By Nick Carroll

Let my work benefit all!!

Pryor High School Students: If you plagiarize this, you will most likely get caught, so I don't advise doing so. Have Fun!!

Faust

The novel Faust by Goethe is set in the mid to late Renaissance period in Germany. It is about a Doctor Faust who gets disgusted by life and makes a pact with the devil to find happiness in the mortal realm. The novel is written as a play and is written in poetic form all the way through, similar to Shakespeare.

During the novel, Mephisto takes Faust all over the world and through different lands to show him things that might make him happy. When Faust falls in love with Gretchen (also called Margaret) he finally becomes happy. When Gretchen is in danger, Faust tries in vain to save her, and Mephisto refuses to do anything. Mephisto takes Faust away before he can save his love. Faust lives out his days as an old man on a small strip of land, and quietly dies. When the devil attempts to claim his soul, however, an angelic host comes to save it. Because Faust had loved Gretchen enough to risk his life for her, he was rewarded in the afterlife.

Goethe writes in a good poetic form, with a driving meter and clever rhyme scheme. The inter relationships between the characters are quite interesting, and well written. Goethe's writing style helps bring Faust to life and uses it to show the futility of carnal pleasures, and the redeeming attributes of love and faith in God.