Johann Faust (c1480-1540) of Germany was a wandering astrologist, scholar and magician who slighted Jesus' miracles and bragged that he could do the same. He was hated and feared by Martin Luther and when he disappeared in a strange manner and was later found dead in a pile of dung, many felt his strange demise was the work of the devil. Subsequently his name became the center of a great body of legend and poetry in European literature.
In 1808 the German Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe completed the first part of his poetic play, Faust, a lifelong preoccupation for the writer. Though many others have recounted the story of Faust, it was Goethe who transformed it into a struggle between the good and bad natures of man. Faust’s theme is that of spiritual questioning and hunger for experience and knowledge. This pursuit of insight can lead man to temptation but is derived from a divine spark, which can lead to salvation.
In 1808 the German Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe completed the first part of his poetic play, Faust, a lifelong preoccupation for the writer. Though many others have recounted the story of Faust, it was Goethe who transformed it into a struggle between the good and bad natures of man. Faust’s theme is that of spiritual questioning and hunger for experience and knowledge. This pursuit of insight can lead man to temptation but is derived from a divine spark, which can lead to salvation.
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| Faust first edition 1808. Source Antiquariat Dr. Haack Leipzig. > Privatbesitz. Author © Foto H.-P.Haack. Wikipedia Commons. |
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