Faust: Part oneThe legend of Faust grew up in the sixteenth century, a time of transition between medieval and modern culture in Germany. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) adopted the story of the wandering conjuror who accepts Mephistopheles's offer of a pact, selling his soul for the devil's greaterknowledge; over a period of 60 years he produced one of the greatest dramatic and poetic masterpieces of European literature.David Luke's recent translation, specially commissioned for The World's Classics series, has all the virtues of previous classic translations of Faust, and none of their shortcomings. Cast in rhymed verse, following the original, it preserves the essence of Goethe's meaning without sacrifice toarchaism or over-modern idiom. It is as near an 'equivalent' rendering of the German as has been achieved. |
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Common terms and phrases
ALTMAYER appears Barker Fairley Blocksberg BRANDER CHORUS classical curse dance David Luke dear death Devil Doctor Doctor Faustus dramatic dream Earth Spirit Elective Affinities Faust and Mephistopheles Faust's Study feel Forest Cavern Fragment stage FROSCH German girl Goethe's Götz von Berlichingen Gretchen Gustav Gründgens Harz district hear heart Hermann and Dorothea Introd Johann kind leave lines literary living London look Lord magic MARGARETA MARTHA mind mother motif never Note one's passage play poem poet poor Prologue in Heaven prose published revised rhyme round Schiller seems sense SIEBEL sing soliloquy song soul Storm and Stress STUDENT sweet tell theme there's things thought topheles Torquato Tasso traditional tragedy Urfaust Urfaust material VALENTINE verse voice W. H. Auden WAGNER Walpurgis Night Weimar Weimar Classicism What's whole WITCH words written young Goethe