Editing Faust (section)

{{Short description|Protagonist of a classic German legend}}
{{About|the German legendary character|other uses|Faust (disambiguation)}}{{use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
[[File:Jean Paul Laurens - Dr. Fausto.jpg|thumb|300px|''Dr. Fausto'' by [[Jean-Paul Laurens]]]]
[[File:1876 'Faust' by Goethe, decorated by Rudolf Seib, large German edition 51x38cm, from Tamoikin Art Fund.jpg|thumb|1876 'Faust' by Goethe, decorated by [[Rudolf von Seitz | Rudolf Seitz]], large German edition {{Convert|51|x|38|cm|in|abbr=on}}]]

'''Faust''' ({{IPAc-en|f|aʊ|s|t}} {{respell|FOWST}}, {{IPA|de|faʊst|lang|de-Faust.ogg}}) is the [[protagonist]] of a classic [[German folklore|German legend]] based on the historical [[Johann Georg Faust]] ({{circa|1480–1540}}). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a [[deal with the Devil]] at a [[Crossroads (folklore)|crossroads]], exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The Faust legend has been the basis for [[Works based on Faust|many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical works]] that have reinterpreted it through the ages. "Faust" and the adjective "''Faustian''" imply sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain.<ref>
{{cite dictionary
 |title=Faustian
 |quote=— pertaining to or resembling or befitting Faust or Faustus; especially in insatiably striving for worldly knowledge and power even at the price of spiritual values; 'a ''Faustian'' pact with the Devil'.
 |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Faustian
 |dictionary=The Free Dictionary (thefreedictionary.com)
}}
</ref>

The Faust of early books – as well as the ballads, dramas, movies, and puppet-plays which grew out of them – is irrevocably damned because he prefers human knowledge over divine knowledge: "He laid the [[Holy Scriptures]] behind the door and under the bench, refused to be called [[doctor of theology]], but preferred to be styled [[doctor of medicine]]".<ref>{{EB1911 |inline=y |last=Phillips |first=W.A. |author-link=Walter Alison Phillips |wstitle=Faust |volume=10 |page=211}}</ref> Chapbooks containing variants of this legend were popular throughout Germany in the 16th century. The story was popularised in England by [[Christopher Marlowe]], who gave it a classic treatment in his play ''[[Doctor Faustus (play)|The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus]]'' ({{circa|1592}}).<ref>
{{cite web
 |title=Christopher Marlowe
 |website=Biography (biography.com)
 |url=http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-marlowe-9399572
 |access-date=5 May 2018 |url-status=live
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323000251/https://www.biography.com/people/christopher-marlowe-9399572
 |archive-date=23 March 2018
}}
</ref>
In [[Goethe's Faust|Goethe's reworking of the story]] over two hundred years later, Faust seduces a pious girl who then commits suicide, but after many further adventures Faust is saved from damnation through the intervention of penitent women, including the girl whose life he ruined.