Fausto, primera parte

Prólogo en el teatro

En el primer prólogo, tres personas (el director de teatro, el poeta y un actor) discuten el propósito del teatro. El director aborda el teatro desde una perspectiva financiera y busca obtener ingresos complaciendo al público; el actor busca su propia gloria a través de la fama como actor; y el poeta aspira a crear una obra de arte con contenido significativo. Muchas producciones utilizan a los mismos actores más adelante en la obra para establecer conexiones entre los personajes: el director reaparece como Dios, el actor como Mefistófeles y el poeta como Fausto. ^{[ 2 ]}

Prólogo en el cielo: La apuesta

La obra comienza con el Prólogo en el Cielo. En una alusión a la historia de Job , Mefistófeles apuesta con Dios por el alma de Fausto.

Dios ha decidido guiar pronto a Fausto hacia la claridad, quien hasta entonces solo le había servido confusamente. Sin embargo, para ponerlo a prueba, permite que Mefistófeles intente desviarlo del buen camino. Dios declara que «el hombre siempre se equivoca mientras se esfuerza». Se demuestra que el resultado de la apuesta es seguro, pues «un hombre bueno, incluso en sus impulsos más oscuros, permanece consciente del camino correcto», y a Mefistófeles se le permite desviar a Fausto únicamente para que aprenda de sus errores.

Noche

La obra propiamente dicha comienza con un monólogo de Fausto, sentado en su estudio, reflexionando sobre todo lo que ha estudiado a lo largo de su vida. A pesar de sus amplios conocimientos, se siente insatisfecho con su comprensión del funcionamiento del mundo y llega a la conclusión de que, en definitiva, no sabe "nada". Habiendo fracasado la ciencia, Fausto busca el conocimiento en Nostradamus , en el "signo del macrocosmos " y en un espíritu de la Tierra, sin lograr aún la satisfacción.

Mientras Fausto reflexiona sobre las enseñanzas del espíritu de la Tierra, es interrumpido por su famulo , Wagner. Wagner simboliza al vanidoso científico que solo comprende el saber libre y representa a la burguesía culta . Su enfoque del aprendizaje es una búsqueda brillante y fría, en contraste con Fausto, quien, impulsado por un anhelo emocional, busca el conocimiento divino.

Desconsolado, Fausto divisa un frasco de veneno y contempla el suicidio. Sin embargo, el sonido de las campanas de la iglesia que anuncian la Pascua lo detiene , recordándole no el deber cristiano, sino los días más felices de su infancia.

Fuera de la puerta de la ciudad

Fausto y Wagner dan un paseo por el pueblo, donde la gente celebra la Pascua. Al pasar, saludan a Fausto porque su padre, también alquimista , curó la peste . Fausto está de mal humor. Mientras caminan entre los aldeanos que pasean, Fausto le revela a Wagner su conflicto interno. Fausto y Wagner ven un caniche, sin saber que es Mefistófeles disfrazado, que los sigue hasta el pueblo.

Estudiar

Fausto regresa a sus aposentos, y el perro lo sigue. Fausto traduce el Evangelio de Juan , lo cual presenta dificultades, ya que no puede determinar el sentido de la primera frase (específicamente, la palabra Logos ( griego antiguo : Λὀγος ) – «En el principio era el Logos , y el Logos estaba con Dios, y el Logos era Dios» – actualmente traducida como «El Verbo »). Finalmente, decide traducirla con un significado que Logos no tiene, escribiendo «En el principio era la acción».

Las palabras de la Biblia agitan al perro, que se muestra como un monstruo. Cuando Fausto intenta repelerlo con hechicería, el perro se transforma en Mefistófeles, disfrazado de erudito viajero. Tras ser confrontado por Fausto sobre su identidad, Mefistófeles le propone mostrarle los placeres de la vida. Al principio, Fausto se niega, pero el diablo lo tienta a una apuesta, diciéndole que le mostrará cosas que jamás ha visto. Firman un pacto en el que acuerdan que si Mefistófeles logra darle a Fausto un momento en el que ya no desee esforzarse, sino que suplique que ese momento continúe, podrá tener el alma de Fausto.

Auerbach's Cellar in Leipzig

In this, and the rest of the drama, Mephistopheles leads Faust through the "small" and "great" worlds. Specifically, the "small world" is the topic of Faust I, while the "great world", escaping also the limitations of time, is reserved for Faust II.

These scenes confirm what was clear to Faust in his overestimation of his strength: he cannot lose the bet, because he will never be satisfied, and thus will never experience the "great moment" Mephistopheles has promised him. Mephistopheles appears unable to keep the pact, since he prefers not to fulfill Faust's wishes, but rather to separate him from his former existence. He never provides Faust what he wants, instead he attempts to infatuate Faust with superficial indulgences, and thus enmesh him in deep guilt.

In the scene in Auerbach's Cellar, Mephistopheles takes Faust to a tavern, where Faust is bored and disgusted by the drunken revelers. Mephistopheles realizes his first attempt to lead Faust to ruin is aborted, for Faust expects something different.

Witch's Kitchen

Mephistopheles takes Faust to see a witch, who—with the aid of a magic potion brewed under the spell of the Hexen-Einmaleins (witch's algebra)—turns Faust into a handsome young man. In a magic mirror, Faust sees the image of a woman, presumably similar to the paintings of the nude Venus by Italian Renaissance masters like Titian or Giorgione, which awakens within him a strong erotic desire. In contrast to the scene in Auerbach's Cellar, where men behaved as animals, here the witch's animals behave as men.

Street

Faust spies Margarete, known as "Gretchen", on the street in her town, and demands Mephistopheles procure her for him. Mephistopheles foresees difficulty, due to Margarete's uncorrupted nature. He leaves jewellery in her cabinet, arousing her curiosity.

Evening

Margarete brings the jewellery to her mother, who is wary of its origin, and donates it to the Church, much to Mephistopheles's fury.

The Neighbour's House

Mephistopheles leaves another chest of jewellery in Gretchen's house. Gretchen innocently shows the jewellery to her neighbour Marthe. Marthe advises her to secretly wear the jewellery there, in her house. Mephistopheles brings Marthe the news that her long absent husband has died. After telling the story of his death to her, she asks him to bring another witness to his death in order to corroborate it. He obliges, having found a way for Faust to encounter Gretchen.

Garden

At the garden meeting, Marthe flirts with Mephistopheles, and he is at pains to reject her unconcealed advances. Gretchen confesses her love to Faust, but she knows instinctively that his companion (Mephistopheles) has improper motives.

Forest and Cave

Faust's monologue is juxtaposed with Gretchen's soliloquy at the spinning wheel in the following scene. This monologue is connected thematically with Faust's opening monologue in his study; he directly addresses the Earth Spirit (German: Erdgeist).

Gretchen's Chamber

Gretchen is at her spinning wheel, thinking of Faust. The text of this scene was notably put to music by Franz Schubert in the lied Gretchen am Spinnrade, Op. 2, D. 118 (1814).

Marthe's Garden

Gretchen presents Faust with the famous question "What is your way about religion, pray?"^[4] She wants to admit Faust to her room, but fears her mother. Faust gives Gretchen a bottle containing a sleeping potion to give to her mother. Catastrophically, the potion turns out to be poisonous, and the tragedy takes its course.

"At the Well" and "By the City Wall"

In the following scenes, Gretchen has the first premonitions that she is pregnant as a result of Faust's seduction. Gretchen and Lieschen's discussion of an unmarried mother, in the scene at the Well, confirms the reader's suspicion of Gretchen's pregnancy. Her guilt is shown in the final lines of her speech: "Now I myself am bared to sin! / Yet all of it that drove me here, / God! Was so innocent, was so dear!"^[5] In "By the City Wall", Gretchen kneels before the statue of the Virgin and prays for help. She uses the opening of the Stabat Mater, a Latin hymn from the thirteenth century thought to be authored by Jacopone da Todi.

Night: Street in Front of Gretchen's Door

Valentine, Gretchen's brother, is enraged by her liaison with Faust and challenges him to a duel. Guided by Mephistopheles, Faust defeats Valentine, who curses Gretchen just before he dies.

Cathedral

Gretchen seeks comfort in the church, but she is tormented by an Evil Spirit who whispers in her ear, reminding her of her guilt. The Evil Spirit's tormenting accusations and warnings about Gretchen's eternal damnation at the Last Judgement, as well as Gretchen's attempts to resist them, are interwoven with verses of the hymn Dies irae (from the traditional Latin text of the Requiem Mass), which is being sung in the background by the cathedral choir. Gretchen ultimately falls into a faint.

Walpurgis Night and Walpurgis Night's Dream

A folk belief holds that during the Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht) on the night of 30 April—the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga—witches gather on the Brocken mountain, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, and hold revels with the Devil. The celebration is a Bacchanalia of the evil and demonic powers.

At this festival, Mephistopheles draws Faust from the plane of love to the sexual plane, to distract him from Gretchen's fate. Mephistopheles is costumed here as a Junker and with cloven hooves. Mephistopheles lures Faust into the arms of a naked young witch, but he is distracted by the sight of Medusa, who appears to him in "his lov'd one's image": a "lone child, pale and fair", resembling "sweet Gretchen".

"Dready Day. A Field" and "Night. Open Field"

The first of these two brief scenes is the only section in the published drama written in prose, and the other is in irregular unrhymed verse. Faust has apparently learned that Gretchen has drowned the newborn child in her despair, and has been condemned to death for infanticide. Now she awaits her execution. Faust feels culpable for her plight and reproaches Mephistopheles, who however insists that Faust himself plunged Gretchen into perdition: "Who was it that plunged her to her ruin? I or you?" However, Mephistopheles finally agrees to assist Faust in rescuing Gretchen from her cell.

Dungeon

Mefistófeles consigue la llave de la mazmorra y duerme a los guardias para que Fausto pueda entrar. Gretchen ya no está bajo la ilusión de juventud de Fausto y al principio no lo reconoce. Fausto intenta persuadirla para que escape, pero ella se niega porque sabe que Fausto ya no la ama y solo siente lástima por ella. Cuando ve a Mefistófeles, se asusta y suplica al cielo: «¡Juicio de Dios! ¡A ti te entrego mi alma!». Mefistófeles expulsa a Fausto de la prisión con las palabras: «¡Ahora ha sido juzgada!» . Sin embargo, la salvación de Gretchen es confirmada por voces celestiales: «¡Ha sido salvada! ».