Goethe’s Faust, Part One

Part I: Prologue In Heaven: start on p. 15 (start w/ Mephistopheles) to p. 18

1. 16:297-311, then 17:312-18 thru 18:349, wager between God and Meph.

Part I Scene I: Night: p. 19 to p. 24 line 516; then p. 28 line 602 to end, p. 34

1. 20:402, F. hemmed in by books
2. 21, Macrocosm = order of all things
3. 22-24, F. rejected by Earth Spirit
4. 29:652-3, F. despairing
5. 30:686 to 31:736, F. prepares suicide by poison
6. 32:743, interrupted by Easter (irony: Meph. Will arise, not Christ)

Part I Scene II: In Front Of The City-Gate: start on p. 42, with Old Farmer; note that p. 45 is blank (an error); read to end, p. 50

1. 48:1145 to end, uplifting mood, meeting with black dog (M. in disguise)

Part I Scene III: The Study: p. 51 through p. 63, all

1. 52:1210-37, F rewriting Scripture, changes “Word” to “Act”
2. 54:1262, black dog materializes as M
3. 55:1320, M appears from mist
4. 60:1414, F suggests a deal

Part I Scene IV: The Study: p. 64 to p. 76 (stop when student enters); then p. 85 (when Faust returns) to end, p. 86

1. 68:1640-56, a deal is struck
2. 70:1692-98, F says to take him if he is ever satisfied & content
3. 72:1754-59, what F wants (experience, not book learning)
4. 76:1855-67, M’s plan

Part I Scene V: Auerbach’s Cellar in Leipzig: p. 87 through end, p. 104, all

1. 98:2264, bores holes in table
2. 100:2290, each his own wine from the hole before him
3. 101:2299, wine catches fire; M bewitches men. Foreshadowing of F’s fate

Part I Scene VI: The Witch’s Kitchen: p. 105 through end, p. 118, all

1. 117:2577-86, then 118:2603-4, F drinks a love potion
    
   Goethe’s Faust, Part One: Contents (second reading assignment)

Part I Scene VII: A Street: 119 SKIP

Part I Scene VIII: Evening: p. 123 through p.128, all

1. 123:2678-83, G daydreams about F
2. 124:2717-20, F has doubts about his deal with M
3. 126:2755-57, G, in her purity, senses presence of evil in her room
4. 127:2794-97, G is tempted by the jewelry left by M

Part I Scene IX: Promenade: p. 129 through p. 131, all

1. 129:2813-15, ironic interlude: M is frustrated, a priest stole the jewels
2. 131:2857-60, F has fallen for G

Part I Scene X: The Neighbour’s House: 132 SKIP

Part I Scene XI: The Street: p. 142 through p. 144, all

1. 144:3070-71, F agrees to lie to help court G (is becoming more corrupt)

Part I Scene XII: The Garden: p. 145 through p. 152, all

1. 151:3180-83, G is in love with F

Part I Scene XIII: An Arbour in the Garden: p. 153 through p. 154, all

1. 153:3205, first kiss

Part I Scene XIV: Forest and Cavern: p. 155 ONLY (SKIP 156-160)

1. 155:3247-50, F senses what M is doing to him

Part I Scene XV: Gretchen’s Room: p. 161 through p. 162, all

1. 161-2:3398-3413, G is deeply in love with F

Part I Scene XVI: Martha’s Garden: p. 163 through p. 169, all

1. 165:3451-58, F tells G, “Feeling is all!”
2. 166-7:3489-93, G senses the evil in M, again because of her own purity
3. 167-8:3503-20, F persuades G to give her mother a sleeping potion, so they may become lovers

Part I Scene XVII: At The Fountain: p. 170 through p. 172, all

1. 170-1:3551-61, Lisbeth gossiping about a pregnant, unwed girl
2. 172:3577-86, G deeply in conflict; sees her past self in Lisbeth

Part I Scene XVIII: A Tower: p. 173 through p. 174, all

1. 173:3596-3607, G prays to God for help, but her prayer will not be heard so straightforwardly

Part I Scene XIX: Night: p. 175 through p. 182, all

1. 178:3598, G’s brother Valentine challenges F for his sister’s lost honor
2. 179:3711, with help from M, F fatally wounds with his sword V
3. 180:3730, V, with dying breath, calls his sister a whore

Part I Scene XX: The Cathedral: p. 183 through p. 185, all

1. 183:3785-90, in church, an evil spirit taunts G, revealing her mother’s death. Its very presence shows that G has been corrupted

Part I Scene XXI: Walpurgis Night: SKIP TO p. 200, read through p. 202

1. 200-01:4176-4205, by now, F has left G with M, showing he too has been corrupted by M. They are at Walpurgis night (like a serious version of Halloween, at which only evil spirits and people gather). In a great irony, F sees the now-evil spirit of G in a vision that foretells her execution. She is imprisoned. F is deeply shamed and angered, both at himself and at M. This is a turning point.

Part I Scene XXII: A Walpurgis Night’s Dream: 203 SKIP

Part I Scene XXIII: Gloomy Day: p. 212 through p. 214, all

1. Written in prose, not verse. F demands that M magically transport him to G’s dungeon cell. M resists, but F has the power to insist, according to their deal. M gives way. F’s purpose is to save G—though he is thinking of her physical self, not her soul.

Part I Scene XXIV: Night: p. 215 (just one page long)

1. M and F are on the way to G’s dungeon cell. She awaits execution.
    
   Part I Scene XXV: A Dungeon p. 216 through p. 226, all
2. 216:4412-20, G is insane with self-loathing
3. 217:4425, G does not even know F
4. 217-18:4443-4450, we learn she his killed their newborn child
5. 218:4461, G finally recognizes F by his voice
6. 221:4507-17, G catalogs her sins: she killed her mother, killed her child, and seeing the blood on F’s sword, feels to blame for her brother’s death also
7. 221:4520-34, G will not leave the dungeon with F
8. 222:4544-49, G explains why not (guilty of so many deaths)
9. 23:4551-62, we see that G has veered back into insanity again; in such a state, she is not able to ask for God’s forgiveness
10. 224:4597-00, M appears at the cell doorway, urging F that they must leave
11. 225:4601-04, seeing M again, once again recognizing his pure evil, G is shocked back into her right mind. Note the deep irony of this scene.
12. 225:4608-10, sane once more, G prays to God for his mercy on her soul
13. 225:4611, M triumphantly proclaims that she is damned for all eternity; he has won, having corrupted both F and G together
14. 225:4612, but a mysterious “voice from above” intervenes: “She is saved!” –whose voice is this? What does this mean for Faust?

Sample Solution