REMNANT TRUST COLLECTION
Faust: A Dramatic Poem
Category: Liberty & Human Dignity and Religion
By J.W. Goethe
Published in 1833
Reference #0153
Published 1833, by English poet and publisher Edward Moxon in London. Moxon would be prosecuted later in the decade for seditious libel due to publication of Mary Shelley’s “Queen Mab”, which featured atheistic passages. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s original 1808 “Faust” is translated from German with the blessing of the author. Faust would publish Part II of Faust in 1831, before passing a year after.
In the 19th century, Goethe adapted the 16th century German folk tale of Faust into what is now considered a masterwork of literature. Heinrich Faust sells his soul to the devil in an attempt to reach absolute knowledge. Through attempts to seize metaphysical and temporal power, Faust eventually dies in misery. Despite this, Faust is eventually embraced by heaven and given salvation.
Goethe explores the human condition and purpose through Faust. Due to its popularity, Goethe’s work popularized literary tropes such as the ‘deal-with-the-devil’.
