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THE MYTH OF FAUST
It seems that the origin of the story dates
back to the 16th century as a morality tale
in Germany.
Doctor Johannes Faust really
existed. He
was born in 1480 in the
city of Knittlingen
in Wurttemberg and was
a famous magician
known for his interest
in necromancy. His
public career extended
from 1510 to 1540.
Between 1528 and 1532 the
humanist Melanchthon
really met Dr Faust giving
of him the image
of an impostor who affirmed
that it is not
necessary to venerate God
since he himself
through God-like powers
was capable of performing
miracles. He died under
mysterious circumstances.
The popular fantasy gave
birth to the legend
which refers to the bargain
he made with
Lucifer selling his soul
in exchange for
knowledge of the unknown.
In 1587 an anonymous, but
surely Lutheran,
writer publicized the Historia
von D. Iohan
Faust which was didactic
in tone and aimed
at advising men not to
choose evil. After
a few years, an English
translation by a
writer who is known as
P.F. had appeared
and a surviving copy dated
1592, the 'Damnable
Life', is now in the British
Museum.
New German editions:
1599
Widdmann's Historia
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1674
Pfizer's Historia
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1725
anonymous poet known as
der Christlich Meynende
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All those stories contain
Faust's thirst
for power, the pact with
Lucifer, Faust's
marriage with the beautiful
Helen of Troy.
New English editions.
1604 (A-text)
The Tragicall History of D. Faustus printed by V. S. for T. Bushell |
1616 (B-text)
The Tragically History of the Life and Death
of Doctor Faustus printed for John Wright
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But why was the story so
successful? The
importance of a character
who is not so noble
has to be found in his
quest for knowledge.
In him it is possible to
find the dichotomy
between faith and science,
religion and reason.
The most important part
in the legend is
Faust's death and his destiny
with the consequent
damnation of his soul.
In 1586 Cristopher Marlowe
(1564-1593) elaborated
the theme of the story.
Marlowe intended
to save his hero and tried
to do so through
Faust's repentance in the
last hour of his
life but, his sin is so
enormous that his
prayers cannot save him.
However, even though
he is condemned he becomes
a symbol of man's
triumph over nature appearing
as a modern
figure .
The play was performed
by English actors
in other countries among
which Germany and
there have been very famous
theatre versions
since then .
G.E. Lessing (1729-1781)
was attracted by
the story of this man who
wanted to discover
the mystery of the unknown.
He wondered how
could a man be damned in
the using of his
rational faculties.
Lessing wanted to write
a drama in which
the role of Lucifer was
taken by a friend
of Faust's . But the drama
was never completed.
It remained a fragment
written in a letter.
We know that Lessing wanted
to save his hero,
even though his desire
for knowledge had
led him to go beyond human
limits. God himself
would not have given him
the ability to reason,
the most noble among his
instincts, only
in order to damn him and
make him miserable.
In this idea lies the rational
conception
of the Age of the Enlightment.
Many Romantic poets modified
the myth of
Faust. The hero loses his
titanic force,
his thirst for knowledge,
he is now an ordinary
man who turns to Lucifer
only in order to
gain power, wealth and
happiness. In these
works Faust is killed by
Lucifer and condemned
to damnation.
The writer who gave the
legend new force
was J.W.Goethe (1749-1832).
It seems that
he knew the story through
the performances
of the English shows. His
Faust has all the
rational characteristcs
of the Enlightment,
he is not a magician any
more but a modern
scientist, he has studied
philosophy, law,
medicine, theology. But
he has Romantic aspirations,too.
He represents free man
who does not depend
on external forces , a
man who is at the
centre of the universe,
master of his own
destiny.
Goethe's Faust is the first
to decides the
conditions of the bargain
while in the other
works it was always Lucifer
who decided the
details. In doing so, the
good side of man
has prepared a trap for
Satan, the personification
of evil.
Faust and Satan talk as
modern men but the
story is very similar to
the traditional
legend.
When Satan is already sure
of his victory
over Faust, angels appear
and take Faust's
soul into Heaven.
But, how is Faust saved?
How does Faust solve
the problem between faith
and science with
its thirst for knowledge?
Goethe does not
see any dichotomy between
God and man because
to him man himself is God.
He is guilty and
shows no repentance during
his last hour
but is saved by his desire
for knowledge
on behalf of all humanity.
Lenau's Faust (1802-1850)
is also the author
of his own destiny. He
is not killed by Lucifer
but commits suicide because
he cannot overcome
the problem of his pride
and the feeling
of dependence on God. In
the melancholic
universal sorrow of Lenau's
version, which
Goethe had solved through
the actions of
his hero in favour of humanity,
the dichotomy
between the divine and
the human side is
here once again like a
painful wound.
Incapable of finding a
meaning in life he
stabs himself and Lucifer
reveals himself
a winner who before Faust's
body affirms
that evil and eternal damnation
are a reality.
Thomas Mann (1875-1955)
wrote a version of
the story Doktor Faustus . His hero is a composer, Leverkuhn, who
is cruel even because of his sickness. During
one of hallucinogen dreams he sees Lucifer
who promises to help him with his work and
to give him great artistic power in exchange
for his soul. Leverkuhn accepts and during
the twenty-four years he becomes very famous
but he is a man who brings sorrow and ruin
expressing Mann's idea of the responsibility
of the German people in the world catastrophe
during the period from 1884 to 1955.
Faust is again the symbol
of humanity, but
of a desperate humanity.
The only one who was successful
overcoming
desperation through the
sublime harmony of
his classic and humanistic
vision of life
is Goethe. |
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