I am concerned with Faust's acceptance of Mephistopheles's horrible deal. Unlike in the movie we watched in class, Faust is not tempted beforehand with the image of Gretchen so it amazes me that he would agree to sell his soul when he is of sound mind. We are not given prior instances that show Faust as being so unhappy with his life that he would, without much thought, allow himself to be made a slave to Satan for eternity when Satan only has to serve Faust for his remaining mortal years: "I shall be at your service by this bond/ Without relief or respite here on earth/ And if or when we meet again beyond/ You are to give me equal worth" (45). I am surprised that Faust would agree to this, especially seeing how he is a wise man. It is absurdly ironic then, that he sells his soul to the devil so that he can gain knowledge, for this found knowledge does not lead him to the realization that he was duped. Rather than book knowledge, Faust should have sold his soul for common sense. Though this would have proven useless, at least he would have realized what a fool he was.
I really like the movie clip you put in, I never thought about modern versions of Faust, but I am inclined to disagree withou your assessment. First, Faust promises an eternity of servitude under a condition, indicating he hasn't taken completely leave of his senses and wise mind. When he adjusts the phrasing in his reply, the pact becomes one of more benfit to him. Also on page 33 Faust says "But oh! Though my resolve grows even stronger, I feel contentment welling from my soul no longer. Yet why must the flood so soon run dry, And we be left again in thirst to lie?" This indicates how unhappy Faust truly was; it indicates his destire for more, whcih is what the devil offered.
ReplyDeleteJeff, I wrote a similar blog post addressing Faust's acceptance of the devil's pact. I agree that Faust's life prior to the pact didn't seem unbearable. But, I think there is evidence that he was unsatisfied. His intelligence and position as a doctor separate him from the general public, who seem to live to smoke, socialize, and chase tail. He strives to live on the same level as the divine, and I think that his pact with the devil was a desperate, flailing attempt at seizing power Faust thought he deserved.
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