“From heaven through all the world to hell”-Goethe on the theme of his Faust Goethe Johann Wolfgang Goethe was born in 1749 to the well-to-do Johann Caspar Goethe and his wife Catharina Elizabeth Textor. He studied law in Leipzig from 1765 to 1768 and even briefly practised it, but his true passion was for literature. Coming from an affluent family, Goethe was free to devote himself to his literary pursuits. His interest in literature was kindled by a meeting with the famous German author, Johann Gottfried Herder, who introduced him to Shakespeare and folk poetry. His personal awakening in literature occurred after his first acquaintance with Shakespeare's works. Goethe's emergence as a famous writer coincided with the breakthrough in German …show more content…
On the strength of his reputation as the author of Werther, Goethe was invited to the court of Karl August, the Duke of Weimar. The duke, one of the most enlightened of the monarchs ruling over small parts of Germany, greatly admired Goethe and appointed him to numerous public offices. Goethe was ennobled in 1782 and ended up as a minister of state and director of the court theatre, where he was to later premiere many of his close friend Friedrich Schiller's plays. Goethe was involved in a great deal of administrative work at the Weimar court and by 1786 had begun to chafe under the demands on his time. In September of that year, he took a temporary leave from his duties and went to Italy, where he stayed till 1788. This visit to Italy and especially the time he spent in Rome was a deeply transformative experience for him and the contact with classical antiquity was a turning point in his inner life. It was also possibly a sexually self-liberating trip for him because after returning to Weimar, he began to live with Christiane Vulpius, who stayed with him till her death in …show more content…
As for Part One itself, it was started by Goethe in his early twenties (the Urfaust), after which he set it aside unpublished for fifteen years before publishing a part of Faust for the first time as A Fragment in 1790. The third phase of composition lasted from 1797 to 1801 and in this phase Goethe added a lot of material but once again lost interest and did not decide to publish it till 1805. Faust. The First Part of the Tragedy appeared in print only in 1808 after some further revisions. The young Goethe's Urfaust comprised of Faust's opening soliloquy and conjuration of the Earth Spirit, two scenes of anti-academic satire, a scene in a tavern and perhaps most importantly, the story of Gretchen, which wasn't present in any previous version of the Faust legend and is entirely of Goethe's own devising. In several comic, touching and tragic scenes, Goethe describes Faust's seduction and subsequent abandonment of Gretchen and this part of the Urfaust has traditionally appealed to readers more than any of Goethe's subsequent additions which were, in general, complex and
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began writing The Sorrows of Young Werther in the early part of 1774. It was written during the Sturm and Drang period in Germany. Sturm and Drang, or more conventionally known as Storm and Stress, was an attempt by people in this period to free themselves from the strict rationalism of the enlightenment period. It is about a young man, Werther, who finds himself in an impossible situation. He is in love with a young woman named Charlotte. Despite knowing that Charlotte is already engaged to another man, Werther continues to ...
… But without desire [you revere the Holy Sacraments], alas! It's long since you confessed or went to mass!" (3415-23) Gretchen can sense Mephistopheles is devil.
transformation of the lives of others as well as his own. In this respect, the lesson of the Romantic hero is comprised less of romance than of utility. Following the trends of the Goethe’s contemporary evolving society, the means by which Faust succeeds in accomplishing his goals are largely selfish, brutal, and unethical. This is perhaps Goethe’s single greatest reflection on the modern nature of heroism.
Kostić, Milena. "The Faustian Motif in Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus." Facta Universititas 7.2 (2009): 209-22. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. The Sorrows of Young Werther. Trans. Elizabeth Mayer and Louis Bogan. 1774; New York: Random House, 1970.
Mephistopheles, from the epic poem Faust, by Goethe, is one of the most interesting characters if examined carefully. Much like today's crude interpretations of the devil, Mephistopheles was a skeptic, a gambler, self- confident, witty, stubborn, smart, creative, tempting and of course, evil. There were very ironic things about him. Though he was evil, he was a force of goodness. The evil in him was portrayed in the negative aspects of Faust's personality, which showed that no matter how powerful the Lord was, the devil would always have an impact on a persons life and decisions.
History has shaped and molded modern time as we know it, from every war and battle taken place on this earth to every piece of art created. In turn, civilizations and culture had an impact on the people and their doings. Germany has evolved as a country growing from past wars and ever changing culture. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749 in Frankfurt. At school he studied Law. He did practice law for a while, but in the 1770s he had became one of the most prominent figure in writing. He would go on to write one of the greatest tragedies of the nineteenth century, Faust. The first of the two part play was published in 1808. In the first part Goethe told the story of a Doctor named Faust and his encounter with Mephistopheles. Goethe continued to write until he died in 1832. Faust was influenced by a number of ideas including the Enlightenment, religion, and politics.
Discuss the relationship between individual and society in Goethe’s The Sufferings of Young Werther. What features of Werther’s individuality make him incapable of taking up a “normal” position within society?
University of Bergen. (n.d.). Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Retrieved December 11, 2013, from International UNiversity of Japan: http://www.iuj.ac.jp/media/stokes/goethe.htm
“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel…” This is dialog of Frankenstein’s monster when confronting his creator, who once saw great beauty in it, bestowing it with the greatest gift, life. Dr. Frankenstein, like Goethe, was a modern Prometheus; both braving the pantheon of the gods to retrieve the flame of life and presenting it to the thing they held most dear. Goethe differs from Dr. Frankenstein, whom turns on his creation with disgust, by way of love and admiration for Rome. Goethe gives life to Rome, a long dead city, and unlike Dr. Frankenstein by loving her three most important characteristics: Her Mind, Her Motherhood, and Her Sensuality.
Romanticism was deeply interested in creating art and literature of suffering, pain and self-pity. With poets pining for a love long gone and dead and authors falling for unavailable people, it appears that romantics in literature were primarily concerned with self-injury and delusion. In Goethe's novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther", we find another romantic character fulfilling his tragic destiny by falling victim to extreme self-deception.
“Marlowe’s biographers often portray him as a dangerously over–ambitious individual. Explore ways this aspect of Marlowe’s personality is reflected in ‘Dr. Faustus.’ ”
In this essay the critical approach on (Mythological and Archetypal Approach) played a big role in forming my opinion of the signet classic book, "Doctor Faustus" It is to my knowledge that mythology does not meet our current standards of factual reality, but unlike the 16th century which this play was presented, men like Faustus saw myth as fundamental and a dramatic representation of the deepest instinctual life in the universe.
The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus is known as one of the many books to display a popular understanding of the evolution of modern Western Science. The story is about a medieval doctor who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. However, he starts to fear hell as his motive to repent for his wrongdoings haunts him. This story takes place in Europe during the 16th century, which was when major changes in philosophy and science occurred. Unfortunately, this was also when conflict between Medieval and Renaissance values occurred. People who held values from the Medieval era strongly believed in God and religion while those with Renaissance values focused on science and the natural world. This conflict is
The Romanticism period is marked by changes in societal beliefs as a rejection of the values and scientific thought pursued during the Age of Enlightenment. During this period, art, music, and literature are seen as high achievement, rather than the science and logic previously held in esteem. Nature is a profound subject in the art and literature and is viewed as a powerful force. Searching for the meaning of self becomes a noble quest to undertake. In the dramatic tragedy of “Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, we find a masterpiece of Romanticism writing that includes the concepts that man is essentially good, the snare of pride, and dealing with the supernatural.