- Published: September 22, 2022
- Updated: September 22, 2022
- University / College: Iowa State University
- Level: Intermediate School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 47
Faust: World Literature II Word Count: 250 page) Introduction Here, it will be attempted to assess four key points: what Faust’s attitude was towards knowledge; why he tried suicide; what was Margaret’s function in the play; and how this reader feels towards Mephistopheles, if the reader’s feelings changed, and if so, when and why.
Faust’s Attitude Towards Knowledge
Faust’s attitude towards knowledge is that he wants to have all the experiences that he can. This difference between experiential knowledge and actual knowledge constitute a huge gap. Faust, it seems, does not realize the moral and ethical obligations behind the idea that he would be making a deal with Mephistopheles. Basically, in essence, he is selling his soul. What he does not understand are the consequences of such an action.
What Impels Faust to Try Suicide
Faust is on the brink of suicide. This is what makes him attempt to commit suicide. This is when he is definitely at his weakest moment.
Margaret’s Function in the Play
Margaret’s function in the play is to demonstrate the nature of how evil can exist apart from Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles is not the be-all and end-all with regards to peoples’ ability to make moral decisions.
This Reader’s Attitude Towards Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles thinks he is smart, but he undermines Faust as well as underestimates him. “ Mephistopheles, at the outset witty and powerful in his own imagination, gradually reveals his limitations. In the ‘ Prologue in Heaven,’ the Devil seems energetic, perceptive, enterprising, fearless: as the Lord says, a ‘ railer,’ apparently more ‘ trying’ than malign.” 1
Conclusion
Faust’s attitude towards knowledge, Faust’s suicide attempt, Margaret’s role in the play, and this reader’s feelings about Mephistopheles have been thoroughly analyzed.
WORKS CITED
Clinton, Jerome W., et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume 2. US: W. W. Norton & Co.,
2009. Pp. 316.