Plague Town

Lore & Background

The play begins with a prologue in Heaven, where the Lord bets Mephistopheles, an agent of the Devil, that Mephistopheles cannot lead astray the Lord's favourite striving scholar, Dr. Faust. Faust, disappointed by the knowledge obtainable by science's natural means, attempts and fails to gain knowledge by magical means. Dejected, he contemplates suicide, but is held back by the sounds of Easter celebrations. He joins his assistant Wagner for an Easter walk, and is followed home by a poodle. Back in the study, the poodle transforms into Mephistopheles, who offers Faust a contract: he will do Faust's bidding on earth, and Faust will do the same for him in Hell, if Mephistopheles can get him to be satisfied and want a moment to last forever. Faust signs in blood.

In Their Own Story

Mephistopheles first takes Faust to Auerbach's tavern in Leipzig, where the devil plays tricks on drunken revellers. Having been transformed into a young man by a witch, Faust encounters Margaret (Gretchen) and she excites his desires. Through a scheme involving jewellery and Gretchen's neighbour Marthe, Mephistopheles brings about Faust's and Gretchen's liaison. After a period of separation, Faust seduces Gretchen, who accidentally kills her mother with a sleeping potion given to her by Faust. Gretchen discovers she is pregnant, and her torment is increased when Faust and Mephistopheles kill her enraged brother in a sword fight. Mephistopheles seeks to distract Faust by taking him to a Witches' Sabbath on Walpurgis Night, but Faust insists on rescuing Gretchen from the execution to which she was sentenced after drowning her newborn child while in a state of madness. In the dungeon, Faust vainly tries to persuade Gretchen to follow him to freedom. At the end, as Faust and Mephistopheles flee the dungeon, a voice from heaven announces Gretchen's salvation.

Reader's Guide

The first part of *Faust* is structured as a sequence of scenes. After a dedicatory poem and a prelude in the theatre, the actual plot begins with a prologue in Heaven. The play proper opens with a monologue by Faust in his study, contemplating all he has studied. Despite his wide studies, he is dissatisfied and determines he knows 'nothing'. Science having failed him, Faust seeks knowledge in Nostradamus, in the 'sign of the Macrocosmos', and from an Earth-spirit, still without achieving satisfaction. He is interrupted by his famulus, Wagner, who symbolizes the vain scientific type who understands only book-learning. Dejected, Faust spies a phial of poison and contemplates suicide, but is halted by church bells announcing Easter. Faust and Wagner take a walk into the town, where people are celebrating Easter. They see a poodle, who they do not know is Mephistopheles in disguise, which follows them into the town. Back in his study, Faust translates the Gospel of John, settling upon translating Logos as 'In the beginning was the deed'. The words of the Bible agitate the dog, which transforms into Mephistopheles. After being confronted, Mephistopheles proposes to show Faust the pleasures of life, and they sign a pact. Mephistopheles leads Faust through the 'small' and 'great' worlds. In Auerbach's Cellar, Faust is bored and disgusted by the drunken revellers. Mephistopheles takes Faust to see a witch, who turns Faust into a handsome young man. Faust spies Margarete on the street and demands Mephistopheles procure her. Mephistopheles leaves jewellery in her cabinet. Margarete brings the jewellery to her mother, who donates it to the Church. Mephistopheles leaves another chest of jewellery, and Gretchen shows it to her neighbour Marthe. At the garden meeting, Gretchen confesses her love to Faust. Gretchen presents Faust with the question 'What is your way about religion, pray?' Faust gives Gretchen a bottle containing a sleeping potion to give to her mother, which turns out to be poisonous.

Did You Know?

• The first part of *Faust* was first published in 1808.
• The play begins with a prologue in Heaven, alluding to the story of Job.
• Faust signs the contract with Mephistopheles in blood.
• Gretchen accidentally kills her mother with a sleeping potion given to her by Faust.
• At the end of the drama, a voice from heaven announces Gretchen's salvation.