2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
Love for everything mystical in a person is unlikely to ever fade away. Even apart from the question of faith, the mystery stories themselves are extremely interesting. There have been many such stories for the centuries-old existence of life on Earth, and one of them, written by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, is Faust. A brief summary of this famous tragedy will acquaint you with the plot in general terms.
The work begins with a lyrical dedication, in which the poet remembers with gratitude all his friends, relatives and close people, even those who are no longer alive. This is followed by a theatrical introduction in which three - the Comic Actor, the Poet and the Theater Director - are arguing about art. And finally, we get to the very beginning of the tragedy "Faust". The summary of the scene called "Prologue in Heaven" tells how God and Mephistopheles argue about good and evil among people. God is trying to convince his opponent thaton earth everything is beautiful and wonderful, all people are pious and submissive. But Mephistopheles does not agree with this. God offers him a dispute on the soul of Faust - a learned man and his diligent, immaculate slave. Mephistopheles agrees, he really wants to prove to the Lord that any, even the most holy soul, is capable of succumbing to temptations.
So, the bet is made, and Mephistopheles, descending from heaven to earth, turns into a black poodle and follows Faust, who was walking around the city with his assistant Wagner. Taking the dog to his house, the scientist proceeds with his daily routine, but suddenly the poodle began to "puff up like a bubble" and turned back into Mephistopheles. Faust (the summary does not allow revealing all the details) is at a loss, but the uninvited guest explains to him who he is and for what purpose he arrived. He begins to seduce the Aesculapius in every possible way with the various joys of life, but he remains adamant. However, the cunning Mephistopheles promises him to show such pleasures that Faust will simply take his breath away. The scientist, being sure that nothing can surprise him, agrees to sign an agreement in which he undertakes to give his soul to Mephistopheles as soon as he asks him to stop the moment. Mephistopheles, according to this agreement, is obliged to serve the scientist in every possible way, to fulfill any of his desires and to do everything that he says, until the very moment he utters the cherished words: “Stop, a moment, you are beautiful!”
The treaty is signed in blood. Further summary"Faust" stops at the scientist's acquaintance with Gretchen. Thanks to Mephistopheles, the Aesculapius became 30 years younger, and therefore the 15-year-old girl absolutely sincerely fell in love with him. Faust also burned with passion for her, but it was this love that led to further tragedy. Gretchen, in order to freely run on dates with her beloved, puts her mother to sleep every night. But even this does not save the girl from shame: rumors are circulating around the city that have reached the ears of her older brother.
Faust (a summary, keep in mind, reveals only the main plot) stabs Valentine, who rushed at him to kill him for dishonoring his sister. But now he himself is waiting for a mortal reprisal, and he is fleeing the city. Gretchen accidentally poisons her mother with a sleeping potion. She drowns her daughter, born of Faust, in the river to avoid people's gossip. But people have known everything for a long time, and the girl, branded as a harlot and a murderer, ends up in prison, where she goes crazy. Faust finds her and frees her, but Gretchen does not want to run away with him. She cannot forgive herself for what she has done and prefers to die in agony than to live with such a mental burden. For such a decision, God forgives her and takes her soul to heaven.
In the last chapter, Faust (the summary is not able to fully convey all the emotions) becomes an old man again and feels that he will soon die. Plus, he's blind. But even at such an hour he wants to build a dam that would separate a piece of land from the sea, where he would create a happy, prosperous state. Heclearly imagines this country and, exclaiming a fatal phrase, immediately dies. But Mephistopheles fails to take his soul: angels flew down from heaven and won it back from the demons.
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