When was faust written

A New History of German Literature, ed. David E. Wellbery et al Harvard University Press, Beck, James J. MacNeice became a friend of W. Faust, the far-famed Wizard and Sorcerer".

This classic drama presents the story of the scholar Faust, tempted into a contract with the Devil in return for a life of sensuality and power. Date Written: c. It was written sometime between and , and may have been performed between and Marlowe's death in Mephistopheles makes a bet with The Lord that he will be able to turn one of his servants, Dr.

Earliest Extant Edition: Perhaps the most familiar treatment of the Faust legend is by the celebrated German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, one of the rare giants of world literature.. For more details of these cookies and how to disable them, see our cookie policy.

Sign up for our e-newsletter. Search our website. Home Launch Flash Timeline. Faust learns that an elderly couple, Baucis and Philemon , wish to remain in their remote cottage and refuse to be bought off. The ecological and human cost of this insatiable appetite for expansion is evident in the 21st Century. Climate change is perhaps the most fitting contemporary analogy for the Faustian bargain — decades of rapid economic growth for an elite, followed by grave global consequences for eternity.

Our challenge today is that, to some extent, we are all in a Faustian bind. We are plagued by politicians offering easy answers to complex problems — especially when those easy answers are empty promises. The legend warns us to be wary of the cult of the ego, the seductions of fame and the celebration of power. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. Popular culture. What the myth of Faust can teach us.