Theme

__ Theme __


 * The main theme in Faust is a search for fulfillment. When Faust takes a look at his life, he begins to feel that life is empty. Faust is well-studied in many areas of life, yet is not truly happy, this is what leads him to the temptation of Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles promises to show Faust true satisfaction in life, and so Faust makes his deal with the devil. Throughout the play, Faust goes to many different measures to feel fulfilled.


 * The tragedy of life is another theme that is seen in this play. It is very tragic that Faust falls off of his moral path. His immoral behavior from the time he meets Margarete to the end actually becomes the downfall of Margarete. He is the reason that she loses her mother, becomes pregnant, and ends up in prison. The lesson here is that tragedy is inescapable, which is obvious in this play.


 * The third theme seen in Faust is Good vs. Evil. From the very beginning when the deal is made between Mephistopheles and The Lord, the conflict between good and evil is present. Faust is the center of this conflict since both sides want his soul. As he falls off of the path of good, evil seems to be triumphing and tragedies spread throughout all of the characters. For example, Margarete is affected negatively by Faust's evil influences, but in the end ends up going to Heaven. This shows that the two sides are constantly conflicting and it is hard to say which side wins. The lesson to be learned from this is that no matter how good a person is, the temptations of evil will always be there and are sometimes hard to resist.

The theme of the play aids in identifying the literary movement of the play.