Goethe's second part of Faust moves away from the intimate tragedy of Gretchen into a vast, symbolic drama. Faust goes to the Emperor's court, summons Helen of Troy, marries her in an allegorical union of classical and modern worlds, and takes on large projects of land reclamation. Mephistopheles remains his guide, and the play ends with a debate over Faust's soul. Goethe worked on it until the end of his life.
Readers of German literature and of the Faust tradition will find a demanding but rich text. It is best approached after the first part and with a good commentary.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2001
- Publisher
- Philipp Reclam, Jun Verlag GmbH
- ISBN
- 9783150000021
- Language
- DE
