Editing Faust, Part Two (section)

===Act I===
* ''Graceful area. Faust, bedded on flowery turf, weary, restless, seeking sleep. Dusk. Ghost circle, floating moves, graceful little figures.''

The first act opens with an appeal by Ariel to forgive Faust and ease the cares of his suffering.

* ''Hall of the Throne. State Council in anticipation of the emperor. Trumpets. Servants of all kinds, beautifully dressed, step forward. The emperor ascends the throne, to his right the astrologer.''

The first act sees Mephistopheles (playing the role of a fool) saving the imperial finances of the Emperor – and so the [[Holy Roman Empire]] – by [[money creation]],<ref>[https://www.bis.org/review/r120924g.pdf Jens Weidmann: Money creation and responsibility]

Speech by Dr Jens Weidmann, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, at the 18th colloquium of the Institute for Bank-Historical Research (IBF), Frankfurt, 18 September 2012.</ref> introducing the use of [[paper money]] instead of gold to encourage spending (and economic recovery).

* ''Spacious room with side chambers, decorated and dressed up for the masquerade.''

This is by far the most extensive section of the first act, describing the Florentine carnival from the perspective of Goethe, above all based on [[Antonio Francesco Grazzini]]'s ''Tutti i trionfi'' (1559) – a collection of contemporary "songs and hard lifts". A parade of Florentine notables, including [[Dante]] and [[Gianni Schicchi de' Cavalcanti|Gianni Schicchi]], pass by.

* ''Lustgarten, morning sun. Faust, Mephistopheles, decent, not remarkable, according to custom, dressed, and both knees exposed.''

The "Emperor of Thumb" (to use a devilish term of Mephistopheles) describes how much he enjoyed the recent celebrations, and wants more "dergleichen Scherze" (5988). The Emperor appears and blesses the newly introduced paper money from Mephisto, which is adorned with pictures of [[Simon Magus]]. The Emperor begins to understand its meaning and to squander it, as do his advisors. Goethe here satirizes the introduction of paper money during the [[French Revolution]], with various advisors possibly representing [[Georges Danton|Danton]], [[Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès|Sieyès]] and other figures.

* ''Dark gallery. Faust. Mephistopheles.''

Faust enters the "realm of the mothers" – variously described as the depths of the psyche or the womb – in order to bring back the "ideal form" of beauty for the Emperor's delight. In this case, the ideal forms are [[Helen of Troy]] and her lover [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]]. Faust summons their spirits from [[Hades]], but the emperor and the male members of his court criticize Paris's appearance, while the women of the court criticize Helen's appearance. Faust falls in love with Helen. In a fit of jealously toward Paris, who is now abducting Helen, Faust destroys the illusion and the act ends in darkness and tumult.