifetime to
complete. It was first published in 1808, but the play itself does not specify the time period when it
takes place. Goethe uses hints to guide the reader to discover this for him or herself. After reading
the play, one can use Goethe's subtle hints to conclude that Faust takes place during the 16th century
and the Reformation. The first hint that Goethe gives the reader comes after the prologue, in the
first scene of the play. In this scene, Faust is alone in his study and is complaining about the limits
of his knowledge. He begins to talk about how little the people in power know and how these people
don't have morals. Without these morals,...show more content...
This subtle shot at the papacy is another example of Goethe hinting at the setting of the play. Another
hint is how Brander describes the leader of the Holy Roman Empire. During this time, the
government was very decentralized. Brander explains that they need a leader, which alludes to
this decentralization and lack of a true leader. This scene uses both historical events and Lutheran
views to show that this play is set in the 16th century. Faust's view on religion is another example
of this play's ties to the Reformation. During the scene in Martha's garden, Gretchen, Faust's
lover, asks him about his religious views. Gretchen is a devout Christian, and she is worried that
he does not share her views. Faust is unable to give her a direct answer. "Who can name Him and
dare profess, I believe He is! Who can deeply and then presume to say, I don't believe!
Encompassing all, sustaining all, does He not hold, sustain you, and me, and Himself?"
(3432–3441). This shows the inner struggle that Faust is going through when it comes to religion.
He isn't certain exactly what to believe, and is questioning it. This is a defining characteristic of the
16th century, more precisely the Reformation. One aspect of the Reformation is questioning religion
and how it is presented. This is exactly what Faust is doing in this excerpt. Goethe uses this
conversation to lead the reader to the conclusion that the play is set in the 16th century.

Faust Greed Essay
Goethe uses the characters in Faust to show the destruction that insatiable greed causes. The
characters of Faust, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles are each overcome by their own greed and
inability to find satisfaction in life. Goethe's warning of the inevitable downfall greed causes is still
relevant the selfish society of today.
Goethe ensures the audience members bear witness to multiple forms of greed within the title
character. Faust sees no value in his impressive accomplishments, because they have not afforded
him substantial wealth or property. Driven by this greed, he signs Mephistopheles' deal and begins his
descent into immorality. When Faust spots Gretchen, he is already under Mephistopheles' influence
and so overcome with lust that...show more content...
Goethe uses Mephistopheles to voice his disapproval of those that would spend their energy
destroying others to satisfy their own desires. Mephistopheles creates chaos in the lives of others,
including Faust, Gretchen, and the emperor, simply to entertain himself. This desire to destroy
others, for his own personal gain is what leads him to make the wager with God. However, in the
end, Mephistopheles falls victim to his own greed. Overcome by his own lust for the angels that
arrive to save Faust, he loses the man's soul and consequently, the wager. Goethe's message is
clear, one should never exploit others for personal gain and still bares weight today. One can
imagine Goethe would have some choice words for Bernie Madoff. The talented Wall Street
tycoon spent his efforts swindling friends and clients out of billions of dollars. Madoff was of
course caught and will spend the rest of his life in jail. One can only imagine what Madoff could
create if used his talents for good, rather than to advance his own despicable greed.
Goethe's ability to understand the driving forces within the human psyche is one reason Faust still
survives today. Greed, as depicted by the characters of Faust, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles, is still
prevalent in society today. It is interesting to consider what great work Goethe could create based on
the world today. Although, he seems to have perfectly captured it

Faust Essay
The legend of Faust was a legend that occurred in the 1500's in Europe. Over time, as the story
was told and passed on through generations, many different ideas on what happened were brought
up, but the main idea of the story is the same in most cases. One of the most interesting things
about this legend is the fact that though this story is more than four hundred years old, it is still
told in some contemporary films to this day. All though it is not always as direct as a deal with the
actual devil, the same basis of the story can be seen in present day films. In one of the most
successful movies of the year 2000, The Matrix, a Faustian theme is evident. The Matrix is a science
fiction movie directed by the Wachowski brothers.
The old...show more content...
The movie goes on with high–tech stunts, graphics and visuals about a struggle between a chosen
few humans that know about the matrix, and a group of human–like robots trying to keep the matrix
secret.
The Matrix is a variation of the legend of Faust because it deals with the same basic idea. There is a
deal made in which someone tries to seek some sort of personal gain and the deal goes bad. The
reason that this is a Faustian story is because it has all of the four basic elements needed. The Faust
figure is Neo, the devil figure is Morphius, the temptation is the truth, and the price is his regular
life and his perception of the real world.
The Faust figure in the Matrix is Neo. The Faust figure is the main character, the one who is the
recipient of most of the action in the story, and the one who is tragedy stricken at the end. Neo
made a choice to leave the real world and his perception of reality to learn of the truth. When he
made that decision he basically sold his regular life just as Faust sold his soul. When Neo found
out the truth about the world he did not want to believe it and he got angry and even though he did
not die at the end, it is not always a positive thing to know too much about something when
everyone else knows nothing about it. Other people would probably not believe him and some may
even get angry just as he did if he tried to explain the truth to the world.

Role of Religion in Dr. Faust Essay
Role of Religion in Dr. Faust
Dr. Faust is a legend from the sixteenth century that tells the tale of a man that sells his sole to the
devil for non–human powers. This legend is influenced by the time that it was written. During the
sixteenth century religion had a large role on the society. It had affected everything from
Government to everyday life for people. This story was set in the area of Europe. Which had a
heavily religious influence. The Faust legend employs the notion of black magic and sorcery. This
was often related to the devils work in this time due to the role of religion in society.
To add to the beliefs or disbeliefs there were many tragic occurrences going on at the time like the
Black plague and war and the...show more content...
Christopher Marlowe's, Dr. Faustus
Christopher Marlowe was a well–educated man with a degree in divinity much like his story of Dr.
Faustus. Which I feel gave him insight to be able to write the play. Not only did he have the
degree in divinity he was thought to be an Atheist, which in this era was thought to be the work of
the devil. His beliefs did not follow the norm for religion. This ended up being the cause for what
many today argue was the cause of his death and that it was faked.
In Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus the main character struggles with the lack of knowledge that
he thinks he has, as well, the effect of all the deaths that were caused by the plaque. This troubled
Dr. Faustus because he felt at one time that he had the knowledge that he could come to a medicine
that would have saved the people from death. He seems to think that he has failed and has
convinced himself that he has not knowledge and that he will never gain the kind of knowledge
that he dreams of. Here he is weakened into turning to black magic and hoping that it will give him
the knowledge that he seeks. This causes the a evil spirit named Mephostophilisto appear and try to
encourage Dr. Faustus to give him twenty–four years for the powers that Dr. Faustus seeks, even
thought Mephostophisto refuses to tell him the secrets of the creator the lord. The whole idea of
trading his sole form powers is a

Faust: Positive or Negative Essay
Faust: Positive or Negative
The Faust legend, as with other great legends, has many interpretations. In Goethe's Faust: Part One,
the protagonist's character is questioned, and this uncertainty contributes to the number of
interpretations the story has. It is unclear whether or not Faust is a positive or a negative figure. In
the story, Faust gets pulled into a journey of deceit and sin. As long as Faust followed the Devil, he
became closer to his own downfall. Alberto Destro argues that a moral hero lives his life
according to the ordinary "moral" point of view. Destro claims that Faust cannot be considered a
moral hero, but instead a negative figure because Faust does not follow the ordinary "moral" point
of view. I agree with his...show more content...
When we take a closer look at Destro's argument, we see that he does not agree to the fact that
Faust could be considered a positive figure, and neither can he be considered a moral hero. Destro
argues that Faust cannot be a moral hero because he failed to understand his "ultimate salvation" by
the end of Faust I, whereas Gretchen–Faust's lover and a murderess–was saved because she
understood that she is guilty of all the things she has done: killed her mother and drowned her child
(4507–4508). Here, we can see that Destro is comparing Faust's and Gretchen's salvations. We could
say that Destro is questioning what salvation really is. From a Christian perspective, the salvation
achieved by Gretchen is the correct one because she reconciles with God. Then, Destro seems to
argue that because Faust is "superman," then he cannot be a positive character. Destro's "superman"
differs from Nietzsche's version of "superman." Destro's "superman" is an individualistic ethic where
self–realization is the highest goal. Faust does not think about other, but only about himself. He is
only worried about his own striving for self– realization. This makes Faust, in Destro's eyes, a
negative character. Contrary to this Faustian ethic, there is the ordinary "moral" point of view. It
means that morality is rooted in with our relationship with others within a community. In this
thought, the point of view

Faust as a Romantic Hero
Faust as a Romantic Hero In Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's Faust, the protagonist exhibits many
characteristics of a typical romantic hero. First, he is larger then life. He has obtained numerous
advanced degrees, and conjures up spirits. In his effort to go beyond knowledge and gain
experience he strikes a bargain with the Devil. He is "not afraid of the Devil or hell" ( Lawall &
Mack, 444) and proves that by making the deal with the Devil. Secondly, he embodies the best
and worst of mankind. He is a scholar and would be considered a Renaissance man. Earlier in his
life, he helped his father, who was a doctor, treat sick people during a plague. On the other hand, his
lust for Margarete displays the worst of mankind. This...show more content...
He then decides against suicide and instead undergoes a "rebirth" (Mitchell, 16). Faust exhibits
pride in many instances of the play, particularly when he summons the Earth Spirit and is
disappointed by the fact the Spirit does not consider him an equal and rebuffs him. Another
instance is the deal made with Mephistopheles, where he will never be completely satisfied.
Anyone making such a deal is obviously guilty of the sin of pride. In his relationship with
Mephistopheles you see Faust as an arrogant and impatient man. He views Mephistopheles as his
servant to do his bidding (Mitchell, 17). When he signs his pact with the Devil, he hopes to
"experience all of life, to fulfill all of human potential, at which point he would be like God."
(Mitchell, 17) Faust appears to have an emotional outburst when he and Wagner are walking on
Easter morning. He weeps openly and begs to be sent to "distant lands" ( Lawall & Mack, 460) to
relieve him of his pain and misery. In Faust 's dealings with Margarete, he shows his sensitive
side. He is capable of passionate romantic love. While at the witches celebration he is haunted by
a vision of Margarete. He becomes filled with anger and guilt when he learns of Margarete 's fate.
When he attempts to rescue her from execution, she refuses. He feels deep regret for the position he
has placed Margarete in. Faust show 's how

Faust Essay

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Online Paper Writing Services Haynes

More from Online Paper Writing Services Haynes (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Faust Essay