Faust and Goethe by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Name: Faust and Goethe
Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The work presents a critical analysis of a dramatic narrative inspired by the themes of knowledge, power, and the human condition. The protagonist, Michael Scott, is depicted as a scholar whose insatiable thirst for knowledge leads him to pursue power rather than wisdom. Initially, he is portrayed as an enthusiastic figure, surrounded by disciples, advocating for the study of nature as a means to gain control. However, his journey takes a dark turn when he is imprisoned by those who fear his potential. After years of confinement, Michael emerges embittered and disillusioned, rejecting the very knowledge he once sought. His despair drives him to witchcraft, where he attempts to summon a devil, who embodies a mocking and capricious spirit. This devil serves as both a source of power and a tormentor, revealing the futility of Michael's pursuits. Despite gaining some control over the devil, Michael finds himself increasingly enslaved by his desires and the consequences of his actions. The narrative explores Michael's internal conflict as he grapples with his moral decay and the seductive nature of power. His attempts to seduce Agatha, a representation of purity, lead to a struggle between his baser instincts and the possibility of redemption. The devil's influence intensifies, subjecting Michael to various horrors, yet through love and the support of Agatha, he begins to seek a path to salvation. The work critiques the notion of misology, suggesting that a genuine love for knowledge, pursued for noble ends, would not lead to the despair that Michael experiences. The analysis contrasts the character of Michael with the more complex figures in the original narrative, arguing that the latter lacks depth and coherence. The commentary also touches on the broader literary context, comparing the works of Goethe and Schiller, and asserting that while Goethe's poetry is admired, it does not resonate with the common populace as Schiller's does. Ultimately, the narrative culminates in Michael's triumph over despair, as he finds peace through the realization of divine grace. The exploration of themes such as the pursuit of knowledge, the nature of power, and the potential for redemption serves as a profound reflection on the human experience, emphasizing the importance of intention behind the quest for understanding. The work concludes with a critique of translation efforts, advocating for the preservation of poetic form in rendering such complex narratives into English.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1835 · Genre: Drama, Philosophical Fiction, Tragedy · 2,147 words

First lines

Before I had ever seen any part of Goethe's Faust[1], though, of course, when I was familiar enough with Marlowe's, I conceived and drew up the plan of a work, a drama, which was to be, to my mind, what the Faust was to Goethe's. My Faust was old Michael Scott; a much better and more likely original than Faust. He appeared in the midst of his college of devoted disciples, enthusiastic, ebullient, shedding around him bright surmises of discoveries fully perfected in after-times, and inculcating the study of nature and its secrets as the pathway to the acquisition of power. He did not love knowledge for itself -- for its own exceeding great reward -- but in order to be powerful. This poison-speck infected his mind from the beginning. The priests suspect him, circumvent him, accuse him; he is condemned, and thrown into solitary confinement: this constituted the _prologus_ of the drama. A pause of four or five years takes place, at the end of which Michael escapes from prison, a soured, gloomy, miserable man. He will not, cannot study; of what avail had all his study been to him? His knowledge, great as it was, had failed to preserve him from the cruel fangs of the persecutors; he could not command the lightning or the storm to wreak their furies upon the heads of those whom he hated and contemned, and yet feared. Away with learning! away with study! to the winds with all pretences to knowledge! We _know_ nothing; we are fools, wretches, mere beasts. Anon I began to tempt him. I made him dream, gave him wine, and passed the most exquisite of women before him, but out of his reach. Is there, then, no knowledge by which these pleasures can be commanded? _That way_ lay witchcraft, and accordingly to witchcraft Michael turns with all his soul.

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Faust and Goethe is listed on Textopian as an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, dated 1835 CE.

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Work type: Essay
Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Date: 1835 CE
Language: English
Genres: Drama, Philosophical Fiction, Tragedy, Romanticism, Literary Criticism
Length: 2,147 words
Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Genres

Drama — The work is structured as a dramatic narrative, focusing on the character of Michael Scott and his interactions with the Devil, akin to Goethe's Faust.
Philosophical Fiction — The themes explore deep philosophical questions about knowledge, power, and morality, reflecting on the consequences of misology.
Tragedy — The narrative involves tragic elements, including Michael's downfall and moral struggles, paralleling the tragic aspects of Faust.
Romanticism — The work embodies Romantic ideals, emphasizing individual experience, emotion, and the conflict between desire and morality.