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Goethes Faust #2
Faust, Part Two
This is a new translation of Faust, Part Two by David Luke, whose translation of Faust, Part I was the winner of the European Poetry Translation Prize. Here, Luke expertly imitates the varied verse-forms of the original, and provides a highly readable and actable translation which includes an
introduction, full notes, and an index of classical mythology.
introduction, full notes, and an index of classical mythology.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1832
About the author
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
11.3k books6,248 followersA master of poetry, drama, and the novel, German writer and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent 50 years on his two-part dramatic poem
Faust
, published in 1808 and 1832, also conducted scientific research in various fields, notably botany, and held several governmental positions.
George Eliot called him "Germany's greatest man of letters... and the last true polymath to walk the earth." Works span the fields of literature, theology, and humanism.
People laud this magnum opus as one of the peaks of world literature. Other well-known literary works include his numerous poems, the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther .
With this key figure of German literature, the movement of Weimar classicism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries coincided with Enlightenment, sentimentality (Empfindsamkeit), Sturm und Drang, and Romanticism. The author of the scientific text Theory of Colours , he influenced Darwin with his focus on plant morphology. He also long served as the privy councilor ("Geheimrat") of the duchy of Weimar.
Goethe took great interest in the literatures of England, France, Italy, classical Greece, Persia, and Arabia and originated the concept of Weltliteratur ("world literature"). Despite his major, virtually immeasurable influence on German philosophy especially on the generation of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling, he expressly and decidedly refrained from practicing philosophy in the rarefied sense.
Influence spread across Europe, and for the next century, his works inspired much music, drama, poetry and philosophy. Many persons consider Goethe the most important writer in the German language and one of the most important thinkers in western culture as well. Early in his career, however, he wondered about painting, perhaps his true vocation; late in his life, he expressed the expectation that people ultimately would remember his work in optics.
George Eliot called him "Germany's greatest man of letters... and the last true polymath to walk the earth." Works span the fields of literature, theology, and humanism.
People laud this magnum opus as one of the peaks of world literature. Other well-known literary works include his numerous poems, the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther .
With this key figure of German literature, the movement of Weimar classicism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries coincided with Enlightenment, sentimentality (Empfindsamkeit), Sturm und Drang, and Romanticism. The author of the scientific text Theory of Colours , he influenced Darwin with his focus on plant morphology. He also long served as the privy councilor ("Geheimrat") of the duchy of Weimar.
Goethe took great interest in the literatures of England, France, Italy, classical Greece, Persia, and Arabia and originated the concept of Weltliteratur ("world literature"). Despite his major, virtually immeasurable influence on German philosophy especially on the generation of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling, he expressly and decidedly refrained from practicing philosophy in the rarefied sense.
Influence spread across Europe, and for the next century, his works inspired much music, drama, poetry and philosophy. Many persons consider Goethe the most important writer in the German language and one of the most important thinkers in western culture as well. Early in his career, however, he wondered about painting, perhaps his true vocation; late in his life, he expressed the expectation that people ultimately would remember his work in optics.
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January 17, 2018
Preface & Notes
Chronology
Introduction
Translator's Note
The Writing of 'Faust, Part II'
'Faust, Part II' Act by Act: Composition and Synopsis
Further Reading
--Faust, Part II
Notes
Chronology
Introduction
Translator's Note
The Writing of 'Faust, Part II'
'Faust, Part II' Act by Act: Composition and Synopsis
Further Reading
--Faust, Part II
Notes
November 26, 2020
ریویوو های خوب و مفصل درباره این کتاب زیاده ، پس خلاصه عرض کنم
سخت بود و زیبا، در بالاترین حد ممکن
خوندنش صدسال طول کشید، با اینحال خیلی دوستش داشتم. بدون پینوشت ها بعید بود بتونم معنی سمبولها و استعاره ها و تلمیحات رو بفهمم، بخاطر همین رفت و برگشتها هم طول کشید خوندنش.
....
پیشنهاد ویژه:
از دیروز با پادکست "اسطوراخ " آشنا شدم که درباره اسطوره های روم و یونان عه. گوش کنید تا بعدها اگر فاووست خوندید از تعداد زیاد خداها گیج نشید
سخت بود و زیبا، در بالاترین حد ممکن
خوندنش صدسال طول کشید، با اینحال خیلی دوستش داشتم. بدون پینوشت ها بعید بود بتونم معنی سمبولها و استعاره ها و تلمیحات رو بفهمم، بخاطر همین رفت و برگشتها هم طول کشید خوندنش.
....
پیشنهاد ویژه:
از دیروز با پادکست "اسطوراخ " آشنا شدم که درباره اسطوره های روم و یونان عه. گوش کنید تا بعدها اگر فاووست خوندید از تعداد زیاد خداها گیج نشید
May 10, 2016
Er so according to Wikipedia, "Appreciation of the work often requires an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology, and it is arguably one of the most difficult works of world literature."
Eh. No. Cmon. Is that a joke? This is 1000% more accessible than anything by James Joyce, John Milton, and dozens of other writers. Even a rudimentary knowledge of classical myth & lit will make this readable.
Didn't enjoy it as much as Part 1, though. This is defs more sophisticated, to be sure... but it lacks the vibrancy, the energy, the eager honesty of P1, which felt resonant and personal and human. P2 reads more like an intellectual exercise of someone who's spent scores of years studying the classics, someone who wants to establish himself as descendant of those great writers. Which makes it feel more pretentious than groundbreaking.
It's very Odyssean, except that Faust's katabasis is not a literal descent into the underworld but a figurative one, via his deal with Mephisto.
There were parts I loved, though. The Euphorion bit- the part about the son Faust has with Helen of Troy- was pretty heavy-handed in its parallels with the myth of Icarus, but nevertheless a memorable section. And the ending was stunning, too.
Eh. No. Cmon. Is that a joke? This is 1000% more accessible than anything by James Joyce, John Milton, and dozens of other writers. Even a rudimentary knowledge of classical myth & lit will make this readable.
Didn't enjoy it as much as Part 1, though. This is defs more sophisticated, to be sure... but it lacks the vibrancy, the energy, the eager honesty of P1, which felt resonant and personal and human. P2 reads more like an intellectual exercise of someone who's spent scores of years studying the classics, someone who wants to establish himself as descendant of those great writers. Which makes it feel more pretentious than groundbreaking.
It's very Odyssean, except that Faust's katabasis is not a literal descent into the underworld but a figurative one, via his deal with Mephisto.
There were parts I loved, though. The Euphorion bit- the part about the son Faust has with Helen of Troy- was pretty heavy-handed in its parallels with the myth of Icarus, but nevertheless a memorable section. And the ending was stunning, too.
April 14, 2015
I think that the title is a bit misleading - it makes one expect "Faust, Part Two" to be the sequel to "Faust, Part One". Instead, this reads more like "The New Faust: Containing an Emperor of Much Import and Lavish Greek Settings".
The play opens with Faust getting his memory wiped by a fairy - so he no longer remembers the tragic end met by his lover, or pretty much anything that he previously did, except that he had the devil by his side.
For reasons unknown to me, he goes to the Emperor's court, where he is convinced to bring Helen (of Troy) and Paris in front of the nobles, for their amusement. His devilishly handsome devil, Mephistopheles, is pretty much useless when it comes to anything non-Christian, so he sends Faust on a quest to the Mothers, some sort of horrid deities, in what we can only presume is a dangerous, exciting, profound quest.
We don't get to see that quest. But that's okay, we get to see a masquerade where Mephistopheles pretty much invents paper money for the Emperor and saves him from his money issues. Deep.
Anyway, Faust manages to bring Helen and Paris in front of the audience and falls in love or lust or something with Helen and decides he *must* have her. As stated above, Mephistopheles is about as useful as an oxygen mask on a fish, so they go back to Faust's old university to talk to some characters we used to know and pick up a homunculus (tiny being in a bottle). Then they head off to the Classical Walpurgis Night, which happens in Ancient Greece. Lots of fun things ensue - for example, Faust buggers off in search of Helen into the Underworld, another journey filled with danger, excitement, depth and awe which we DON'T see. Mephistopheles runs around with ancient Greek creatures and also vanishes out of the picture.
That's okay, we stick with the homunculus and Proteus for this part of the play - remember Proteus? Of course not, he was just introduced three seconds ago. Anyway, I lost track of what the hell was going on because a new character was introduced every page or two and I was getting bored, but I think the homunculus finally had sex with Proteus or someone else. I don't care. Neither did Goethe, we never see any of these characters ever again.
Soon, we see Helen and her women return to Greece after the end of the Trojan war. She's told she'll be killed in a sacrifice by her husband - unless she goes to Faust, who'll save her. She does go to him indeed, followed by her women, and what follows is the amazing relationship between her and Faust, which lasts for many, many years. But we don't get to see it, because we stick with the chorus of bored waiting women who sleep through the entire thing.
That's okay, though, because we get to see Helen and Faust come out with their amazing boy, who's really something special. Unfortunately, soon after being introduced, he jumps too high up in the sky and falls down to his death, which gets Helen to vanish in a puff of mist representing her suicide or something.
Anyway, Faust returns to his own time, meets with the Emperor, wins him a battle and receives a strip of land near the sea in thanks. He proceeds to Netherlands he hell out of it, making the sea back away, but unfortunately he utters the wrong words and his pact with Mephistopheles comes to an end and he dies. (Finally!!!!)
He doesn't go to Hell, though, because the angels rescue him from the grips of the devil by striking him with lust (as angels do, I guess) and distracting him. Thus, Faust ends up in heaven and we get cameos from other characters we used to know.
Hardly a page or two can go by without a new character appearing out of nowhere. I didn't have the inspiration to count from the start, but I swear there were hundreds of characters, none of whom I gave much of a damn about. The story felt even less coherent than Part I, I guess the social commentary is worthwhile, if you're into that sort of thing, but I kept feeling that I'd rather read something more Faust-centered, something even vaguely more coherent, something that didn't hint at good bits happening off-stage, something which also stood as a *story*, not just as *ideas*.
The play opens with Faust getting his memory wiped by a fairy - so he no longer remembers the tragic end met by his lover, or pretty much anything that he previously did, except that he had the devil by his side.
For reasons unknown to me, he goes to the Emperor's court, where he is convinced to bring Helen (of Troy) and Paris in front of the nobles, for their amusement. His devilishly handsome devil, Mephistopheles, is pretty much useless when it comes to anything non-Christian, so he sends Faust on a quest to the Mothers, some sort of horrid deities, in what we can only presume is a dangerous, exciting, profound quest.
We don't get to see that quest. But that's okay, we get to see a masquerade where Mephistopheles pretty much invents paper money for the Emperor and saves him from his money issues. Deep.
Anyway, Faust manages to bring Helen and Paris in front of the audience and falls in love or lust or something with Helen and decides he *must* have her. As stated above, Mephistopheles is about as useful as an oxygen mask on a fish, so they go back to Faust's old university to talk to some characters we used to know and pick up a homunculus (tiny being in a bottle). Then they head off to the Classical Walpurgis Night, which happens in Ancient Greece. Lots of fun things ensue - for example, Faust buggers off in search of Helen into the Underworld, another journey filled with danger, excitement, depth and awe which we DON'T see. Mephistopheles runs around with ancient Greek creatures and also vanishes out of the picture.
That's okay, we stick with the homunculus and Proteus for this part of the play - remember Proteus? Of course not, he was just introduced three seconds ago. Anyway, I lost track of what the hell was going on because a new character was introduced every page or two and I was getting bored, but I think the homunculus finally had sex with Proteus or someone else. I don't care. Neither did Goethe, we never see any of these characters ever again.
Soon, we see Helen and her women return to Greece after the end of the Trojan war. She's told she'll be killed in a sacrifice by her husband - unless she goes to Faust, who'll save her. She does go to him indeed, followed by her women, and what follows is the amazing relationship between her and Faust, which lasts for many, many years. But we don't get to see it, because we stick with the chorus of bored waiting women who sleep through the entire thing.
That's okay, though, because we get to see Helen and Faust come out with their amazing boy, who's really something special. Unfortunately, soon after being introduced, he jumps too high up in the sky and falls down to his death, which gets Helen to vanish in a puff of mist representing her suicide or something.
Anyway, Faust returns to his own time, meets with the Emperor, wins him a battle and receives a strip of land near the sea in thanks. He proceeds to Netherlands he hell out of it, making the sea back away, but unfortunately he utters the wrong words and his pact with Mephistopheles comes to an end and he dies. (Finally!!!!)
He doesn't go to Hell, though, because the angels rescue him from the grips of the devil by striking him with lust (as angels do, I guess) and distracting him. Thus, Faust ends up in heaven and we get cameos from other characters we used to know.
Hardly a page or two can go by without a new character appearing out of nowhere. I didn't have the inspiration to count from the start, but I swear there were hundreds of characters, none of whom I gave much of a damn about. The story felt even less coherent than Part I, I guess the social commentary is worthwhile, if you're into that sort of thing, but I kept feeling that I'd rather read something more Faust-centered, something even vaguely more coherent, something that didn't hint at good bits happening off-stage, something which also stood as a *story*, not just as *ideas*.
June 28, 2021
فاوست و راه آزادی
فاوستِ گوته، شاید که دقیق ترین روایت از تجربه مدرنیته باشد، هنگامه ای که وجدان اروپایی، بر آستانه ایستاده بود و جهانی نو انتظارش را می کشید. اما فاوست که بود؟ فاوست، شخصیتی متعلق به قرن ۱۵ ام که به گواه تاریخ، سرآمد آن دوران بوده است در فلسفه، الهیات و پزشکی. بر ضد جزم گرایی کلیسا می شورد و به رابطه با شیاطین متهم می شود. اما تمام این ها فاوست را با ما معاصر نمی سازد و نمی تواند پاسخی باشد به پرسش فاوست کیست؟ فاوستی که همچنان به زندگی در کنار ما و در ما ادامه می دهد، نه متعلق به گذشته ای دور و فراموش شده و از دست رفته.
در پاسخ به پرسش اخیر، گوته، فاوست را در قامت انسانی نقش می زند خسته و دل بریده از همه چیزِ این جهانی و ناامید از هرچه آن جهانی. فاوست در آغازِ تراژدی چنین ناله سر می دهد:
وه که فلسفه حقوق و پزشکی _و هیهات که الهیات را هم_ تا آخر خوانده‌ام ولی از همه‌ی این تلاش سوزانم طرفی جز این نبسته ام منِ بی نوای ابله که در این کنج نشسته‌ام و سر سوزنی داناتر از آن نیستم که پیش‌تر بودم.
در پرده ای دیگر از نمایشنامه، شیطان (مفیستوفلس) با خدا شرطی می بندد که فاوست را، این بنده ای که یک اکنون در راه خدمت به خدایش برخطاست، برای همیشه به سبیل ظلالت بکشاند. مفیستوفلس به زمین می رود تا فاوست را، کسی که نان و آبش در زمین یافت نمی شود، بلکه جوشش شراب جانش او را به دور دست ها می کشاند، به راه خود بکشاند. در همین حال، فاوست، ناامید از همه چیز، قصد گرفتن جان خود را دارد. اما پشیمان می شود با شنیدن سرود عید پاک که به یگانگی ای تازه یقین می دهد. پس از این روز خجسته، مفیستوفلس بر فاوست ظاهر می شود و با او شرط و قرارداد دیگری می بندد که اگر او توانست آرامش و یگانگی و رضایت برای جان فاوست، با خدمت رسانی به او و بجا آوردن هر آنچه که فاوست می خواهد را، به ارمغان بیاورد و درد استسقای فاوست را لحظه ای چند ارام کند چنان که فاوست به لحظه بگوید: هان! تو بمان که دلنشینی، در این هنگام، مفیستوفلس مختار است که او را به زنجیر بکشد. در آن صورت چه بهتر که زمان از حرکت باایستد و روز عمر فاوست به آخر برسد.
آنچه در نگاه اول، شاید برای ما غیرقابل درک باشد، ناامیدی عمیق فاوست از به چنگ آوردن حقیقت و گشودن راز سر به مهر هستی است. یک ناامیدی عمیق که حتی به نابودی خویشتن حکم می دهد. هر چند که این ناامیدی در جهان و هرچه در آن است برای ما نیز رخ داده اما دلخوشی آن جهان، انجا که مقصود و غایتِ تمام امید های ماست، جانمان را ارام کرده. ما راحت و آسوده نسیه را به نقد ترجیح داده ایم به همین علت شاید از عمق ناامیدی فاوست شناختی نیابیم و ناامیدی او، همدلی ما را برنیانگیزد چرا چنان که خود او، هنگام عقد قرارداد با مفیستوفلس نیز می گوید:
"آن جهان چندان غم من نیست. تو اول بزن بنای این جهان را از بیخ و بن بربینداز و بعد اگر آن جهان خواست بگو به ساحت هستی دراید. شادی های من از چشمه‌ی همین خاک است که بر می جوشد و همین خورشید است که بر غم و رنج من می تابد."
می توان پرسید چنین ناامیدی عمیقی از کجا ریشه می‌گیرد؟ این ناامیدی که جان را وا می دارد که نبودن را بر بودن ترجیح دهد؟ ریشه‌ی این ناامیدی را، که ناامیدی از حقیقت است، می توانیم در متافیزیک، این ملکه همه علوم، یا به قول کانت عرصه منازعات بی پایان جستجو کنیم. منازعاتی که کانت در پیشگفتار بر ویراست نخست اثر سترگش، نقادی عقل محض، چنین توصیفش می کند:
"در ابتدا سروری متافیزیک تحت سیطره جزم اندیشان مستبدانه بود اما چون قوانین اش کماکان نشانه هایی از توحش دوران باستان را در خود داشت، حکومت اش به واسطه جنگ های داخلی به تدریج به ورطه هرج و مرج کامل سقوط کرد. و در این میان شکاکان همچون کوچ نشینان، که از کشت و زرع دائم زمین متنفرند، گاه و بی گاه اتحاد شهرنشینان را به هم می زدند."
کانت سرانجام این منازعات بی پایان، متافیزیک را، چنین روایت می کند:
"حال بعد از آنکه همه راهها بدون هیچ دستاوردی آزموده شده اند خستگی و بی اعتنائی کامل که مادرِ هرج و مرج و ابهام است بر تمام علوم حاکم است."
کانت که قصد داشت انضباط را به این آشوب و هرج و مرج با برپا کردن دادگاهی به منظور نقادی عقل محض برگرداند، به نتایجی رسید که برای بسیاری از جان ها دهشتناک بود. او مرزی کشید میان جهان نومن و فنومن، جهان چنان که در خود است_ جهانی که شناخت ما را بدان راهی نیست_ و جهان چنان که برای ما پدیدار می شود و این نکته را در بخش مسائل جدلی الطرفین نقادی عقل محض ثابت کرد که عقل هیچ گاه نخواهد تواستن به حقیقتِ ازلی یا حادث بودن جهان، بسیط یا مرکب بودن آن، آزادی یا اختیار، بقای نفس و وجود واجب‌الوجود پی بردن؛ چرا که عقل هر گاه بیرون از مرزهای تجربه دست به تقلا و کوشش زند، خودش را در نهایت، گرفتار تناقضات بی شمار می بیند.
برای وجدان فاوست، یا هر آنکه چنین بی پناه و بی کس در تاریکی و ظلمت این جهان رها شده، در برابر چنین نتایجِ دلهره آوری، یک راه خودکشی است. راهی که فاوست ناتمام گذاشت و هاینریش فون کلایست نویسنده و ادیب آلمانی به پایانش برد. توماس مان، در مقاله ای درباره کلایست و آثارش این پایان را چنین توضیح می دهد:
"تجربه مطالعه کانت برای او به شوک و شکستی هراس‌انگیز می‌انجامد و بدل به یک تجربه فاج��ه‌آمیز روحی-اخلاقی می‌شود از آن رو که روشنش می سازد که حقیقت و کمال دسترس ناپذیرند، زیرا هر شناختی به شیوه و توان تفکر ما وابسته است. این شوک او را از پا در می آورد، می نویسد: یگانه هدف من، آن هدف والایم فروپاشیده است و من دیگر هیچ مقصودی ندارم."
اما فاوست راه دیگری را انتخاب می کند. شاید عقلی که از دادگاه نقادی عقل محض کانت بیرون آمده امکانات دیگری را به جز ناامیدی و خودویرانگری پیش چشم ما قرار دهد. گوته که در پایان، همزمان با کار بر روی تراژدی فاوست، به مطالعه آثار کانت نیز مشغول بود، به نقل از آکرمن چنین نوشته: "کانت خدمت بی چون و چرایی به ما کرده؛ با کشیدن مرزهایی که قوای عقلانی انسانی فراسوی آن توان نفوذ ندارد و مسائل غیرقابل حل را به حال خود واگذاشتن." اری، این ناامیدی از پیوسته بالاتر رفتن برای چیدن ستاره حقیقت در دل تاریک آسمان آن چنان هم بی ثمر نبود. در نهایت انسان پس از قرن ها مجادلات بی پایان، طعم خوش رهایی را چشید. رهایی از تمام مسائلی که عقل را به خود مشغول داشتند بی آنکه پاسخ به آن ها ثمره ای برای زندگی انسان داشته باشد. پس از نقادی و بر سرجای خود نشستن عقل، جا برای ایمان، برای آزادی، برای اراده باز می شود. شاید که شناخت ما واقعیت جهان را چنان که در خود است در نیابد، اما ما هنوز انسان هایی هستیم صاحب اراده و جهان پیرامون در برابر انچه انجام می دهیم و اراده می کنیم، خاموش نیست. چنانکه فیشته نیز در کتابش، مقصود انسان، از امید های تازه در پس این ناامیدی و روزی نو در پس این تاریکی سخن می گوید:
"تنها با پرورش اساسی اراده من است که نوری تازه در درون من راجع به وجود و مقصودم آغاز به پرتو افشانی می کند. بدون آن، هرچند هم که نظر پردازی کنم و از هر استعداد ذهنی نادری هم که برخوردار باشم باز هم تاریکی همچنان مرا و اطرافم ر�� دربرمی‌گیرد. تنها پرورش دل به خردمندی حقیقی رهنمون می‌شود. بهل تا تمام زندگانی من بی وقفه وقف این مقصود شود!
تراژدی فاست سیر ادیسه وار روح مدرن از ناامیدی، که روحِ در طلبِ حقیقت را در خود مچاله می کرد، به ایده آزادی است. راه آزادی، هر چند که بسیار پرخطر است و دشوار و چه بسا که انسان در رسیدن به آن بارها به خطا رود، که آنکه در حال عمل است از خطا مصون نیست، اما چه باک که تنها ارمانی است و تنها آرزویی که می تواند جان ناآرام فاوست را لحظه ای چند آرام کند. خوشا غلغله و تلاش و تکاپوی بی وقفه برای رسیدن به ازادی چرا که تنها تلاش بی پایان برای چنین مقصودی است که به زندگی ارزش زیستن می بخشد. ازادی را جز برای آزادی خواستن، جز گرفتاری در اسارات های تازه نیست. و من نیز همچون فاوست که در آخرین لحظات عمرش اعتراف کرد، "دوست دارم در سرزمین ازاد با ملتی آزاد شاهد چنین غلغله و غوغایی باشم. در آن صورت می شد که به لحظه بگویم بمان که تو زیبایی..."
فاوستِ گوته، شاید که دقیق ترین روایت از تجربه مدرنیته باشد، هنگامه ای که وجدان اروپایی، بر آستانه ایستاده بود و جهانی نو انتظارش را می کشید. اما فاوست که بود؟ فاوست، شخصیتی متعلق به قرن ۱۵ ام که به گواه تاریخ، سرآمد آن دوران بوده است در فلسفه، الهیات و پزشکی. بر ضد جزم گرایی کلیسا می شورد و به رابطه با شیاطین متهم می شود. اما تمام این ها فاوست را با ما معاصر نمی سازد و نمی تواند پاسخی باشد به پرسش فاوست کیست؟ فاوستی که همچنان به زندگی در کنار ما و در ما ادامه می دهد، نه متعلق به گذشته ای دور و فراموش شده و از دست رفته.
در پاسخ به پرسش اخیر، گوته، فاوست را در قامت انسانی نقش می زند خسته و دل بریده از همه چیزِ این جهانی و ناامید از هرچه آن جهانی. فاوست در آغازِ تراژدی چنین ناله سر می دهد:
وه که فلسفه حقوق و پزشکی _و هیهات که الهیات را هم_ تا آخر خوانده‌ام ولی از همه‌ی این تلاش سوزانم طرفی جز این نبسته ام منِ بی نوای ابله که در این کنج نشسته‌ام و سر سوزنی داناتر از آن نیستم که پیش‌تر بودم.
در پرده ای دیگر از نمایشنامه، شیطان (مفیستوفلس) با خدا شرطی می بندد که فاوست را، این بنده ای که یک اکنون در راه خدمت به خدایش برخطاست، برای همیشه به سبیل ظلالت بکشاند. مفیستوفلس به زمین می رود تا فاوست را، کسی که نان و آبش در زمین یافت نمی شود، بلکه جوشش شراب جانش او را به دور دست ها می کشاند، به راه خود بکشاند. در همین حال، فاوست، ناامید از همه چیز، قصد گرفتن جان خود را دارد. اما پشیمان می شود با شنیدن سرود عید پاک که به یگانگی ای تازه یقین می دهد. پس از این روز خجسته، مفیستوفلس بر فاوست ظاهر می شود و با او شرط و قرارداد دیگری می بندد که اگر او توانست آرامش و یگانگی و رضایت برای جان فاوست، با خدمت رسانی به او و بجا آوردن هر آنچه که فاوست می خواهد را، به ارمغان بیاورد و درد استسقای فاوست را لحظه ای چند ارام کند چنان که فاوست به لحظه بگوید: هان! تو بمان که دلنشینی، در این هنگام، مفیستوفلس مختار است که او را به زنجیر بکشد. در آن صورت چه بهتر که زمان از حرکت باایستد و روز عمر فاوست به آخر برسد.
آنچه در نگاه اول، شاید برای ما غیرقابل درک باشد، ناامیدی عمیق فاوست از به چنگ آوردن حقیقت و گشودن راز سر به مهر هستی است. یک ناامیدی عمیق که حتی به نابودی خویشتن حکم می دهد. هر چند که این ناامیدی در جهان و هرچه در آن است برای ما نیز رخ داده اما دلخوشی آن جهان، انجا که مقصود و غایتِ تمام امید های ماست، جانمان را ارام کرده. ما راحت و آسوده نسیه را به نقد ترجیح داده ایم به همین علت شاید از عمق ناامیدی فاوست شناختی نیابیم و ناامیدی او، همدلی ما را برنیانگیزد چرا چنان که خود او، هنگام عقد قرارداد با مفیستوفلس نیز می گوید:
"آن جهان چندان غم من نیست. تو اول بزن بنای این جهان را از بیخ و بن بربینداز و بعد اگر آن جهان خواست بگو به ساحت هستی دراید. شادی های من از چشمه‌ی همین خاک است که بر می جوشد و همین خورشید است که بر غم و رنج من می تابد."
می توان پرسید چنین ناامیدی عمیقی از کجا ریشه می‌گیرد؟ این ناامیدی که جان را وا می دارد که نبودن را بر بودن ترجیح دهد؟ ریشه‌ی این ناامیدی را، که ناامیدی از حقیقت است، می توانیم در متافیزیک، این ملکه همه علوم، یا به قول کانت عرصه منازعات بی پایان جستجو کنیم. منازعاتی که کانت در پیشگفتار بر ویراست نخست اثر سترگش، نقادی عقل محض، چنین توصیفش می کند:
"در ابتدا سروری متافیزیک تحت سیطره جزم اندیشان مستبدانه بود اما چون قوانین اش کماکان نشانه هایی از توحش دوران باستان را در خود داشت، حکومت اش به واسطه جنگ های داخلی به تدریج به ورطه هرج و مرج کامل سقوط کرد. و در این میان شکاکان همچون کوچ نشینان، که از کشت و زرع دائم زمین متنفرند، گاه و بی گاه اتحاد شهرنشینان را به هم می زدند."
کانت سرانجام این منازعات بی پایان، متافیزیک را، چنین روایت می کند:
"حال بعد از آنکه همه راهها بدون هیچ دستاوردی آزموده شده اند خستگی و بی اعتنائی کامل که مادرِ هرج و مرج و ابهام است بر تمام علوم حاکم است."
کانت که قصد داشت انضباط را به این آشوب و هرج و مرج با برپا کردن دادگاهی به منظور نقادی عقل محض برگرداند، به نتایجی رسید که برای بسیاری از جان ها دهشتناک بود. او مرزی کشید میان جهان نومن و فنومن، جهان چنان که در خود است_ جهانی که شناخت ما را بدان راهی نیست_ و جهان چنان که برای ما پدیدار می شود و این نکته را در بخش مسائل جدلی الطرفین نقادی عقل محض ثابت کرد که عقل هیچ گاه نخواهد تواستن به حقیقتِ ازلی یا حادث بودن جهان، بسیط یا مرکب بودن آن، آزادی یا اختیار، بقای نفس و وجود واجب‌الوجود پی بردن؛ چرا که عقل هر گاه بیرون از مرزهای تجربه دست به تقلا و کوشش زند، خودش را در نهایت، گرفتار تناقضات بی شمار می بیند.
برای وجدان فاوست، یا هر آنکه چنین بی پناه و بی کس در تاریکی و ظلمت این جهان رها شده، در برابر چنین نتایجِ دلهره آوری، یک راه خودکشی است. راهی که فاوست ناتمام گذاشت و هاینریش فون کلایست نویسنده و ادیب آلمانی به پایانش برد. توماس مان، در مقاله ای درباره کلایست و آثارش این پایان را چنین توضیح می دهد:
"تجربه مطالعه کانت برای او به شوک و شکستی هراس‌انگیز می‌انجامد و بدل به یک تجربه فاج��ه‌آمیز روحی-اخلاقی می‌شود از آن رو که روشنش می سازد که حقیقت و کمال دسترس ناپذیرند، زیرا هر شناختی به شیوه و توان تفکر ما وابسته است. این شوک او را از پا در می آورد، می نویسد: یگانه هدف من، آن هدف والایم فروپاشیده است و من دیگر هیچ مقصودی ندارم."
اما فاوست راه دیگری را انتخاب می کند. شاید عقلی که از دادگاه نقادی عقل محض کانت بیرون آمده امکانات دیگری را به جز ناامیدی و خودویرانگری پیش چشم ما قرار دهد. گوته که در پایان، همزمان با کار بر روی تراژدی فاوست، به مطالعه آثار کانت نیز مشغول بود، به نقل از آکرمن چنین نوشته: "کانت خدمت بی چون و چرایی به ما کرده؛ با کشیدن مرزهایی که قوای عقلانی انسانی فراسوی آن توان نفوذ ندارد و مسائل غیرقابل حل را به حال خود واگذاشتن." اری، این ناامیدی از پیوسته بالاتر رفتن برای چیدن ستاره حقیقت در دل تاریک آسمان آن چنان هم بی ثمر نبود. در نهایت انسان پس از قرن ها مجادلات بی پایان، طعم خوش رهایی را چشید. رهایی از تمام مسائلی که عقل را به خود مشغول داشتند بی آنکه پاسخ به آن ها ثمره ای برای زندگی انسان داشته باشد. پس از نقادی و بر سرجای خود نشستن عقل، جا برای ایمان، برای آزادی، برای اراده باز می شود. شاید که شناخت ما واقعیت جهان را چنان که در خود است در نیابد، اما ما هنوز انسان هایی هستیم صاحب اراده و جهان پیرامون در برابر انچه انجام می دهیم و اراده می کنیم، خاموش نیست. چنانکه فیشته نیز در کتابش، مقصود انسان، از امید های تازه در پس این ناامیدی و روزی نو در پس این تاریکی سخن می گوید:
"تنها با پرورش اساسی اراده من است که نوری تازه در درون من راجع به وجود و مقصودم آغاز به پرتو افشانی می کند. بدون آن، هرچند هم که نظر پردازی کنم و از هر استعداد ذهنی نادری هم که برخوردار باشم باز هم تاریکی همچنان مرا و اطرافم ر�� دربرمی‌گیرد. تنها پرورش دل به خردمندی حقیقی رهنمون می‌شود. بهل تا تمام زندگانی من بی وقفه وقف این مقصود شود!
تراژدی فاست سیر ادیسه وار روح مدرن از ناامیدی، که روحِ در طلبِ حقیقت را در خود مچاله می کرد، به ایده آزادی است. راه آزادی، هر چند که بسیار پرخطر است و دشوار و چه بسا که انسان در رسیدن به آن بارها به خطا رود، که آنکه در حال عمل است از خطا مصون نیست، اما چه باک که تنها ارمانی است و تنها آرزویی که می تواند جان ناآرام فاوست را لحظه ای چند آرام کند. خوشا غلغله و تلاش و تکاپوی بی وقفه برای رسیدن به ازادی چرا که تنها تلاش بی پایان برای چنین مقصودی است که به زندگی ارزش زیستن می بخشد. ازادی را جز برای آزادی خواستن، جز گرفتاری در اسارات های تازه نیست. و من نیز همچون فاوست که در آخرین لحظات عمرش اعتراف کرد، "دوست دارم در سرزمین ازاد با ملتی آزاد شاهد چنین غلغله و غوغایی باشم. در آن صورت می شد که به لحظه بگویم بمان که تو زیبایی..."
January 16, 2019
This is one wacky read made up of inter-locking sketches told in narrative verse. The story in Part 1 sits in the shadows, in this part there are many new story threads along with numerous characters. Mephistopheles has most of the limelight and the best lines; his sardonic tones turn this into a light and frothy read. This is a fun play, that is as long as you don’t spend too much time trying to make sense of the many interlocking sketches with its sprawling, jumbled ideas that are not always clear where it’s all going. It’s very different in structure from part one, and aside from Act 3, Faust is a minor character with an important part.
Act 3 can stand on its own as playlet. It’s set after the Trojan war. Faust besotted with Helen of Troy, saves her from the sacrifice Menelaus had planned for her. In love with her, he marries her, finds happiness and they have a child, so years pass. The child grown into a young man who is fearless but in his bravado, he falls off a mountain edge and dies, Helen in grief disappears to Hades to be with her son, leaving Faust clutching to bodiless clothes. Faust is grieving in Act 4, but not for long as Mephistopheles finds off-setting a chain of events that are as random and coherent as a painting fused with Picasso and Dali’s style. The play ends tying it to the main theme of Part 1.
Act 3 can stand on its own as playlet. It’s set after the Trojan war. Faust besotted with Helen of Troy, saves her from the sacrifice Menelaus had planned for her. In love with her, he marries her, finds happiness and they have a child, so years pass. The child grown into a young man who is fearless but in his bravado, he falls off a mountain edge and dies, Helen in grief disappears to Hades to be with her son, leaving Faust clutching to bodiless clothes. Faust is grieving in Act 4, but not for long as Mephistopheles finds off-setting a chain of events that are as random and coherent as a painting fused with Picasso and Dali’s style. The play ends tying it to the main theme of Part 1.
This is my second 
📕
of the year, my goal is 20 where I'm just reading, not making notes or looking things up.
It was close, I had to stop myself from looking at the notes / reading essay. I am curious to know why this part differs so much from Part 1, so I can see myself reading this again.
With 1 chill down I have 19 to go :)
October 19, 2020
عالی بود این کتاب،از جلد اول بیشتر دوستش داشتم با اینکه سخت خوان تر بود.
پیشنهاد میکنم با ترجمه ی حدادی خونده بشه و بهتر اینکه حداقل جلد دوم رو از نسخه ی چاپی استفاده کنید چون لازمه به پی نوشت ها و مقاله های آخر کتاب راحت دسترسی داشته باشید بدون اونا ممکنه هیچی از کتاب متوجه نشید.
پیشنهاد میکنم با ترجمه ی حدادی خونده بشه و بهتر اینکه حداقل جلد دوم رو از نسخه ی چاپی استفاده کنید چون لازمه به پی نوشت ها و مقاله های آخر کتاب راحت دسترسی داشته باشید بدون اونا ممکنه هیچی از کتاب متوجه نشید.
April 6, 2018
the perfect sequel doesn't exi...
ok, after rereading I&II back to back this week, I kinda feel like sharing some thoughts:
this is so masterfully done; even tho on the surface level both parts couldnt be more different from one another, the structure perfectly mirrors the first part, almost like a distorted mirror-image, or a musical composition with themes and variations; not only regarding the big story elements but also rly subtle small parts (just one of many examples; where Gretchen asks the 'Mater Dolorosa' in Faust 1:
Ach neige / Du Schmerzensreiche / Dein Antlitz gnädig meiner Not!
-- in Faust 2 she greets the 'Mater Gloriosa' with:
Neige neige / Du Ohnegleiche / Du Strahlenreiche / Dein Antlitz gnädig meinem Glück! etc.)
While in Faust I most of the more metaphysical and philosophical themes are delivered through dialogue, Faust II makes intensive use of allegories; ideas are acted out rather than stated. The ideas beeing so rich, that I'm almost tempted to call Goethes biography and his complete oeuvre merely a footnote to Faust (I+II).
So in the first part Faust wants to know what binds the world together (was die Welt / im innersten zusammenhält), tragedy ensues but after a short slumber Faust awakes again and continues his quest to strive for the highest beeing (Zum höchsten Dasein immerfort zu streben) throwing himself into a series of weird allegorical adventures with Mephisto, only to learn at the end that neither money, pleasure, power, success nor fame can give lasting happiness and that even tho beauty and art/poetry can (in this case even quite literally) transport us to 'Arcady', they are fragile and fleeting, and will only be able to glow for a short time before crashing to the ground and dying/vanishing (as we learn in the rather hilarious Helena/Euphorion passage), -- What binds the world is das Ewig-Weibliche (the embodiment of eternal, all-pervading Love)
Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Füßen
Auf tiefem Abgrund lastend ruht,
Wie tausend Bäche strahlend fließen
Zum grausen Sturz des Schaums der Fluth,
Wie strack, mit eignem kräftigen Triebe,
Der Stamm sich in die Lüfte trägt:
So ist es die allmächtige Liebe
Die alles bildet, alles hegt.
Besides all the big themes etc. for me its also esp. the more subtle, tongue-in-cheek bits (for example; fear and hope chained to the elphant--the Plutus/Poetry bit--the king/bishop bit--Guilt/Lack&Need beeing denied entrance--Mephisto bringing the 3 companions of war to Fausts proto-industrial operation etc.pp.) that makes this such a pleasure to read and reread
ok, after rereading I&II back to back this week, I kinda feel like sharing some thoughts:
this is so masterfully done; even tho on the surface level both parts couldnt be more different from one another, the structure perfectly mirrors the first part, almost like a distorted mirror-image, or a musical composition with themes and variations; not only regarding the big story elements but also rly subtle small parts (just one of many examples; where Gretchen asks the 'Mater Dolorosa' in Faust 1:
Ach neige / Du Schmerzensreiche / Dein Antlitz gnädig meiner Not!
-- in Faust 2 she greets the 'Mater Gloriosa' with:
Neige neige / Du Ohnegleiche / Du Strahlenreiche / Dein Antlitz gnädig meinem Glück! etc.)
While in Faust I most of the more metaphysical and philosophical themes are delivered through dialogue, Faust II makes intensive use of allegories; ideas are acted out rather than stated. The ideas beeing so rich, that I'm almost tempted to call Goethes biography and his complete oeuvre merely a footnote to Faust (I+II).
So in the first part Faust wants to know what binds the world together (was die Welt / im innersten zusammenhält), tragedy ensues but after a short slumber Faust awakes again and continues his quest to strive for the highest beeing (Zum höchsten Dasein immerfort zu streben) throwing himself into a series of weird allegorical adventures with Mephisto, only to learn at the end that neither money, pleasure, power, success nor fame can give lasting happiness and that even tho beauty and art/poetry can (in this case even quite literally) transport us to 'Arcady', they are fragile and fleeting, and will only be able to glow for a short time before crashing to the ground and dying/vanishing (as we learn in the rather hilarious Helena/Euphorion passage), -- What binds the world is das Ewig-Weibliche (the embodiment of eternal, all-pervading Love)
Wie Felsenabgrund mir zu Füßen
Auf tiefem Abgrund lastend ruht,
Wie tausend Bäche strahlend fließen
Zum grausen Sturz des Schaums der Fluth,
Wie strack, mit eignem kräftigen Triebe,
Der Stamm sich in die Lüfte trägt:
So ist es die allmächtige Liebe
Die alles bildet, alles hegt.
Besides all the big themes etc. for me its also esp. the more subtle, tongue-in-cheek bits (for example; fear and hope chained to the elphant--the Plutus/Poetry bit--the king/bishop bit--Guilt/Lack&Need beeing denied entrance--Mephisto bringing the 3 companions of war to Fausts proto-industrial operation etc.pp.) that makes this such a pleasure to read and reread
June 7, 2022
فاوست - بخش دوم
بخش دوم این داستان پر از اشاره به داستان های خدایان اساطیر، الهه هاو دنیای باستانه. چیزی که من نه مطالعه چندانی روش داشتم و نه خیلی ازش سر در میاردم اگر به خاطر پیوست های انتهای کتاب نبود. اما جذاب ترین بخش این نمایش نامه برای من پرده پنجم بود. جایی که با فاوست پیر و نابینا رو به رو میشیم. سال ها از شرطی که با مفیستو بسته میگذره. بعد از اون شرط: «اگر من به لحظه گفتم هان، بمان که دلنشینی در آن صورت مختاری که به زنجیرم بکشی». بعد از سال ها ارائه لذت های دنیایی به فاوست، مفیستو هنوز نتونسته مچ فاوست رو در حال لذت بردن از یه لحظه بگیره. لذت هایی که مفیستو به فاوست پیشنهاد میده صرفن جسمانی نیستن. هر بار این لذت ها یه مرحله بالاتر میرن مثل تولید اسکناس، مثل زمین داری…
در نهایت، در این آخرین پردست که وقتی فاوست، ملاک پیر و نابینا صدای “قیچ و قاچ” کارگرانی رو میشنوه که دارن قبر خود فاوست رو آماده میکنن، به اشتباه فکر میکنه این توده غلامان، با دل و جان برای اونه که کار میکنن. کمر به آبادی املاک اونه که بستن. لجنزارها رو برای فاوست خشکوندن و همین کارها در نهایت زمین های فاوست رو مبدل به محلی میکنه که انبوه آدم ها توش زندگی میکنن. فاوست که توی خیالش یک لحظه این آینده رو مجسم میکنه، آینده ای که بنای این “قوم شجاع و کوشا” در محل زمین های اون و به واسطه کارهای اون پی ریزی میشه همینجا عنان از کف میده و میگه: «در این صورت میشد که به لحظه بگویم بمان، که تو زیبایی. نشان زندگی من بر خاک یقین که دیگر در باد گم نمیشود. در پیش احساس چنین کامیابی کاملی برای من از لذت این لحظه، لحظه غایت کمال سرشارم.» پس لحظه غایت برای فاوست از سازندگی میاد!
چقدر از خوندن این بخش نمایش لذت بردم :)
لازم به ذکره که بنده هنوز نفهمیدم چرا این نمایش نامه شده تراژدی و نه کمدی؟ روح فاوست که تهش آمرزیده شد، نشد؟
لینکی که پیوست این نوشته هست بخشی از نقاشی های دلاکروا هست از فاوست گوته که گالری هنر انتاریو به نمایش گذاشته بود و من از شانسم همون هفته ای که کتاب رو تموم کردم پوسترش رو دیدم و رفتم :). متاسفانه به خاطر قوانین کپی رایت فقط میتونم ین لینکو بزارم از چند تا از نقاشیا:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
بخش دوم این داستان پر از اشاره به داستان های خدایان اساطیر، الهه هاو دنیای باستانه. چیزی که من نه مطالعه چندانی روش داشتم و نه خیلی ازش سر در میاردم اگر به خاطر پیوست های انتهای کتاب نبود. اما جذاب ترین بخش این نمایش نامه برای من پرده پنجم بود. جایی که با فاوست پیر و نابینا رو به رو میشیم. سال ها از شرطی که با مفیستو بسته میگذره. بعد از اون شرط: «اگر من به لحظه گفتم هان، بمان که دلنشینی در آن صورت مختاری که به زنجیرم بکشی». بعد از سال ها ارائه لذت های دنیایی به فاوست، مفیستو هنوز نتونسته مچ فاوست رو در حال لذت بردن از یه لحظه بگیره. لذت هایی که مفیستو به فاوست پیشنهاد میده صرفن جسمانی نیستن. هر بار این لذت ها یه مرحله بالاتر میرن مثل تولید اسکناس، مثل زمین داری…
در نهایت، در این آخرین پردست که وقتی فاوست، ملاک پیر و نابینا صدای “قیچ و قاچ” کارگرانی رو میشنوه که دارن قبر خود فاوست رو آماده میکنن، به اشتباه فکر میکنه این توده غلامان، با دل و جان برای اونه که کار میکنن. کمر به آبادی املاک اونه که بستن. لجنزارها رو برای فاوست خشکوندن و همین کارها در نهایت زمین های فاوست رو مبدل به محلی میکنه که انبوه آدم ها توش زندگی میکنن. فاوست که توی خیالش یک لحظه این آینده رو مجسم میکنه، آینده ای که بنای این “قوم شجاع و کوشا” در محل زمین های اون و به واسطه کارهای اون پی ریزی میشه همینجا عنان از کف میده و میگه: «در این صورت میشد که به لحظه بگویم بمان، که تو زیبایی. نشان زندگی من بر خاک یقین که دیگر در باد گم نمیشود. در پیش احساس چنین کامیابی کاملی برای من از لذت این لحظه، لحظه غایت کمال سرشارم.» پس لحظه غایت برای فاوست از سازندگی میاد!
چقدر از خوندن این بخش نمایش لذت بردم :)
لازم به ذکره که بنده هنوز نفهمیدم چرا این نمایش نامه شده تراژدی و نه کمدی؟ روح فاوست که تهش آمرزیده شد، نشد؟
لینکی که پیوست این نوشته هست بخشی از نقاشی های دلاکروا هست از فاوست گوته که گالری هنر انتاریو به نمایش گذاشته بود و من از شانسم همون هفته ای که کتاب رو تموم کردم پوسترش رو دیدم و رفتم :). متاسفانه به خاطر قوانین کپی رایت فقط میتونم ین لینکو بزارم از چند تا از نقاشیا:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
September 12, 2024
"Faust II" is the second half of Goethe's famous play, but it itself is not as famous. Though it provides the conclusion of the eponymous character's story arc, it is often skipped during stage production, and when the play was taught to me in high school, we didn't read Part Two. Even my friends who think Goethe is a genius have told me that Part Two shouldn't exist. Could an entire half of one of the greatest works of literature, something that took Goethe his entire lifetime to complete, actually be that bad?
I would say that Part One is certainly the foundation for the modern play, whereas this section is a lot harder to digest, coming across as mere disjointed tableaux and philosophical pagentry.
After the tragic climax of Part One, Faust wakes up in a pleasant field and seems to have no memory of his affair with Gretchen. Next thing we know, he and Mephistopheles are entertaining an incompetent emperor and his court with no explanation. For a long while, events don't seem to have anything to do with the compelling drama of the first part. We've got talking flowers, and Faust running around disguised as Plutus, and Mephistopheles inventing paper money, and all kinds of silly song and dance, making many readers wonder just what the hell is going on here.
The most recognizable scene from Part Two is likely when Faust enters the realm of "Eternal Mothers", symbolizing the constant creative force behind life, and brings back the shades of Helen and Paris to delight the Emperor. It is interesting that this is the first act he has done independently since he got involved with the Devil. In Part One, Mephistopheles refers to himself as the "negater," who has ended many lives, but as many as he kills, more are born. Faust hilariously asked him why he doesn't then try to do something else, pointing out the absurdity of the Devil's mission. Creation has already happened and Nature is an unstoppable force, but the Devil keeps trying to negate God's work in vain. Therefore, it is likely Faust is able to act more of his own accord in Part Two, because the Mothers represents this vital creative force of Nature, a primal realm in which the Devil has no authority or power.
After this scene, much of the play involves Faust searching for Helen, and eventually marrying her, because he has fallen in love with her ideal. It's a grand romance, far more epic in scale than Part One, involving all manner of monsters, demi-gods, and characters from classical mythology which represent psychological archetypes. I don't know how Goethe expected this ambitious play to be staged, since there seems to be a constant requirement for special effects and a huge cast for portrayals of countless personages, both humanoid and inhuman. There's explosions and earthquakes. There are centaurs, griffins, sphinxes, giant ants, hippocampi, and sea dragons. The god Proteus appears as a giant sea turtle before transforming into a noble and then into a dolphin. Characters ride atop sea-bulls and sea-rams--whatever they are. People burst into flames and disappear. There's even a little glowing homunculus floating around in a glass jar. It is quite chaotic and surreal. Overall, Part Two is much harder to understand than the first, and is also longer, so I understand why it might turn some readers off.
For me, however, this is where the play transforms from a memorable morality tale to one of the most quoted works of art in philosophy. The first part does not complete Goethe's arc for Faust. If experienced alone, you might assume that after Faust screws over Gretchen, he screws up his life, and ends up screwed in hell--which does not offer much new that we haven't seen before. As I hinted at in my review of Part One, I think what makes this play compelling is that Goethe's vision of Faust is so different from the traditional folklore regarding the character, as seen in the Marlowe version. Typically, the story of Dr. Faustus is a moral warning against hubris, and he gets his just punishment for dabbling in sorcery. Here, Faust is a sympathetic character, a good man who does not understand contentment for all his knowledge and skills. He is the embodiment of the Age of Enlightenment, and this play is a eulogy to the Enlightenment and a herald for the age of Modernity. As Nietzche has said, Socrates stood at the beginning of Enlightenment, seeing knowledge and truth as a promise, while Goethe's Faust is at rationality's exhausted end. For Faust, Enlightenment is a failed promise, with every new knowledge simply overturning what you thought you knew before, leaving the seeker stranded in an abyss of absurdity with no shore in sight. This is what makes him vulnerable to corruption by Satan.
But here's the most important concept from Part One that gets explained in Part Two. Spoiler ahead! Faust doesn't outright sell his soul to the devil like in other versions of the story. He makes a wager that Mephistopheles can have his soul IF Faust ever grows so tired of the absurdity of the neverending quest for knowledge that he gives up. In the end, Faust is saved. Why?Because Goethe is saying that we are not fools for wanting to learn more about ourselves and our world. It is what we do with that knowledge. Seeking vain pleasures and novel experiences misses the mark, but learning from our mistakes and pain and previous misconceptions and prejudices to better ourselves is a whole different kettle of fish. It's not enough to cram your brain with erudite references; it's how this knowledge transforms you from within. That's where wisdom emerges. Such is the ultimate way to serve God, because striving is part of human nature, so for God to bless humanity, God must bless such striving. You don't fully understand this until you've read Part Two.
And it is this second part that makes the entirety of "Faust" one of Goethe's most important achievements and a milestone in European thought, if not the book that red-pilled the entirety of Western civilization. Goethe chose to have Part Two inundated with figures of classical poets and characters because he was trying to depict how the evolution of art reflects the evolution of the human spirit. Perhaps not so ironically, "Faust" is a major step in the evolution of literature and of the world zeitgeist. He took one of the tenants of old school Christianity from one of the oldest books of the Bible (the Book of Job) and turned it on its head to give us an answer to the apparent absurdity of the modern era. It certainly deserves its place as one of the greatest works of poetry and fantasy ever written.
SCORE: While most readers will find Part One more accessible, I rated it a 4 out of 5. Part Two, while feeling more like a hallucinatory absence seizure, cements Goethe's life work as a philosophical and artistic masterpiece, and thus deserves the full 5 out of 5. It should certainly NEVER be skipped!
WORD OF THE DAY: Cohobate
SUGGESTED MUSICAL PAIRING: "Mephisto" by Depeche Mode
I would say that Part One is certainly the foundation for the modern play, whereas this section is a lot harder to digest, coming across as mere disjointed tableaux and philosophical pagentry.
After the tragic climax of Part One, Faust wakes up in a pleasant field and seems to have no memory of his affair with Gretchen. Next thing we know, he and Mephistopheles are entertaining an incompetent emperor and his court with no explanation. For a long while, events don't seem to have anything to do with the compelling drama of the first part. We've got talking flowers, and Faust running around disguised as Plutus, and Mephistopheles inventing paper money, and all kinds of silly song and dance, making many readers wonder just what the hell is going on here.
The most recognizable scene from Part Two is likely when Faust enters the realm of "Eternal Mothers", symbolizing the constant creative force behind life, and brings back the shades of Helen and Paris to delight the Emperor. It is interesting that this is the first act he has done independently since he got involved with the Devil. In Part One, Mephistopheles refers to himself as the "negater," who has ended many lives, but as many as he kills, more are born. Faust hilariously asked him why he doesn't then try to do something else, pointing out the absurdity of the Devil's mission. Creation has already happened and Nature is an unstoppable force, but the Devil keeps trying to negate God's work in vain. Therefore, it is likely Faust is able to act more of his own accord in Part Two, because the Mothers represents this vital creative force of Nature, a primal realm in which the Devil has no authority or power.
After this scene, much of the play involves Faust searching for Helen, and eventually marrying her, because he has fallen in love with her ideal. It's a grand romance, far more epic in scale than Part One, involving all manner of monsters, demi-gods, and characters from classical mythology which represent psychological archetypes. I don't know how Goethe expected this ambitious play to be staged, since there seems to be a constant requirement for special effects and a huge cast for portrayals of countless personages, both humanoid and inhuman. There's explosions and earthquakes. There are centaurs, griffins, sphinxes, giant ants, hippocampi, and sea dragons. The god Proteus appears as a giant sea turtle before transforming into a noble and then into a dolphin. Characters ride atop sea-bulls and sea-rams--whatever they are. People burst into flames and disappear. There's even a little glowing homunculus floating around in a glass jar. It is quite chaotic and surreal. Overall, Part Two is much harder to understand than the first, and is also longer, so I understand why it might turn some readers off.
For me, however, this is where the play transforms from a memorable morality tale to one of the most quoted works of art in philosophy. The first part does not complete Goethe's arc for Faust. If experienced alone, you might assume that after Faust screws over Gretchen, he screws up his life, and ends up screwed in hell--which does not offer much new that we haven't seen before. As I hinted at in my review of Part One, I think what makes this play compelling is that Goethe's vision of Faust is so different from the traditional folklore regarding the character, as seen in the Marlowe version. Typically, the story of Dr. Faustus is a moral warning against hubris, and he gets his just punishment for dabbling in sorcery. Here, Faust is a sympathetic character, a good man who does not understand contentment for all his knowledge and skills. He is the embodiment of the Age of Enlightenment, and this play is a eulogy to the Enlightenment and a herald for the age of Modernity. As Nietzche has said, Socrates stood at the beginning of Enlightenment, seeing knowledge and truth as a promise, while Goethe's Faust is at rationality's exhausted end. For Faust, Enlightenment is a failed promise, with every new knowledge simply overturning what you thought you knew before, leaving the seeker stranded in an abyss of absurdity with no shore in sight. This is what makes him vulnerable to corruption by Satan.
But here's the most important concept from Part One that gets explained in Part Two. Spoiler ahead! Faust doesn't outright sell his soul to the devil like in other versions of the story. He makes a wager that Mephistopheles can have his soul IF Faust ever grows so tired of the absurdity of the neverending quest for knowledge that he gives up. In the end, Faust is saved. Why?Because Goethe is saying that we are not fools for wanting to learn more about ourselves and our world. It is what we do with that knowledge. Seeking vain pleasures and novel experiences misses the mark, but learning from our mistakes and pain and previous misconceptions and prejudices to better ourselves is a whole different kettle of fish. It's not enough to cram your brain with erudite references; it's how this knowledge transforms you from within. That's where wisdom emerges. Such is the ultimate way to serve God, because striving is part of human nature, so for God to bless humanity, God must bless such striving. You don't fully understand this until you've read Part Two.
And it is this second part that makes the entirety of "Faust" one of Goethe's most important achievements and a milestone in European thought, if not the book that red-pilled the entirety of Western civilization. Goethe chose to have Part Two inundated with figures of classical poets and characters because he was trying to depict how the evolution of art reflects the evolution of the human spirit. Perhaps not so ironically, "Faust" is a major step in the evolution of literature and of the world zeitgeist. He took one of the tenants of old school Christianity from one of the oldest books of the Bible (the Book of Job) and turned it on its head to give us an answer to the apparent absurdity of the modern era. It certainly deserves its place as one of the greatest works of poetry and fantasy ever written.
SCORE: While most readers will find Part One more accessible, I rated it a 4 out of 5. Part Two, while feeling more like a hallucinatory absence seizure, cements Goethe's life work as a philosophical and artistic masterpiece, and thus deserves the full 5 out of 5. It should certainly NEVER be skipped!
WORD OF THE DAY: Cohobate
SUGGESTED MUSICAL PAIRING: "Mephisto" by Depeche Mode
May 17, 2010
Goethe's "Faust" is arguably the most important milestone in Romantic literature. Taking the famous medieval legend of Dr. Faustus and his pact with the devil, Goethe adapted the tale of old, and transformed it into a great love story, and a probing poetical tract on the nature of good and evil, salvation and damnation, failing and striving, the innate search for truth and lasting fulfilment.
After his tragic love affair with Margareta in Part One, Faust is mystically restored by a band of elvin sprites during a glorious sunrise in the alps in Part Two, and he continues his quest to find that one moment of bliss that his soul cries out for, that one moment that will convince him to cease his constant striving and yearning for activity, which ironically, will seal his fate among the damned according to the agreement he made with Mephistopheles. With his diabolical companion, Faust sets out on new adventures and travels the world, often leaving destuction and confusion in his wake. He enters the employment of the Holy Roman Emperor, providing him with grand magical entertainments and helping him to defend the empire from its enemies. He also travels allegorically through poetic space and time to visit ancient Greece, the land of the legendary Helen of Troy and falls in love again. When this does not last, he attempts to build his own kingdom, and he envisions a future moment when he can see the glory of this kingdom established, a moment he wished would last forever. Does this wish damn Faust for all eternity? Who will win the battle for Faust's soul, the demons or the angels?
In contrast to the clear-cut plot of Part One, Faust Part Two is a confusion of strange allegories and cryptic scenes that can often prove tedious to read, and therefore it is no surprise Goethe's admirers found it difficult to comprehend and appreciate. In fact, not many readers continue on past Part One, and few universities include Part Two for their courses in German drama and literature, which is a pity. This work should not be overlooked. To begin with, it is useful to note that Goethe admitted he intended to incorporate 3000 years of history in this drama, and to one acquaintance he declared that the Faust text was filled with contrasts that would seem like an intriguing story with beautiful imaginative pictures to the general readers, while those who could understand the symbols behind Mozart's Masonic opera, "The Magic Flute", would be able to comprehend the deeper meanings hidden in his allegorical jumbles. Hence, appreciating this work and its dramatic riches requires a daunting amount of presupposed knowledge, not only of this mystic symbolism, theology and philosophy, but also ancient and more modern mythology, literature, drama, science, not to mention world history. As one Goethean scholar once declared, to study Goethe is an education in itself.
David Luke's translation is the most accessible to date, and he provides an informative introduction to get readers started with basic accounts of the historical events that inspired Goethe. There is also a glossary of the classical Greek and mythological figures of history to help the reader find their feet. A map of ancient Greece is included to allow you plot Faust's travels in addition to a chronological timeline displaying when he drafted the various scenes, numerous explanatory footnotes, and sketches of Goethe's early drafts of Part Two. This publication is a great starting point for an introduction, however, the information provided by Luke only scratches the surface of Goethe's text, for instance, the glossary provides information on the Greek legends and myths used in the plot, and it is up to the readers to figure out why Goethe changes many elements, but in all, it is well worth the effort. A great book if you love mulling over poetical conundrums.
E.A. Bucchianeri - author of "Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World"
After his tragic love affair with Margareta in Part One, Faust is mystically restored by a band of elvin sprites during a glorious sunrise in the alps in Part Two, and he continues his quest to find that one moment of bliss that his soul cries out for, that one moment that will convince him to cease his constant striving and yearning for activity, which ironically, will seal his fate among the damned according to the agreement he made with Mephistopheles. With his diabolical companion, Faust sets out on new adventures and travels the world, often leaving destuction and confusion in his wake. He enters the employment of the Holy Roman Emperor, providing him with grand magical entertainments and helping him to defend the empire from its enemies. He also travels allegorically through poetic space and time to visit ancient Greece, the land of the legendary Helen of Troy and falls in love again. When this does not last, he attempts to build his own kingdom, and he envisions a future moment when he can see the glory of this kingdom established, a moment he wished would last forever. Does this wish damn Faust for all eternity? Who will win the battle for Faust's soul, the demons or the angels?
In contrast to the clear-cut plot of Part One, Faust Part Two is a confusion of strange allegories and cryptic scenes that can often prove tedious to read, and therefore it is no surprise Goethe's admirers found it difficult to comprehend and appreciate. In fact, not many readers continue on past Part One, and few universities include Part Two for their courses in German drama and literature, which is a pity. This work should not be overlooked. To begin with, it is useful to note that Goethe admitted he intended to incorporate 3000 years of history in this drama, and to one acquaintance he declared that the Faust text was filled with contrasts that would seem like an intriguing story with beautiful imaginative pictures to the general readers, while those who could understand the symbols behind Mozart's Masonic opera, "The Magic Flute", would be able to comprehend the deeper meanings hidden in his allegorical jumbles. Hence, appreciating this work and its dramatic riches requires a daunting amount of presupposed knowledge, not only of this mystic symbolism, theology and philosophy, but also ancient and more modern mythology, literature, drama, science, not to mention world history. As one Goethean scholar once declared, to study Goethe is an education in itself.
David Luke's translation is the most accessible to date, and he provides an informative introduction to get readers started with basic accounts of the historical events that inspired Goethe. There is also a glossary of the classical Greek and mythological figures of history to help the reader find their feet. A map of ancient Greece is included to allow you plot Faust's travels in addition to a chronological timeline displaying when he drafted the various scenes, numerous explanatory footnotes, and sketches of Goethe's early drafts of Part Two. This publication is a great starting point for an introduction, however, the information provided by Luke only scratches the surface of Goethe's text, for instance, the glossary provides information on the Greek legends and myths used in the plot, and it is up to the readers to figure out why Goethe changes many elements, but in all, it is well worth the effort. A great book if you love mulling over poetical conundrums.
E.A. Bucchianeri - author of "Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World"
August 1, 2019
what the fuck just happened
April 3, 2017
Part II is as strange and anomalous as everyone makes it out to be, yet it inexplicably provides a logical continuation of the major themes of the first part with emphasis on the macro rather than the micro. In the Walpurgis Night of Part I Faust is distracted by a Medusa creature who resembles his beloved Gretchen, and Mephistopheles pulls him away, remarking “Each thinks her his sweetheart.” And then in Part II he develops obsession for Helen of Troy (as the personification of beauty itself), which is perfectly alluded to by the line above in the other work. In Part I the running motif of debts is one on one (e.g. Faust’s debt to Mephistopheles), and in Part II it shows up as debts of kingdoms and economies.
The style itself is also subject to this shift to the macro, and in part embodies the massive departure from Part I. The writing in Part I is very interior and psychological, whereas in Part II all this is externalized in metaphor and symbolism, to where things like terrain become important. That accounts for how strange and dense people find Part II, and also just how lush and gorgeous the poetry is. Throughout the work Goethe uses different types of verse to reflect what’s happening or give subtle thematic hints. Change, transformation, healing, and redemption are the major themes that the work focuses on as opposed to the degeneration depicted in Part I, so you can be sure it’s not just an elaboration on Part I but a response as well. My favorite bit of running imagery embodying this is the sun which rises at the start and sets at the end.
Also of note is how much it embodies Goethe’s ambitions of world literature. It’s a melting pot where you get bits of Byron, Shakespeare, Dante, Sterne, German poetry, Chinese poetry, The Bible, stories from the Arabian Nights retold using Greek Myth, and all this only amplifies Goethe’s already established strength of making something so original out of existing stories and ideas. What happens here, no matter how outlandish, still structurally and thematically fits in with the traditional Faust story. It’s all the richer for it, this is potent literature as fertile and thick as Nile silt. It becomes less of a necessity of understanding to slow down while reading, and instead turns into the desire to really savor it.
I can see it being difficult for some since the subtext is what drives it rather than outward plot, but there’s still interesting ways the two parts feed on, and elucidate, each other. Though plot takes a backseat, there are still arcs that get finished and fleshed out, like the fantastic scene where the Student who Mephistopheles fucks with in Part I returns as the Graduate only to get roasted some more. The spirit and irony that made the first part so enjoyable, and the themes and ideas that made it so engaging and universal are still all here in the second part. It's just far more potent this time around. Strong Recommendation.
The style itself is also subject to this shift to the macro, and in part embodies the massive departure from Part I. The writing in Part I is very interior and psychological, whereas in Part II all this is externalized in metaphor and symbolism, to where things like terrain become important. That accounts for how strange and dense people find Part II, and also just how lush and gorgeous the poetry is. Throughout the work Goethe uses different types of verse to reflect what’s happening or give subtle thematic hints. Change, transformation, healing, and redemption are the major themes that the work focuses on as opposed to the degeneration depicted in Part I, so you can be sure it’s not just an elaboration on Part I but a response as well. My favorite bit of running imagery embodying this is the sun which rises at the start and sets at the end.
Also of note is how much it embodies Goethe’s ambitions of world literature. It’s a melting pot where you get bits of Byron, Shakespeare, Dante, Sterne, German poetry, Chinese poetry, The Bible, stories from the Arabian Nights retold using Greek Myth, and all this only amplifies Goethe’s already established strength of making something so original out of existing stories and ideas. What happens here, no matter how outlandish, still structurally and thematically fits in with the traditional Faust story. It’s all the richer for it, this is potent literature as fertile and thick as Nile silt. It becomes less of a necessity of understanding to slow down while reading, and instead turns into the desire to really savor it.
I can see it being difficult for some since the subtext is what drives it rather than outward plot, but there’s still interesting ways the two parts feed on, and elucidate, each other. Though plot takes a backseat, there are still arcs that get finished and fleshed out, like the fantastic scene where the Student who Mephistopheles fucks with in Part I returns as the Graduate only to get roasted some more. The spirit and irony that made the first part so enjoyable, and the themes and ideas that made it so engaging and universal are still all here in the second part. It's just far more potent this time around. Strong Recommendation.
November 7, 2021
I definitely enjoyed the first part more than I did the second. Something about this one makes it seem like Goethe is just looking to brag about his encyclopedic knowledge of mythology, Ancient Greece and Rome and other obscure literary references. Maybe I’ll return to it when I’m a bit more educated...🙄
January 23, 2017
Para os leitores médios como eu, isto é, aqueles não versados em crítica literária ou profundos conhecedores da mitologia greco-romana, a segunda parte do Fausto de Goethe é potencialmente irritante.
Quem se aventura por esse monumental segundo volume, bastante grosso na edição bilíngue da Editora 34, provavelmente teve sua curiosidade atiçada pela primeira parte da tragédia, mais curta e que condensa altas doses de dramaticidade própria do romantismo alemão em um período histórico bem definido.
Mas, em contraste, a parte dois da obra abarca três mil anos de história humana e é palco de inúmeros virtuosismos poéticos de Goethe, pouco acessíveis ao leitor comum.
Em seu primeiro ato, Fausto II lembra o estilo de Fausto I ao nos apresentar a corte de um rei, na qual Fausto e Mefistófeles se introduzem a fim de lograrem favores senhoriais. O diabo demonstra sua astúcia apresentando um plano econômico ao rei, corroborado por Fausto.
Pouco depois, porém, inúmeros seres alegóricos e mitológicos pouco conectados com o enredo central começam a desfilar pela obra em paisagens tão diversas como podem ser o antigo Egito com suas esfinges, o rio onde foi concebida Helena de Tróia e um burgo medieval. Caso não se tenha em mãos uma edição comentada, torna-se difícil compreender as diversas referências de Goethe. E, mesmo em edições comentadas, a enorme quantidade de notas explicativas acaba roubando um pouco da atenção do leitor, que deixa de apreciar a lírica dos versos. Tal dificuldade dificilmente acometerá o leitor de Fausto I.
É provável que o velho Goethe, porém, não se sentisse abalado por tais críticas. Enquanto grande poeta, Goethe atribui a si intencionalmente o papel de borrar as fronteiras do espaço e superar a passagem do tempo, unindo personagens, cenários e mitos de diversas épocas em uma poesia atemporal e ao mesmo tempo moderna, como fez Dante Alighieri em sua Divina Comédia.
A própria concepção de Eufórion, filho de Fausto e Helena, ilustra esse ideal de Goethe: dotada das “asas da poesia”, a criança é fruto da união de personagens pertencentes a épocas históricas bastante distantes entre si. É desse ponto de vista que Fausto II pode ser visto como o Magnum Opus do poeta alemão, que nela também expõe seus diversos conhecimentos científicos sobre mineração, a teoria das cores e sobre estratégias de guerra.
Ao conceber o Fausto, Goethe desejava um tipo de leitor atento para sugestões, sutilezas e acenos, que pudesse apreciar toda a variedade de temas inseridos em seus versos. Esse leitor é cada vez mais raro, uma vez que entramos em um ritmo cada vez mais rápido na era da especialização e o erudito de conhecimento enciclopédico se torna uma figura do passado.
Mas, é claro, essa crítica só faz sentido considerando o momento histórico atual, em que é cada vez mais difícil interpretar esse tipo de obra. E, apesar das minhas reservas quanto ao virtuosismo poético de Goethe, é preciso admitir que, no fim das contas, ele cumpre seu papel.
A resistência de Fausto à tentação de Mefistófeles é muito mais completa e heroica à medida que lhe são oferecidas incontáveis oportunidades proporcionadas pela viagem no tempo e pelo encontro com diversas personagens sedutoras de perder a aposta com o diabo. Mesmo agraciado com a beleza clássica de Helena, ou com a posse de um feudo na idade média, Fausto nunca parou de “aspirar” a algo mais elevado, o que, no fim das contas, salvou a sua alma.
Quem se aventura por esse monumental segundo volume, bastante grosso na edição bilíngue da Editora 34, provavelmente teve sua curiosidade atiçada pela primeira parte da tragédia, mais curta e que condensa altas doses de dramaticidade própria do romantismo alemão em um período histórico bem definido.
Mas, em contraste, a parte dois da obra abarca três mil anos de história humana e é palco de inúmeros virtuosismos poéticos de Goethe, pouco acessíveis ao leitor comum.
Em seu primeiro ato, Fausto II lembra o estilo de Fausto I ao nos apresentar a corte de um rei, na qual Fausto e Mefistófeles se introduzem a fim de lograrem favores senhoriais. O diabo demonstra sua astúcia apresentando um plano econômico ao rei, corroborado por Fausto.
Pouco depois, porém, inúmeros seres alegóricos e mitológicos pouco conectados com o enredo central começam a desfilar pela obra em paisagens tão diversas como podem ser o antigo Egito com suas esfinges, o rio onde foi concebida Helena de Tróia e um burgo medieval. Caso não se tenha em mãos uma edição comentada, torna-se difícil compreender as diversas referências de Goethe. E, mesmo em edições comentadas, a enorme quantidade de notas explicativas acaba roubando um pouco da atenção do leitor, que deixa de apreciar a lírica dos versos. Tal dificuldade dificilmente acometerá o leitor de Fausto I.
É provável que o velho Goethe, porém, não se sentisse abalado por tais críticas. Enquanto grande poeta, Goethe atribui a si intencionalmente o papel de borrar as fronteiras do espaço e superar a passagem do tempo, unindo personagens, cenários e mitos de diversas épocas em uma poesia atemporal e ao mesmo tempo moderna, como fez Dante Alighieri em sua Divina Comédia.
A própria concepção de Eufórion, filho de Fausto e Helena, ilustra esse ideal de Goethe: dotada das “asas da poesia”, a criança é fruto da união de personagens pertencentes a épocas históricas bastante distantes entre si. É desse ponto de vista que Fausto II pode ser visto como o Magnum Opus do poeta alemão, que nela também expõe seus diversos conhecimentos científicos sobre mineração, a teoria das cores e sobre estratégias de guerra.
Ao conceber o Fausto, Goethe desejava um tipo de leitor atento para sugestões, sutilezas e acenos, que pudesse apreciar toda a variedade de temas inseridos em seus versos. Esse leitor é cada vez mais raro, uma vez que entramos em um ritmo cada vez mais rápido na era da especialização e o erudito de conhecimento enciclopédico se torna uma figura do passado.
Mas, é claro, essa crítica só faz sentido considerando o momento histórico atual, em que é cada vez mais difícil interpretar esse tipo de obra. E, apesar das minhas reservas quanto ao virtuosismo poético de Goethe, é preciso admitir que, no fim das contas, ele cumpre seu papel.
A resistência de Fausto à tentação de Mefistófeles é muito mais completa e heroica à medida que lhe são oferecidas incontáveis oportunidades proporcionadas pela viagem no tempo e pelo encontro com diversas personagens sedutoras de perder a aposta com o diabo. Mesmo agraciado com a beleza clássica de Helena, ou com a posse de um feudo na idade média, Fausto nunca parou de “aspirar” a algo mais elevado, o que, no fim das contas, salvou a sua alma.
November 10, 2020
I see this as a decent rap song.
January 30, 2020
I have already reviewed the first part and pretty much said what I set out to say about this book, so I'll keep my second review shorter. The myth of Faust has great potential and Goethe's version is certainly an impressive one. However, I do not think that Goethe succeeded in realizing its full potential. It may be that my expectations for his Faust were raised too high. I have not enjoyed it as much as I expected to. Nevertheless, I cannot say that I did not like it. I definitely enjoyed reading it, just not as much as I thought I would. Maybe it is the influence of all the other versions of this legend that I have read that stopped me from seeing it clearly. Like the Marlowe's versions or Roger Zelazny's parody on Goethe's version. Maybe it was all the other versions that made me see this epic work differently. On the other hand, it might not have been blown away by it even if I have not known anything about the legend of Faust. I just couldn't connect to this book as much as I wanted to. In part two, Faust isn't the most likable character- The ending didn't feel realistic to me.
June 19, 2015
It is no accident that there are many literary figures that are built on this classic. Be it Don Quixote or Don Juan, they all share the same over achieving characters that Faust desperately tries to. He goes as far as committing suicide in search of a moment of true bliss.
He takes on an adventure with the Devil after making a wager. What follows is romance, tragedy, heartbreak and adventure. The interesting twist is the Devil himself has made a bet with the angels so he moves with an agenda of his own.
A highly captivating story about humanity, happiness, tragedy, greed, passion, romance, love and being a visionary.
I enjoyed part one more than second as there was a definitive story progressing when compared to part two where there are many characters that come ago. Having said that, its still brilliant and worth several more reads.
He takes on an adventure with the Devil after making a wager. What follows is romance, tragedy, heartbreak and adventure. The interesting twist is the Devil himself has made a bet with the angels so he moves with an agenda of his own.
A highly captivating story about humanity, happiness, tragedy, greed, passion, romance, love and being a visionary.
I enjoyed part one more than second as there was a definitive story progressing when compared to part two where there are many characters that come ago. Having said that, its still brilliant and worth several more reads.
May 26, 2023
This is a strong example of a work you should read multiple times to fully appreciate. This time around, I loved the Greek-ness, I loved the slower pace and how it took its time in certain scenes (Act 2 I'm lookin at you), and I loved the alchemical imagery and interplay with nature. My favourite scene would have to be the Shaded Grove scene of Act 3 when Helen and Faust unite as one voice for a while as their son recreates Icarus. I just loved the imagery of the protected and peaceful grove juxtaposed with the jagged mountain the son climbs and inevitably falls from. To anybody who wants to reread Faust, start here. You know what happens in Part One. This is the better Faust. Classical and romantic. Personal and vast. 6 stars.
June 1, 2021
anyway, read my faust/mephisto fanfic
Read
August 10, 2022I'm done with you goethe
February 4, 2024
wie random
goethe hat definitiv gebechert als er das verfasst hat
goethe hat definitiv gebechert als er das verfasst hat
May 23, 2023
Genuinely had to dnf because of how uninteresting it was. I will find the time to re read it and give a better rating but I just can't continue with reading it anymore. I stopped reading and just flipped through the pages until I understood that I just couldn't do it anymore and stopped.
I hope that in the future I could re read it with a better perspective and actually enjoy it, because the writing is beautiful. But it's insufferable to read.
2nd read:
What drugs feel like, as a person who has never done drugs.
When Pluto tells you to stfu you know you messed up
Helen: "Patroclus and Achilles were in love with me." Denial is a river in Egypt.
The concept of "the devil and a sphynx being besties" is also, coincidently, the concept of queerness. This concept is also the concept of "LGBTQ+". You cannot argue with me.
Mephistopheles is bi, and that's so funny. (don't argue with me, he literally wanted to kiss the angels.)
Um, that happened.
... read it for yourself I don't need to try and explain to you how
This book makes me really aggressive for some reason.
I hope that in the future I could re read it with a better perspective and actually enjoy it, because the writing is beautiful. But it's insufferable to read.
2nd read:
What drugs feel like, as a person who has never done drugs.
When Pluto tells you to stfu you know you messed up
Helen: "Patroclus and Achilles were in love with me." Denial is a river in Egypt.
The concept of "the devil and a sphynx being besties" is also, coincidently, the concept of queerness. This concept is also the concept of "LGBTQ+". You cannot argue with me.
Mephistopheles is bi, and that's so funny. (don't argue with me, he literally wanted to kiss the angels.)
Um, that happened.
... read it for yourself I don't need to try and explain to you how
This book makes me really aggressive for some reason.
September 1, 2015
Almost incomprehensible without secondary literature. In the first dozen pages or so, there are probably over 50 characters, many only deliver a single line. And i had almost no idea who they were or what anyone was talking about throughout most of the play. Faust Part One was entirely different, easily understood, and one of my favourites. The plot seems very disconnected, and not a point of focus.
The language though is always finely constructed and there are beautiful verses, but without much apparent meaning, I can't take very much away from it.
Disclaimer: I read this in the original German, my mother tongue.
The language though is always finely constructed and there are beautiful verses, but without much apparent meaning, I can't take very much away from it.
Disclaimer: I read this in the original German, my mother tongue.
September 3, 2019
You know when you’ve been writing a really long essay for a really long time and you basically start to lose your mind and start to go off on random tangents? And it’s a real bummer cos your introduction and first half was so well written and now you’ve just descended into schizophrenic rambling? That’s Faust part 2.
October 28, 2016
می دانی عزیزم، فاوست، تحصیل کرده و روشنفکر بود، و شاید حق بجانب، چرا که مایوس مانده بود. در زمانه ی ما سیاستمداران کوته فکر، و کوته فکران جاه طلب هم با شیطان معامله کرده اند. به گونه ای که روشنفکران را هم مایوس کرده اند
January 30, 2022
It actually can get worse.
January 18, 2024
The English version can be found below.
-----------
German Version:
Nachdem man diesen zweiten Teil der Tragödie von Faust gelesen hat, versteht man, wieso immer nur der erste Teil zentral ist und auch der Klassiker für das deutsche Abitur und nicht der zweite. Ohne Sekundärliteratur und eine umfassende Kenntnis der klassischen Antike mitsamt seiner Mythologien (Götterwelt) hat man kaum eine Chance das Buch zu verstehen. Und selbst dann ist es aufgrund der Unmenge an Personen (vor allem antike Götter) und Orten sehr wirr. Jede Richtlinie des klassischen Dramas wurde hier durchbrochen. Auch die Handlung bildet nicht wirklich eine Einheit und wirkt sehr fragmentarisch aneinander gereiht. Diese zusammengewürfelte Erscheinungsbild wiederspiegelt auch den Schaffungsprozess Gothes, da er die Szenen des Werks nicht der tatsächlichen Reihenfolge entsprechend geschrieben hat. Bezüge zwischen den Szenen herzustellen ist teils sehr knifflig und braucht auch etwas Fantasie. Auch der Anschluss an den ersten Teil von Faust ist dank des Resets bei Faust selbst durch den Schlaf des Vergessens schwierig.
An sich verarbeitet Goethe in den einzelnen Szenen allerdings - für sich genommen -interessante Aspekte wie Ökonomie (Währungen mit geringem materiellem Wert (Papiergeld)), Industrialisierung, politische Situation in Frankreich, künstliches Leben, Alchemie, Naturforschung, Entstehungsmythen (Vulkanismus vs. Neptunismus), Macht der Weiblichkeit, die in Goethe einen sehr vielseitig interessierten Menschen wiedererkennen lassen.
Alles in Allem ein interessantes Werk, wenn man sich nicht scheut, etwas nachzuforschen oder wie ich ein Seminar dazu zu besuchen. 😅
Gesamt: 3,0
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English version:
Once you have read this second part of the Faust tragedy, you understand why only the first part is central and why it is the classic for the German Abitur and not the second. Without secondary literature and a comprehensive knowledge of classical antiquity and its mythologies (world of gods), there is hardly any chance of understanding the book. And even then it is very confusing due to the vast number of characters (especially ancient gods) and places. Every guideline of classical drama has been broken here. The plot doesn't really form a unity either and seems to be strung together in a very fragmented way. This jumbled appearance also reflects Gothe's creative process, as he did not write the scenes of the work in their actual order. Establishing links between the scenes is sometimes very tricky and requires a little imagination. The connection to the first part of Faust is also difficult thanks to the reset in Faust himself through the sleep of forgetfulness.
However, in the individual scenes, Goethe deals with interesting aspects such as economics (currencies with low material value (paper money)), industrialization, the political situation in France, artificial life, alchemy, natural science, myths of origins (volcanism vs. neptunism), the power of femininity. This shows that Goethe was a person with a wide range of interests.
All in all, an interesting work if you are not afraid to do some research or, like me, attend a seminar on the subject. 😅
Overall: 3.0
-----------
German Version:
Nachdem man diesen zweiten Teil der Tragödie von Faust gelesen hat, versteht man, wieso immer nur der erste Teil zentral ist und auch der Klassiker für das deutsche Abitur und nicht der zweite. Ohne Sekundärliteratur und eine umfassende Kenntnis der klassischen Antike mitsamt seiner Mythologien (Götterwelt) hat man kaum eine Chance das Buch zu verstehen. Und selbst dann ist es aufgrund der Unmenge an Personen (vor allem antike Götter) und Orten sehr wirr. Jede Richtlinie des klassischen Dramas wurde hier durchbrochen. Auch die Handlung bildet nicht wirklich eine Einheit und wirkt sehr fragmentarisch aneinander gereiht. Diese zusammengewürfelte Erscheinungsbild wiederspiegelt auch den Schaffungsprozess Gothes, da er die Szenen des Werks nicht der tatsächlichen Reihenfolge entsprechend geschrieben hat. Bezüge zwischen den Szenen herzustellen ist teils sehr knifflig und braucht auch etwas Fantasie. Auch der Anschluss an den ersten Teil von Faust ist dank des Resets bei Faust selbst durch den Schlaf des Vergessens schwierig.
An sich verarbeitet Goethe in den einzelnen Szenen allerdings - für sich genommen -interessante Aspekte wie Ökonomie (Währungen mit geringem materiellem Wert (Papiergeld)), Industrialisierung, politische Situation in Frankreich, künstliches Leben, Alchemie, Naturforschung, Entstehungsmythen (Vulkanismus vs. Neptunismus), Macht der Weiblichkeit, die in Goethe einen sehr vielseitig interessierten Menschen wiedererkennen lassen.
Alles in Allem ein interessantes Werk, wenn man sich nicht scheut, etwas nachzuforschen oder wie ich ein Seminar dazu zu besuchen. 😅
Gesamt: 3,0
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English version:
Once you have read this second part of the Faust tragedy, you understand why only the first part is central and why it is the classic for the German Abitur and not the second. Without secondary literature and a comprehensive knowledge of classical antiquity and its mythologies (world of gods), there is hardly any chance of understanding the book. And even then it is very confusing due to the vast number of characters (especially ancient gods) and places. Every guideline of classical drama has been broken here. The plot doesn't really form a unity either and seems to be strung together in a very fragmented way. This jumbled appearance also reflects Gothe's creative process, as he did not write the scenes of the work in their actual order. Establishing links between the scenes is sometimes very tricky and requires a little imagination. The connection to the first part of Faust is also difficult thanks to the reset in Faust himself through the sleep of forgetfulness.
However, in the individual scenes, Goethe deals with interesting aspects such as economics (currencies with low material value (paper money)), industrialization, the political situation in France, artificial life, alchemy, natural science, myths of origins (volcanism vs. neptunism), the power of femininity. This shows that Goethe was a person with a wide range of interests.
All in all, an interesting work if you are not afraid to do some research or, like me, attend a seminar on the subject. 😅
Overall: 3.0
April 29, 2023
Sürprizbozan içerir
İkinci bölümle okuyucuyu daha destansı bir yolculuğa çıkaran Goethe, insan olmanın ne demek olduğunu devasa olaylarla alegori anlamında fazlasıyla güçlü ve kendini açıklayan bir esere imza atıyor. Gretchen’e olanlar sebebiyle ağır bir suçluluk duygusunun altında kalan Faust’un bir sonraki tutkusunu bulması uzun olmuyor. Şeytan Mephistopheles’le yaptığı anlaşması devam eden Faust’un servet ve ün hedeflerine bir de güzelliğin en üst noktası olarak tasvir edilen Truvalı Helen’i elde etmeyi koyması insanın doyumsuzluğunun harikulade bir tasviri. Bu sırada Wagner’ın yarattığı Homunculus’la insan olmanın ne demek olduğunu sorgulayan Goethe, antik Yunan edebiyatının yapı taşlarını hikayeye derinlik katabilmesi için kendince değiştirerek edebi anlamda yenilikçi bir yaklaşım sergiliyor. Helen ve Helen’den doğan oğlunun başına gelenlerden sonra gözünü bir sonraki hedefi olan tüm toprakların sahibi olmaya çeviren Faust’un finale doğru dönüştüğü kişiliğe özellikle parantez açılması gerekiyor. Her şeye sahip olmasına rağmen küçücük bir alanın bile başkalarına ait olmasını kaldıramayan Faust’un şeytanın devamlı itelemesiyle işlediği günahlara bir yenilik daha eklemesine sebep oluyor. Doyumsuzluk ve şevkin insanları kör ettiğinin metaforunu yapan kitapta Mephistoteles’in Faust farketmeden mezarını kazdığı sahne gerçekten tüyler ürpertici. Edebiyatın yapı taşlarından biri olan "Faust", tekrar tekrar okunmayı gerektirecek zengin diliyle her edebiyat severin kitaplığında olması gereken eserlerin başında geliyor.
27.04.2023
Londra, Birleşik Krallık
Alp Turgut
İkinci bölümle okuyucuyu daha destansı bir yolculuğa çıkaran Goethe, insan olmanın ne demek olduğunu devasa olaylarla alegori anlamında fazlasıyla güçlü ve kendini açıklayan bir esere imza atıyor. Gretchen’e olanlar sebebiyle ağır bir suçluluk duygusunun altında kalan Faust’un bir sonraki tutkusunu bulması uzun olmuyor. Şeytan Mephistopheles’le yaptığı anlaşması devam eden Faust’un servet ve ün hedeflerine bir de güzelliğin en üst noktası olarak tasvir edilen Truvalı Helen’i elde etmeyi koyması insanın doyumsuzluğunun harikulade bir tasviri. Bu sırada Wagner’ın yarattığı Homunculus’la insan olmanın ne demek olduğunu sorgulayan Goethe, antik Yunan edebiyatının yapı taşlarını hikayeye derinlik katabilmesi için kendince değiştirerek edebi anlamda yenilikçi bir yaklaşım sergiliyor. Helen ve Helen’den doğan oğlunun başına gelenlerden sonra gözünü bir sonraki hedefi olan tüm toprakların sahibi olmaya çeviren Faust’un finale doğru dönüştüğü kişiliğe özellikle parantez açılması gerekiyor. Her şeye sahip olmasına rağmen küçücük bir alanın bile başkalarına ait olmasını kaldıramayan Faust’un şeytanın devamlı itelemesiyle işlediği günahlara bir yenilik daha eklemesine sebep oluyor. Doyumsuzluk ve şevkin insanları kör ettiğinin metaforunu yapan kitapta Mephistoteles’in Faust farketmeden mezarını kazdığı sahne gerçekten tüyler ürpertici. Edebiyatın yapı taşlarından biri olan "Faust", tekrar tekrar okunmayı gerektirecek zengin diliyle her edebiyat severin kitaplığında olması gereken eserlerin başında geliyor.
27.04.2023
Londra, Birleşik Krallık
Alp Turgut
November 28, 2021
სანამ ფაუსტის კითხვას დავიწყებდი ბევრი ადამიანის აზრი მოვისმინე პირველი და მეორე ნაწილის დავაზე, საბოლოო ჯამში ვფიქრობ, რომ პირველი ნაწილი (სუბიექტურად ცხადია) ჯაბნის მეორეს შინაარსობრივი თვალსაზრისით.
მეორე ნაწილში სიუჟეტი დაწყებისთანავრ გაურკვეველი და ბუნდოვანია, ხშირად იცვლება პასაჟები და ამიტომ რთულია შინაარსის გაგება.
ამ მეტაფიზიკური იდეების პოეტური გამოხატულება ბოლო სცენაში აჯამებს გოეთეს ძლიერი დრამის ფილოსოფიურ მნიშვნელობას.
ფაუსტმა გაიმარჯვა მეფისტოზე, რადგან შეცდომებისა და იმედგაცრუების მიუხედავად, მან არასოდეს დაკარგა რწმენა ცხოვრების არსისადმი და უბედურების ფონზე განაგრძო ძიება.
საინტერესო წასაკითხი იქნება პოეზიის მოყვარულთათვის.
მეორე ნაწილში სიუჟეტი დაწყებისთანავრ გაურკვეველი და ბუნდოვანია, ხშირად იცვლება პასაჟები და ამიტომ რთულია შინაარსის გაგება.
ამ მეტაფიზიკური იდეების პოეტური გამოხატულება ბოლო სცენაში აჯამებს გოეთეს ძლიერი დრამის ფილოსოფიურ მნიშვნელობას.
ფაუსტმა გაიმარჯვა მეფისტოზე, რადგან შეცდომებისა და იმედგაცრუების მიუხედავად, მან არასოდეს დაკარგა რწმენა ცხოვრების არსისადმი და უბედურების ფონზე განაგრძო ძიება.
საინტერესო წასაკითხი იქნება პოეზიის მოყვარულთათვის.
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