Line #8 Theatre/Faust


1	[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Faust_Clarke_w275_4883.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:275: [- Faust and Mephistopheles, by Harry Clarke (1925) -] ]]
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4	''Faust'' is a dramatic duology by Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe and an adaptation of the 16th century folk legend about the [[Myth/{{Faust}} eponymous sorcerer]] that supposedly sold his soul to the devil.
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6	The first part is far better known than the second.
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8	* ''Theatre/FaustFirstPartOfTheTragedy'' (1808): Faust makes a deal with the demon Mephistopheles and engages in a love affair with the innocent Gretchen which has dire consequences for the latter.
9	* ''Theatre/FaustSecondPartOfTheTragedy'' (1832): More incredible adventures of Faust and Mephistopheles, until Faust grows old and Mephisto makes ready to collect his prize.
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12	!! Tropes present in both parts of ''Faust:''
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14	* TheBet: Two of these form the impetus of the story. First, Mephistopheles wagers with God that he can draw God's favorite human, Faust, away from righteousness. Second, Faust wagers with Mephistopheles that the devil can never make Faust feel a moment of such sublime happiness that he wishes for time to stand still - if Mephistopheles succeeds, Faust will die instantly and serve Mephistopheles in Hell. [[spoiler: While Faust loses his bet with Mephistopheles, that moment of happiness was caused by Faust's good deeds later in life, meaning that the ultimate winner of the wagers is God, who takes Faust's soul up to Heaven.]]
15	* BigBad: Mephistopheles, AKA {{Satan}}, is responsible for everything with his manipulation of Faust.
16	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Mephistopheles openly addresses the audience in several scenes and even inserts some occasional meta commentary on himself as a mythological/fictional character.
17	* DeadpanSnarker: Mephistopheles, often at the expense of the humans that surround him. It doesn't come across very well in some translations, but when it does it renders him by far the most entertaining part of the play.
18	* DealWithTheDevil: Though Faust's contract with Mephistopheles here is a wager, not a trade.
19	* {{Familiar}}: As his part of his deal with Faust, Mephistopheles becomes Faust's permanent companion and servant. In other words, he is Faust's familiar.
20	%%* FlamingDevil: Mephistopheles is not 101% heterosexual.%%Meaning?
21	* TheIngenue: Gretchen, the innocent young girl whose love eventually plays a part in [[LoveRedeems redeeming]] Faust.
22	* LaserGuidedKarma: After all of his scheming, trickery, and manipulations, Mephistopheles eventually manages to fulfill Faust's condition, and wins the wager, claiming his soul. [[spoiler: Except, the transcendental moment that Faust experienced was caused by his good deeds - meaning that while Mephistopheles won the wager with ''Faust'', he lost the wager he had with God, as he had failed to lure Faust away from righteousness, meaning that Faust's soul instead belonged to God and would go to Heaven, meaning that all of Mephistopheles' actions were for naught.]]
23	* ManOfWealthAndTaste: This is generally one of the earliest works to portray the devil this way - a suave, intelligent, and cultivated DeadpanSnarker. One of his first lines calls attention to how sharply he's dressed.
24	* LighterAndSofter: The most famous version of the ''Faust'' story ends with [[spoiler:Faust's salvation rather than damnation and fall into Hell]].
25	* ProtagonistTitle: Ironically, many theatrical posters and book covers of ''Faust'' feature Mephistopheles and not the main character who is, you know, right there in the title.
26	* TheRemake: Goethe certainly knew ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus'' and to a degree the duology is a remake of the Marlowe play.
27	* {{Satan}}: While in previous embodiments of the Myth/{{Faust}} tale Mephistopheles was ''a'' devil, Goethe suggests that he may just be ''the'' Devil.
28	* SparedByTheAdaptation: Goethe is the first author that [[spoiler: has Faust go to Heaven]].

Context Theatre / Faust