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Faust

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For other uses, see Faust (disambiguation).

Faust (Latin Faustus) is the protagonist of a popular German tale of a pact with the Devil, assumed to be based on the figure of the German magician and alchemist Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approximately 1480–1540). It has been used as the basis for many different fictional works, most notably by Christopher Marlowe, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Klaus Mann, Thomas Mann, Hector Berlioz, Oscar Wilde and Mikhail Bulgakov.

General plot

The story concerns the fate of a learned gentleman named Faust, who in his quest for forbidden or advanced knowledge of material things, summons the Devil (represented by Mephistopheles, often also referred to as Mephisto), who offers to serve him for a period of time, at the cost of his soul. In the fulfillment of Faust's increasingly frightening desires, Mephistopheles functions almost as a genie. However, at the end of the story, they quarrel over their bargain and Mephistopheles kills Faust.

Origin

While most scholars believe the story of Faust originated in northern Germany, committed to print in 1587 with the publishing of a little chapbook bearing the title Historia von D. Iohan Fausten, other scholars are quick to note that historia is Latin for Geschichte (German word for story or history) and Iohan is Latin for Johann. The choice of languages may imply the existence of an even earlier, independent source in Latin, such as that which Jacob Bidermann used for his treatment of the legend of the Damnation of the Good Dick of Paris, Cenodoxus.

There are other theories of origin for Faust. In the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century a Dutch play attributed to Anna Bijns appeared which may offer a template for the Faust legend. Mary of Nijmeghen dramatizes the story of a young woman convinced by a demon, One-Eyed Moenen, to sell her soul to learn the seven liberal arts. She lives a dissolute life for some time until, moved by a morality play, she regrets her bargain and seeks forgiveness. Unlike Faustus, Mary repents and, after a long penitence, receives her reward in heaven.

In either case, the little chapbook, already in circulation in Northern Germany, found its way to England where it was translated into English by a certain "P. F., Gent[leman]" in 1592 as The Historie of the Damnable Life, and Deserved Death of Doctor Iohn Faustus (unpreserved). It was this work that Christopher Marlowe used for his somewhat more ambitious play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (published c. 1600). Additionally, Marlowe borrowed from Acts and Monuments by John Foxe, on the exchanges between Pope Adrian and a rival pope. Another possible inspiration of Marlowe's version is John Dee (1527-1609), who practised forms of alchemy and science and developed Enochian magic.

Along with Jacob Bidermann's Cenodoxus (published c. 1602), Marlowe's version served to inspire Goethe's later Faust, which may be considered the more definitive classic work.

History

The Faust tale is a variation of the story about a negotiated pact between man and the devil, involving human hubris and diabolic cunning; the oldest extant version is the tale of Theophilus of Adana.

The origin of the protagonist's name and persona remains unclear. It is widely assumed to be based on the figure of the German magician and alchemist Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approximately 1480–1540), a dubious magician and alchemist probably from Knittlingen, Württemberg, who obtained a degree in divinity from Heidelberg University in 1509. According to one account Faust's poor reputation became legendary while he was in prison, where in exchange for wine he "offered to show a chaplain how to remove hair from his face without a razor; the chaplain provided the wine and Faustus provided the chaplain with a salve of arsenic, which removed not only the hair but the flesh."(Barnett) Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon are said to have alleged Faust's companionship with the devil.

However, it is also possible that the name "Faust" (German for "fist") is related to Italian "fausto". Fausto is possibly derived from the Latin adjective "faustus", meaning "auspicious" or "lucky". There may also be a connection with the fustum (Latin for "doctor's staff") of Aesculapius and other doctors of the time, an item likely to have figured prominently in the Legend of the Damnation of the Good Doctor of Paris, Cenodoxus, which also was an influence on Goethe's version.

The name of "Faust" has since become attached to any number of legendary tales about a charlatan alchemist (some claim "astrologer and necromancer"), whose pride, vanity, and vile hucksterism would inevitably lead to his doom. Similarly, the adjective "faustian" has come to denote any acts or constellations that involve human hubris leading to doom.

In Polish folklore there exists a tale with a Pan Twardowski in a role similar to Faust's, which seems to have originated roughly at the same time. It is unclear if and to what extent the two tales have a common origin or influenced each other. The figure of Pan Twardowski is supposedly based on a 16th century German emigrant to Kraków, then the Polish capital, possibly John Dee or Edward Kelley. According to Melanchthon, the historic Johann Faust had studied in Kraków, as well.

Works which retell or allude to the Faust tale

Drama

Opera

Classical Music

Popular Music

Musical "Faustian pacts"

  • Blues legend Robert Johnson was said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his skills with the guitar.
  • Like Robert Johnson, violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini was also said to have sold his soul in exchange for his musical skills.

Poetry

Prose fiction

Film

Musicals

Anime and manga

  • Shaman King (A character in Shaman King, Faust VIII, is a descendant of Dr. Faust)
  • Saber Marionette (The antagonistic ruler of the kingdom of Gartlant in Saber Marionette J)
  • Faust Münchhausen (a villain seen in the Urotsukidoji movies)
  • Deel Faust (The impish kid Devil General of Wind in "Devil (&) Devil")

Video games

  • Stauf, the main character in The 7th Guest is an anagram of "Faust".
  • The 'Big Boss' of the Dead End Gang gang in Vendetta is called Faust. He blows poisonous green fumes from his mouth as a special attack.
  • Faustus is the name of a minor villain in Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain
  • Guilty Gear series, "Faust" (Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear XX)
  • Max Payne, in which the mob member Jack Lupino is attempting the "Faustian deal".
  • Dr. Faustus was a character in the cancelled Playstation 1 game, "Thrill Kill."
  • In the Soul Calibur series, Faust is the name of Siegfried Schtauffen's first sword. Additionally the character Nightmare is what Siegfried becomes after laying hands on the demon blade and losing his soul.
  • Faust is a secret boss in the Playstation 1 game "The Legend of Dragoon"
  • Faust is a notorious monster (in this case, a giant arcane "doll" (robot) creature) in Final Fantasy XI.
  • Faust: The Seven Games of the Soul (PC Game - very loosely based on Goethe's Faust).
  • In the opening cutscene of the PlayStation 1 game Xenogears, one of the computer operators reports that Deus has accessed the 'Control System Faust', which it uses to alter the Eldridge's course.
  • In the computer game Freespace 2, the Faust is a class of vessels intended for scientific research.
  • Panzer Faust and Iorn Faust are weapons in the Phantasy Star Online series.
  • Mephisto is the boss in Diablo 2, Act III.
  • A Faustian deal makes up a major plot-element in Planescape: Torment.

Comic books

  • The comic book Faust was published in the 80s and 90s by artist Tim Vigil and writer David Quinn. The book follows a story template similar to the opera Faust, but is an updated version. Rebel Studios, an independent label originally published it, but it was later picked up by Avatar Press and a subsequent sequel series was created. Both are extremely sexual and violent series.
  • Felix Faust is a magical supervillain in the universe of DC Comics. He appeared first in 1962 as an adversary of the Justice League of America.
  • Jack Faust was the name of a magician in Alan Moore's series Promethea, and is also referred to in other books from the America's Best Comics imprint.
  • In Help!, Volume 2, Number 1, February 1962, Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder produced "Goodman Goes Playboy." In it, Goodman Beaver sells his soul to Mephistopheles in order to gain the material and sexual benefits that were extolled monthly in Playboy magazine. This comic strip, however, was legally suppressed by the creators of Archie Comics because it disparaged their cartoon character and his companions.
  • Dr. John Dee, a Renaissance scholar who was a likely inspiration for Marlowe's version of the "Faust" story, is a character in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. Additionally, the character of the Scarecrow quotes Marlowe's play of Faust ('It is a comfort in wretchedness to have companions in woe').
  • In the Hong Kong comic strip The World of Lily Wong one of the main characters, Stuart Wright, once worked at a very immoral advertising agency called Faust Associates. Their company logo resembled a devil.
  • The fifth chapter of Alan Moore's V for Vendetta references Faust, and the deal he made.
  • In the anime/manga Shaman King, one of the subcharacters is called Faust VIII and is portrayed as a depressed, secluded person with the skeleton of his dead wife in his coat.
  • A humour webcomic adaptation of Faust, by Claus Thomsen.

Nonfiction

Television

  • In the 2000 Family Guy episode "Running Mates", Brian is reading Stewie to sleep when Stewie interrupts, instructing that when reading Faust, one must read the part of Mephistopheles in a scary voice.

Pen name

"Minister Faust" is a pen name for Canadian writer, broadcaster and activist Malcolm Azania; as Minister Faust, he wrote the science fiction novel and social satire The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad.

See also

Sources

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Edited and with and introduction by Sylvan Barnett (1969, Signet Classics)

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Faust.

A wiki page about Faust. Includes scene by scene commentary.

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