Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Discussion questions re: Goethe's Faust


Is the heaven of the Prologue a Christian heaven?

What is the wager between Faust and Mephistopheles? What does each party stand to gain or lose?

Why does Mephistopheles tell Faust he must be asked into the study three times before he will comply with the invitation?

Why does Mephistopheles first appear as a black poodle?

What is the meaning of Mephistopheles's remark to Faust (p. 196) that "Time's short, my friend, and art is long"?

Why does Mephistopheles (p. 199) encourage the student to enroll first in a course of logic?

Why does Faust say that if he's not able to seduce Gretchen, then Mephistopheles will be through with him?

How and why does the witch-potion cause Faust to "see a Helen in every housewife" (p. 225)?

Why does Gretchen say (p. 260), "And now I'm just as bad myself!/But -- everything that made me do it/God was so good! Oh, was so sweet! (p. 261)"

What's the reason Mephistopheles takes Faust to Walpurgisnacht to take his mind off the terrible consequences of his liaison with Gretchen?

Why does the dialogue change to prose in Chapter xxiii (p.283) ("Dreary Day")

Why did Goethe choose his settings (e.g., Burgdorf, Auerbach's Celler in Leipzig, the Witch's Kitchen)?