Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a popular German tale that has been used as the basis for many different fictional works. It concerns the fate of a learned gentleman, Faust, who summons the Devil, who in the tale is usually called Mephistopheles, and offers to sell him his soul if the Devil will serve him for a given period of time. This legend has also inspired the western culture's literary classic Faust by German writer and humanist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Historical origins
The tale has some basis in history. Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approximately 1480-1540) was a German alchemist who was born in the village of Knittlingen, Württemberg. A German chapbook about his sins was translated into English in 1587, where it came to the attention of Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, in turn, was studied by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and as such the fictional Faust came to overshadow the historical Faust, about whom little is known. Another very possible inspiration for Marlowe's Doctor Faustus is John Dee (1527-1609), who practiced forms of alchemy and science and developed Enochian magic.
Works which retell or allude to the Faust tale
Drama
Opera
Music
Poetry
Prose fiction
Faust Eric
Movies
Musicals
Anime and manga
Comic books
Nonfiction
Pen name
"Minister Faust" is a pen name for Canadian writer, broadcaster and activist Malcolm Azania; as Minister Faust, he wrote the science fiction novel and social satire The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad.See also
External links
Faust is also the name of a German krautrock band. See Faust (band).
Faust is also the German word for fist, although the name "Faust" may be related to Italian "Fausto" rather than the German word.