The tragedy "Faust" Very brief and detailed content in parts

A very brief retelling of the tragedy "Faust" by Goethe

The Lord and Mephistopheles make a bet with Henry Faust: will he be tempted by earthly pleasures and will he give up scientific research for them? The doctor achieved a lot with God's help, became a respected person, but is not satisfied with his achievements. Mephistopheles appears before the scientist in the guise of a scholastic. They agree that if Faust wants to stop the beautiful moment, he will be cast into hell.

After concluding a deal, both set off on a journey, during which the evil spirit gave the scientist power and extensive opportunities, but this does not bring him happiness: people die, his beloved goes crazy.

In the second part, Faust finds himself in the ancient world, falls in love with Queen Helen and works for the benefit of humanity. In the face of death, he understands that the main thing in the world is not power, money or love, but something useful to society.

List and characteristics of the characters in the tragedy “Faust” by Goethe

The main characters of Faust:

Heinrich Faust , a leading man of his era, entered into a deal with the unclean.
Mephistopheles is a tempter who argued with the Almighty against Faust.
Margarita is Faust's love who has lost her mind.

Minor characters in Faust:

Wagner is a follower of Faust.
Elena is an ancient beauty.
Euphorion is the fruit of the love of Faust and Helen.
Homunculus is a creature made from a flask.
Valentin is Margarita's brother.

Other heroes

Wagner is a student of Faust. Being in old age, he will be on the threshold of the greatest discoveries. With the help of experiments, he will create a human Homunculus. Marta is Margarita's neighbor. They walked together, discussed their favorite men, went on dates with Mephistopheles and Faust. Valentin is Margarita’s brother, who will be killed by the evil one himself. After all, the guy will want to take revenge for the insulted honor of his sister. Helen is another beloved of Faust. Came from ancient times. It was she who was nicknamed Helen the Beautiful, and because of her the Trojan War broke out. Faust will reciprocate. She will bear him a son, Euphorion. After he dies, she will disappear forever from her beloved’s life, arguing that she is not destined to be happy. Euphorion is the son of Helen and Faust. He always wanted to be the first to fight, he wanted to fly under the clouds. She will die, which will forever convince her mother that she will never see happiness.

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Brief summary of the tragedy “Faust” by Goethe in detail by chapters

Dedication

The author gratefully recalls his youth, loved ones and friends, those whose circle was small, but fell apart over the years.

Theatrical introduction

A lively conversation between the Theater Director, the Poet and the Actor arose from a discussion of the problems of creativity and the importance of art in life.

Prologue in the sky

Mephistopheles comes to the Lord and condemns people who were created rational, but are subject to wild animal passions. The Lord asks Mephistopheles if he knows Faust. The interlocutor answers in the affirmative and is ready to bet that it will plunge his soul into the abyss of temptation. The Lord accepts the challenge; he is confident that the scientist’s intuition will not fail him, and he will pass the test.

Part one

Faust thinks about what heights he has achieved in science. His thoughts are interrupted by a visit from Wagner's student. They talk, during the conversation Faust does not hold back his irritation at Wagner’s arrogance, confident that the man can handle anything. After the student leaves, the doctor is struck by the thought that his life has been lived in vain. He intends to take poison. The sounds of the alarm bell and choral singing announce the birth of the Savior. Then Faust refuses suicide.

In the crowd of people walking, a man calls out to Wagner and Faust and thanks the doctor for the good he has done, for telling him how to defeat the plague. Suddenly, a black poodle accosts the mentor and his student.

Faust decides to keep the dog. The animal turns into Mephistopheles in the form of a student. After a philosophical conversation, the guest cannot leave because of the pentagram inscribed inside the home. Then the imaginary student puts the doctor to sleep and disappears. The visitor appears again in the garb of a rich merchant, persuading Faust to leave the house and indulge in various pleasures. The tempter promises to capture Faust's imagination. If the pleasure takes over so much that you want to delay this moment, then you just need to say about it - and Faust will become the prey of the devil. The deal is signed on paper and sealed in blood. Then they go flying on the devil's cloak.

Both wanderers squeeze into the company of revelers, to whom Mephistopheles offers to taste wine. One of them knocks over the cup, the drink spills on the ground and ignites. Everyone understands that in front of them is the fire of hell and rushes at Mephistopheles with knives, but he stupefies their consciousness. Taking advantage of the moment, Mephistopheles and Faust retreat.

Travelers find themselves in a witch's lair. Faust is haunted by obsessive thoughts. The devil assures that work can distract you from sad thoughts. At his request, the witch brews a potion for Faust, after taking which he gains youth.

Faust accidentally meets Margarita and falls in love with her. He begs Mephistopheles to set him up with a girl. The devil says that she is innocent, and therefore he has no power over her. Faust declares that if Mephistopheles does not arrange a date, he will terminate the contract.

Margarita also took a liking to the street stranger. Faust and Mephistopheles enter the girl’s home and leave a jewelry box as a gift.

Margarita's mother takes the jewelry to the temple, because she guesses about its unclean origin. Faust decides to give the gift to Gretchen again.

Margarita confesses to her neighbor Martha about new gifts. She recommends not telling her mother about this. Mephistopheles appears to Martha and brings news of the death of her husband. Martha requires documentary evidence. Mephistopheles assures that he will return with a friend who will confirm the sad news. At the same time, he asks Gretchen to stay.

Alone with Faust, Margarita talks about herself, then tells fortunes on a flower. The doctor confesses to the girl about his feelings.

In the future, Faust avoids meeting with his beloved. Mephistopheles conveys to him how sad Margarita is.

Margarita suspects Mephistopheles of evil intentions. Faust gives Margarita a bottle of sleeping pills to put her mother to sleep, so that the next time they meet, they can be alone longer. A woman dies from too much medicine.

Margarita’s brother finds the lovers and intends to get even with the girl’s lover; he is annoyed that she decided to have a sinful relationship. During the duel, Faust kills his opponent and leaves the city.

During a church service, an evil spirit inspires Gretchen with thoughts that she is to blame for the death of her mother, brother, and the conception of an illegitimate child. Unable to bear it, the woman loses consciousness.

Faust and Mephistopheles attend the witches' Sabbath. Walking among the fires and mythical characters, the scientist saw the shadow of the headless Margarita.

Faust learns that Gretchen is in prison. The doctor asks Mephistopheles to help her out. Mephistopheles at first refuses, but then agrees to put the warden to sleep, and then Faust must act independently.

The doctor, finding himself in prison, sees that Margarita is behaving somehow strangely. He understands that the girl has lost her mind. Margarita mistakes her lover for the executioner and asks to postpone the execution until dawn. Faust explains who he is. The girl is delighted and at the same time delirious, asking the doctor to bury her and her dead relatives. Before her death, Margarita touches on her sins, and God forgives her.

Part two

Act one

Mephistopheles, in the guise of a jester, appears before the emperor. The Chancellor announces that the treasury is empty.

The devil helps the ruler acquire money by distributing shares among his subjects secured by gold in the depths.

Faust, in the guise of a magician, promises the emperor to show Paris and Helen. Mephistopheles gives Faust the key, thanks to which the doctor can find himself in the ancient world.

The courtiers are waiting for the spectacle. When this happens, Faust falls in love with the beautiful Helen. Viewers see a scene of the kidnapping of a girl by Paris. Faust tries to prevent this, but the spirits of the heroes disappear.

Act two

Faust is at home and listens to the story of one of the students about the successes of his scientific follower Wagner.

Wagner dreams of creating a special person. The devil helps Wagner, and a Homunculus is born from the flask - a creature with a dual nature.

During the celebration of Walpurgis Night, Faust comes to his senses and goes in search of Helen.

Act three

Elena learns that they are preparing to sacrifice her. The housekeeper helps the girl by hiding Faust in the castle.

Elena is met by the owner of the castle himself. He sends troops to battle King Menelaus, while he and Helen hide in the underworld. After some time, the lovers have a son, Euphorion. A grown boy is obsessed with the idea of reaching the heavens in one leap. Having climbed to the top of the cliff, Euphorion jumps and crashes. The inconsolable mother says goodbye to Faust and disappears into thin air. Elena's clothes remain in the man's hands, which become clouds carrying the doctor away.

Act Four

Faust swims up to the rock and complains about the lack of spiritual purity. Soon Mephistopheles flies there. Together they help the emperor regain the throne, and Faust receives a piece of the coast as a reward.

Act five

A wanderer comes to the elderly couple, whom they have already helped once.

Faust is unable to persuade the old people to leave the seashore, which now belongs to him alone. Mephistopheles promises to solve this matter.

The couple's house is burned down, the owners die, and their guest is killed by the servants. Faust curses Mephistopheles, because he wanted to do everything justice.

Mephistopheles orders a grave to be dug for Faust. The blind doctor hears the sound of shovels and decides that his dream is coming true - a dam is being built. Anticipating this beautiful picture, Faust dies.

Mephistopheles waits until he can take advantage of the agreement. However, the angels take the scientist's immortal soul to heaven.

"Faust" by Goethe main characters

“Faust” by Goethe, the main characters are the personification of good and evil, purity and faith.

"Faust" by Goethe main characters

Faust , the main character of Goethe's drama, embodies Goethe's philosophical views. Faust (the name means “happy”, “lucky”) is full of thirst for life, knowledge, and creativity.

Margarita is Faust’s beloved, the embodiment of living life, an earthly simple girl, created for happiness. Youth, modesty, purity attract Faust. Her natural self-esteem commands respect even from Mephistopheles.

Mephistopheles is one of the central characters in Goethe's tragedy. He represents the world of unclean, devilish power, by concluding an agreement with which Faust hopes to achieve immeasurable knowledge and pleasures.

Helen is the embodiment of beauty, an aesthetic ideal that opens a new era in the existence of Faust.

Wagner is the antipode of Faust, an armchair scientist, for whom book knowledge should reveal the essence and secrets of nature and life.

"Faust" by Goethe characteristics of the main character

Faust is not just a generalized, typical image of a progressive scientist. During the dispute in heaven, he represents all of humanity, although he belongs to the best part of it. Thus, he symbolically represents the human population; his fate and life path not only allegorically reflect all of humanity, but seem to indicate a “healthy recipe” for the existence of each person: live by common interests, create works, work for the common well-being - this is happiness.

"Faust" Goethe characterization of Mephistotle

Mephistopheles

- the tempting devil who made a deal with Faust. Mephistopheles does not occupy a high place in the hellish hierarchy. Mephistopheles is a creature of darkness. Explaining to Faust his devilish concept of the universe, he reports that at the basis of all things lies darkness, which once gave birth to light. He seeks to pervert Faust's desire to experience the world in its entirety. Drawing him into the cycle of life, the devil unfolds many temptations before him: a riotous life full of sensual pleasures, love, activity in the public sphere. But fulfilling every desire, the “whim” of his companion, Mephistopheles ultimately misrepresents everything, pursuing the goal of humiliating Faust and debunking his high impulses and aspirations. Thus, Faust's beloved Gretchen and her entire family die. The character of Mephistopheles, like his appearance, is ambiguous. Either he is a “romantic phantom”, the devil from medieval legends, who demand an indispensable signature from Faust in blood, or he is a socialite, a dandy, a rake in the spirit of the 18th century. Mephistopheles' denial is full of skepticism, irony, and sometimes simply cheerful wit. Mephistopheles' weapon is not only witchcraft, but also trickery. “You can’t live without eternal things, Nonsense, fables, whatever the sound,” Faust says to the devil. Faust's acquaintance with Margarita is the result of Mephistopheles' tricks. And the death of Faust is a consequence of the deception of Mephistopheles, who took advantage of the blindness of his companion.

"Faust" Goethe characterization of Margarita

Margarita is an unhappy person, lives in the suburbs, pretty, modest, well-mannered, pious, caring, she loves children very much. She has a younger sister. The girl is virtuous, as evidenced by the song “The Ballad of the Ful King” that she sang. Love, as Goethe shows it, is a test for a woman, and it is also destructive. Margarita unrequitedly loves Faust and becomes criminal. She has 3 crimes on her conscience (she dooms herself to complete loneliness) - she pours sleeping pills into her mother, one unfortunate day her mother does not wake up from an overdose of sleeping pills, the duel between Valentin and Faust, Valentin turns out to be doomed, he is struck down by the hand of Faust, Margarita turns out to be the cause of her brother’s death, Margarita drowns Faust's baby daughter in a swamp (chthonic environment). Faust abandons her, he is interested in her only while he is pursuing her. Faust forgets about her, he does not feel obligations to her, does not remember her fate. Left alone, Margarita takes steps that lead her to repentance and forgiveness. Margarita takes full responsibility and pays for her soul with her life. When Faust dies, among the righteous souls sent to meet his soul will be the soul of Margarita.