Johann Goethe "Faust": description, characters, analysis of the work. Analysis of the play "Faust" by Goethe What problems does Goethe raise in the tragedy of Faust

"Faust" is a work that declared its greatness after the death of the author and has not subsided since then. The phrase "Goethe - Faust" is so well known that even a person who is not fond of literature has heard about it, perhaps without even suspecting who wrote whom - either Goethe's Faust, or Goethe's Faust. However, the philosophical drama is not only the invaluable heritage of the writer, but also one of the brightest phenomena of the Enlightenment.

"Faust" not only gives the reader a bewitching plot, mysticism, and mystery, but also raises the most important philosophical questions. Goethe wrote this work for sixty years of his life, and the play was published after the death of the writer. The history of the creation of the work is interesting not only for the long period of its writing. Already the name of the tragedy opaquely alludes to the physician Johann Faust, who lived in the 16th century, who, by virtue of his merits, acquired envious people. The doctor was credited with supernatural powers, supposedly he could even resurrect people from the dead. The author changes the plot, supplements the play with characters and events, and, as if on a red carpet, solemnly enters the history of world art.

The essence of the work

The drama opens with a dedication, followed by two prologues and two parts. Selling your soul to the devil is a story for all time, in addition, a curious reader is also waiting for a journey through time.

In the theatrical prologue, an argument begins between the director, the actor and the poet, and each of them, in fact, has his own truth. The director is trying to explain to the creator that it makes no sense to create a great work, since the majority of viewers are not able to appreciate it, to which the poet stubbornly and indignantly disagrees - he believes that for a creative person, first of all, it is not the taste of the crowd that is important, but the idea of ​​​​the creativity.

Turning the page, we see that Goethe sent us to heaven, where a new dispute is brewing, only this time between the devil Mephistopheles and God. According to the representative of darkness, a person is not worthy of any praise, and God allows you to test the strength of your beloved creation in the person of the industrious Faust in order to prove the opposite to the devil.

The next two parts are an attempt by Mephistopheles to win the argument, namely, the devilish temptations will come into play one after another: alcohol and fun, youth and love, wealth and power. Any desire without any obstacles, until Faust finds what is worthy of life and happiness and is equivalent to the soul that the devil usually takes for his services.

Genre

Goethe himself called his work a tragedy, and literary critics called it a dramatic poem, which is also difficult to argue about, because the depth of the images and the power of Faust's lyricism are of an unusually high level. The genre nature of the book also leans towards the play, although only individual episodes can be staged on the stage. The drama also has an epic beginning, lyrical and tragic motifs, so it is difficult to attribute it to a specific genre, but it will not be wrong to say that Goethe's great work is a philosophical tragedy, a poem and a play all rolled into one.

Main characters and their characteristics

1. Faust is the protagonist of Goethe's tragedy, an outstanding scientist and doctor who knew many of the mysteries of science, but was still disappointed in life. He is not satisfied with the fragmentary and incomplete information that he owns, and it seems to him that nothing will help him come to the knowledge of the higher meaning of being. The desperate character even contemplated suicide. He enters into an agreement with the messenger of the dark forces in order to find happiness - something that is really worth living for. First of all, he is driven by a thirst for knowledge and freedom of spirit, so he becomes a difficult task for the devil.
2. "A particle of power that wished eternally evil, doing only good"- a rather controversial image of the trait of Mephistopheles. The focus of evil forces, the messenger of hell, the genius of temptation and the antipode of Faust. The character believes that “everything that exists is worthy of death”, because he knows how to manipulate the best divine creation through his many vulnerabilities, and everything seems to indicate how negatively the reader should treat the devil, but damn it! The hero evokes sympathy even from God, to say nothing of the reading public. Goethe creates not just Satan, but a witty, caustic, insightful and cynical trickster, from whom it is so difficult to look away.
3. Of the characters, Margaret (Gretchen) can also be singled out separately. A young, modest, commoner who believes in God, Faust's beloved. An earthly simple girl who paid for the salvation of her soul with her own life. The protagonist falls in love with Margarita, but she is not the meaning of his life.

Themes

A work containing an agreement between a hardworking person and the devil, in other words, a deal with the devil, gives the reader not only an exciting, adventurous plot, but also relevant topics for reflection. Mephistopheles is testing the protagonist, giving him a completely different life, and now the “bookworm” Faust is waiting for fun, love and wealth. In exchange for earthly bliss, he gives Mephistopheles his soul, which, after death, must go to hell.

1. The most important theme of the work is the eternal confrontation between good and evil, where the side of evil, Mephistopheles, is trying to seduce the good, desperate Faust.
2. After the dedication, the theme of creativity lurked in the theatrical prologue. The position of each of the disputants can be understood, because the director thinks about the taste of the public that pays money, the actor - about the most profitable role to please the crowd, and the poet - about creativity in general. It is not difficult to guess how Goethe understands art and on whose side he stands.
3. Faust is such a multifaceted work that here we even find the theme of selfishness, which is not striking, but when discovered, explains why the character was not satisfied with knowledge. The hero enlightened only for himself, and did not help the people, so his information accumulated over the years was useless. From this follows the theme of the relativity of any knowledge - that they are unproductive without application, resolves the question of why the knowledge of the sciences did not lead Faust to the meaning of life.
4. Easily passing through the temptation of wine and fun, Faust does not even realize that the next test will be much more difficult, because he will have to indulge in an unearthly feeling. Meeting the young Marguerite on the pages of the work and seeing Faust's insane passion for her, we look at the theme of love. The girl attracts the protagonist with her purity and impeccable sense of truth, in addition, she guesses about the nature of Mephistopheles. The love of the characters entails misfortune, and in the dungeon Gretchen repents for her sins. The next meeting of lovers is expected only in heaven, but in the arms of Marguerite, Faust did not ask to wait a moment, otherwise the work would have ended without the second part.
5. Looking closely at Faust's beloved, we note that young Gretchen evokes sympathy from readers, but she is guilty of the death of her mother, who did not wake up after a sleeping potion. Also, through the fault of Margarita, her brother Valentine and an illegitimate child from Faust die, for which the girl ends up in prison. She suffers from the sins she has committed. Faust invites her to escape, but the captive asks him to leave, surrendering completely to her torment and repentance. Thus, another theme is raised in the tragedy - the theme of moral choice. Gretchen chose death and God's judgment over running away with the devil, and in doing so saved her soul.
6. The great legacy of Goethe is also fraught with philosophical polemical moments. In the second part, we will look again into Faust's office, where the diligent Wagner is working on an experiment, creating a person artificially. The very image of the Homunculus is unique, hiding a clue in his life and searches. He yearns for a real existence in the real world, although he knows something that Faust cannot yet realize. Goethe's intention to add such an ambiguous character as the Homunculus to the play is revealed in the presentation of entelechy, the spirit, as it enters into life before any experience.

Problems

So, Faust gets a second chance to spend his life, no longer sitting in his office. It is unthinkable, but any desire can be fulfilled in an instant, the hero is surrounded by such temptations of the devil, which are quite difficult to resist for an ordinary person. Is it possible to remain yourself when everything is subject to your will - the main intrigue of this situation. The problematic of the work lies precisely in the answer to the question, is it really possible to stand on the positions of virtue, when everything that you only wish comes true? Goethe sets Faust as an example for us, because the character does not allow Mephistopheles to completely master his mind, but is still looking for the meaning of life, something for which a moment can really delay. Aspiring to the truth, a good doctor not only does not turn into a part of an evil demon, his tempter, but also does not lose his most positive qualities.

1. The problem of finding the meaning of life is also relevant in Goethe's work. It is from the seeming absence of truth that Faust thinks about suicide, because his works and achievements did not bring him satisfaction. However, passing with Mephistopheles through everything that can become the goal of a person's life, the hero nevertheless learns the truth. And since the work refers to, the main character's view of the world around him coincides with the worldview of this era.
2. If you look closely at the main character, you will notice that at first the tragedy does not let him out of his own office, and he himself does not really try to get out of it. Hidden in this important detail is the problem of cowardice. Studying science, Faust, as if afraid of life itself, hid from it behind books. Therefore, the appearance of Mephistopheles is important not only for the dispute between God and Satan, but also for the test subject himself. The devil takes a talented doctor outside, plunges him into the real world, full of mysteries and adventures, so the character stops hiding in the pages of textbooks and lives anew, for real.
3. The work also presents readers with a negative image of the people. Mephistopheles, back in the Prologue in Heaven, says that God's creation does not value reason and behaves like cattle, so he is disgusted with people. The Lord cites Faust as a counter argument, but the reader will still encounter the problem of the ignorance of the crowd in the pub where students gather. Mephistopheles hopes that the character will succumb to fun, but he, on the contrary, wants to leave as soon as possible.
4. The play brings to light rather controversial characters, and Valentine, Margaret's brother, is also a great example. He stands up for the honor of his sister when he gets into a fight with her "boyfriends", soon dying from Faust's sword. The work reveals the problem of honor and dishonor just on the example of Valentine and his sister. The brother's worthy deed commands respect, but here it is rather twofold: after all, dying, he curses Gretchen, thus betraying her to universal disgrace.

The meaning of the work

After long joint adventures with Mephistopheles, Faust still finds the meaning of existence, imagining a prosperous country and a free people. As soon as the hero understands that the truth lies in constant work and the ability to live for the sake of others, he utters the cherished words “Instant! Oh, how beautiful you are, wait a bit" and dies . After the death of Faust, the angels saved his soul from evil forces, rewarding his insatiable desire for enlightenment and resistance to the temptations of the demon in order to achieve his goal. The idea of ​​the work is hidden not only in the direction of the main character's soul to heaven after an agreement with Mephistopheles, but also in Faust's remark: "Only he is worthy of life and freedom, who every day goes to battle for them." Goethe emphasizes his idea by the fact that thanks to overcoming obstacles for the benefit of the people and self-development of Faust, the messenger of hell loses the argument.

What does it teach?

Goethe not only reflects the ideals of the Enlightenment era in his work, but also inspires us to think about the high destiny of man. Faust gives the public a useful lesson: the constant pursuit of truth, knowledge of the sciences and the desire to help the people save the soul from hell even after a deal with the devil. In the real world, there is no guarantee that Mephistopheles will give us plenty of fun before we realize the great meaning of being, so the attentive reader should mentally shake Faust's hand, praising him for his stamina and thanking him for such a quality hint.

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The tragedy "Faust" was written for a very long time and unevenly - for fifty-seven years. The full text of Faust is divided into two large parts. The first includes the love story of Faust, who magically regained his youth, and the young girl Marguerite. This story is traced from their first meeting to the death of Margarita. Two prologues open the tragedy: "Prologue in the theater" and "Prologue in heaven." The prologue in the theater connects the work with modernity and is devoted to a discussion of what should be staged in the theater in order to satisfy the tastes of the public. The second prologue, conveying the conversation of the Lord with Mephistopheles, refers the reader to the Bible, thereby indicating the enduring significance of the play's problems.

The text of the first part is divided into twenty-five scenes. Events begin with the monologues of Faust, an old scientist, about his deep doubts about the usefulness and truth of his knowledge, about disappointment in a fruitless science. These reflections turn into a determination to change their lives and indulge in secret magical pursuits, which leads to the appearance in the life of Faust of the demon Mephistopheles, carrying with him the temptation with the promises of youth and the fulfillment of all desires. To understand the author's thoughts about the nature of Mephistopheles, the following dialogue between Faust and him is important:

Faust

"So who are you?"

Mephistopheles

- I am a particle of strength,

Desiring evil forever, doing only good.

Mephistopheles' answer should not be seen as a simple desire of the devil to deceive a person. With these words, Goethe conveys his philosophical understanding of the impossibility of the triumph of evil in the world - it is always transformed into good. Goethe wants to say that evil is temporary, it is constantly denied by God's will, which creates good. It is this thought that explains the rescue of the criminal Margarita at the end of scene 25. This moral law of life was shared by Pushkin, Lermontov and other prominent writers and thinkers. In the XX century M.A. Bulgakov used this dialogue as an epigraph to The Master and Margarita.

The second part of "Faust" was created in the XIX century (1806-1831). Unlike the first part, which was based on a love story, in the second part Goethe transfers the plot of the tragedy to conditional situations generated by ancient mythology and history. Antiquity, the cradle of modern humanity, is intertwined in Goethe with Christian beliefs and symbols, images and ideals. The second part consists of five acts in which Faust ascends to the insight of the truth about the purpose of human life.

At the culmination of the fifth act, Faust proclaims the highest meaning of human life in labor and service for the benefit of people. Here is how he talks about the great work of draining the swamp and creating a flowering land:

I am committed to this idea! Life years

Gone in vain; clear before me

The final conclusion of earthly wisdom:

All my life in the struggle of a harsh, continuous

Let the child, and the husband, and the elder lead,

So that I can see in the brilliance of wondrous power

Free land, my free people!

It was in this monologue that the words that became textbooks sounded:

Only he is worthy of life and freedom,

Who every day goes to fight for them!

Before the finale of the tragedy, Goethe leads Faust to a bold statement of the "supreme moment" he has achieved as a "beautiful moment" - it lies in the creativity of man, his work, which bears fruit for subsequent generations. Faust begins to understand the purpose of a person in life - he must bring good to people. Having overcome pride and selfishness, Faust is not afraid of defeat in a dispute with Mephistopheles, because he knows that now he is invincible:

Then I would say: a moment,

You're great, hold on!

And the flow of centuries would not be bold

The trace I left!

In anticipation of that wondrous minute

I now taste my highest moment.

It would seem that Faust violated the contract, Mephistopheles triumphs:

Poor, empty, miserable moment!

But time is king; the last moment has come

The old man who fought so long has fallen,

The clock is up!

Mephistopheles considered that he defeated Faust, taking his life, but the devil was not in control of the soul of a person if he makes a high choice in favor of people's happiness. Mephistopheles owns only the body of Faust, the angels descended from heaven carry away the immortal soul of Faust. The result of the tragedy is that man overcame temptation and evil was defeated.

For the reader, who for the first time joins the artistic world of Faust, many things will seem unusual. Before us is a philosophical drama, a genre characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment. The features of the genre are manifested here in everything: in the nature and motivation of the conflict, in the choice and placement of characters. The severity of the conflict is determined not just by the clash of human characters, but by the clash of ideas, principles, the struggle of different opinions. The place and time of the action are conditional, that is, they are devoid of precise historical signs.

Attention should be paid to the peculiarities of the plot in Faust. The plot, as you know, reflects the relationship of the characters. But Faust is not an everyday drama, but a philosophical tragedy. Therefore, the main thing here is not the external course of events, but the movement of Goethe's thought. From this point of view, the unusual prologue, which takes place in heaven, is also very important.

Goethe uses the images of the Christian legend familiar to that time, but, of course, puts into them a completely different content. The hymns of the archangels create a kind of cosmic backdrop. The universe is majestic, everything in nature is in constant motion, in struggle.

Sounding in harmony with the universe

And in the course of the spheres thundering like thunder,

The golden sun is always

Goes the prescribed way.

There is a deep meaning in the fact that immediately after the end of this hymn to the universe, a dispute begins about man, about the meaning of his existence. The poet, as it were, reveals to us the greatness of the cosmos, and then asks: what is a person in this vast, endless world?

Mephistopheles answers this question with a destructive characteristic of man. A person, even such as Faust, in his opinion, is insignificant, helpless, pathetic. Mephistopheles mocks the fact that man is proud of his reason; he thinks it's empty arrogance. This mind, says Mephistopheles, serves only to the detriment of man, for it makes him "even more animal than any animal."

Goethe puts the humanistic program into the mouth of the Lord, who opposed Mephistopheles with his faith in man. Port is convinced that Faust will overcome temporary delusions and find! road to truth.

And let Satan be put to shame!
Know: a pure soul in its vague search
Consciousness of truth is full!

Mephistopheles plays an important role in Faust. He embodies doubt, denial, destruction. Becoming a companion of Faust, he seeks to lead him astray, to instill doubt in him, to lead him "by the wrong path behind him." To distract Faust from lofty aspirations, Mephistopheles leads him to the witch's kitchen, intoxicates him with a magic potion, drags him along to Auerbach's cellar, arranges his meetings with Margarita, so that the excitement of passion makes the scientist forget about his duty to the truth.

Margarita, as it were, embodies the world of simple feelings, ordinary people, a natural, healthy existence. It seemed to Faust that it was here that he would find the fullness of happiness. Margarita believed in his possibility. Goethe conveys all the power of a great feminine feeling in a heartfelt monologue by Gretchen at the spinning wheel. And although the whole scene consists of one lyrical monologue, it marks a whole stage in the fate of the heroine.

Goethe's Faust entered the world culture as one of the "eternal images". In our time, the problems posed by Goethe have not only acquired a new meaning, but have become extraordinarily complicated.

The main theme of the tragedy "Faust" by Goethe is the spiritual quest of the protagonist - the freethinker and warlock Dr. Faust, who sold his soul to the devil for gaining eternal life in human form. The purpose of this terrible treaty is to soar above reality not only with the help of spiritual exploits, but also with worldly good deeds and valuable discoveries for mankind.

History of creation

The philosophical drama for reading "Faust" was written by the author throughout his entire creative life. It is based on the most famous version of the legend of Dr. Faust. The idea of ​​writing is the embodiment in the image of the doctor of the highest spiritual impulses of the human soul. The first part was completed in 1806, the author wrote it for about 20 years, the first edition took place in 1808, after which it underwent several author's revisions during reprints. The second part was written by Goethe in his advanced years, and published about a year after his death.

Description of the work

The work opens with three introductions:

• dedication. A lyrical text dedicated to the friends of youth who made up the author's social circle during his work on the poem.
• Prologue in the theater. A lively debate between the Theater Director, the Comic Actor and the Poet on the topic of the meaning of art in society.
• Prologue in Heaven. After a discussion about the mind given by the Lord to people, Mephistopheles makes a bet with God about whether Dr. Faust can overcome all the difficulties of using his mind solely for the benefit of knowledge.

Part one

Doctor Faust, understanding the limitations of the human mind in knowing the secrets of the universe, tries to commit suicide, and only the sudden blows of the Easter Annunciation prevent him from carrying out this plan. Further, Faust and his student Wagner bring a black poodle to the house, which turns into Mephistopheles in the form of a wandering student. The evil spirit strikes the doctor with his strength and sharpness of mind and tempts the pious hermit to re-experience the joys of life. Thanks to the concluded agreement with the devil, Faust regains youth, strength and health. Faust's first temptation is his love for Marguerite, an innocent girl who later paid with her life for her love. In this tragic story, Margarita is not the only victim - her mother also accidentally dies from an overdose of sleeping pills, and her brother Valentine, who stood up for her sister's honor, will be killed by Faust in a duel.

Part two

The action of the second part takes the reader to the imperial palace of one of the ancient states. In five acts, permeated with a mass of mystical and symbolic associations, the worlds of Antiquity and the Middle Ages are intertwined in a complex pattern. The love line of Faust and the beautiful Helen, the heroine of the ancient Greek epic, runs like a red thread. Faust and Mephistopheles, through various tricks, quickly become close to the emperor's court and offer him a rather non-standard way out of the current financial crisis. At the end of his earthly life, the almost blind Faust undertakes the construction of a dam. He perceives the sound of shovels of evil spirits digging his grave on the orders of Mephistopheles as active construction work, while experiencing moments of great happiness associated with a great deed realized for the benefit of his people. It is in this place that he asks to stop the moment of his life, having the right to do so under the terms of the contract with the devil. Now hellish torments are predetermined for him, but the Lord, having appreciated the doctor's merits to humanity, makes a different decision and Faust's soul goes to heaven.

Main characters

Faust

This is not just a typical collective image of a progressive scientist - he symbolically represents the entire human race. His difficult fate and life path are not just allegorically reflected in all of humanity, they point to the moral aspect of the existence of each individual - life, work and creativity for the benefit of his people.

(On the image F. Chaliapin in the role of Mephistopheles)

At the same time, the spirit of destruction and the power to resist stagnation. A skeptic who despises human nature, confident in the worthlessness and weakness of people who are unable to cope with their sinful passions. As a person, Mephistopheles opposes Faust with disbelief in the goodness and humanistic essence of man. He appears in several guises - sometimes a joker and joker, sometimes a servant, sometimes an intellectual philosopher.

margarita

A simple girl, the embodiment of innocence and kindness. Modesty, openness and spiritual warmth attract to her a lively mind and the restless soul of Faust. Margarita is the image of a woman capable of all-encompassing and sacrificial love. It is thanks to these qualities that she receives forgiveness from the Lord, despite the crimes she has committed.

Analysis of the work

The tragedy has a complex compositional structure - it consists of two voluminous parts, the first has 25 scenes, and the second - 5 actions. The work connects the cross-cutting motif of the wanderings of Faust and Mephistopheles into a single whole. A striking and interesting feature is the three-part introduction, which is the beginning of the future plot of the play.

(Images of Johann Goethe in the work on "Faust")

Goethe thoroughly reworked the folk legend underlying the tragedy. He filled the play with spiritual and philosophical problems, in which the ideas of the Enlightenment close to Goethe find a response. The protagonist transforms from a sorcerer and alchemist into a progressive experimental scientist who rebels against scholastic thinking, which is very characteristic of the Middle Ages. The circle of problems raised in the tragedy is very extensive. It includes reflections on the secrets of the universe, the categories of good and evil, life and death, knowledge and morality.

Final conclusion

"Faust" is a unique work that touches on eternal philosophical questions along with the scientific and social problems of its time. Criticizing a narrow-minded society that lives in carnal pleasures, Goethe, with the help of Mephistopheles, simultaneously ridicules the German education system, replete with a mass of useless formalities. The unsurpassed play of poetic rhythms and melody makes Faust one of the greatest masterpieces of German poetry.

Faust is a tragedy written by Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

"Faust" analysis

Genre- a philosophical tragedy, therefore the main thing in it is not the external course of events, but the development of Goethe's thought. By the scale of the image of reality, the depth of images and the power of lyricism, the work can be called a poem.

The plot of the tragedy - the first part is an eternal love story, the second - the story of eternity. The first part depicts the "microworld" of a person, his individual, personal life, the second part, the "macroworld", reflects the socio-political life of mankind.

Issues- life and death, good and evil, the essence of being, the purpose of man in the world, man and nature, man and the universe, knowledge of the world, love, art and its role in society

Subject- the search for a person the meaning of life and his purpose.

The protagonist of the philosophical tragedy in verse - Dr. Faust - embodies the social dreams of his time about a comprehensive knowledge of the world. The change of the medieval cultural formation to a new one, the revivalist one and the Enlightenment one that followed it, is best revealed in the artistic image of a person who is ready to give his soul for true knowledge. The real warlock Faust, who lived in Europe at the end of the 15th century, became the prototype of the literary character. Goethe's Faust combined the features of all the literary Fausts that preceded him: Faust the God-fighter K. Marlo, Faust the Protestant scientist Lessing, Faust the genius Klinger. At the same time, the German classic Faust turned out to be more lively and passionate than his predecessors. Goethe's Faust is, first of all, a poet: a man endowed with an unquenchable thirst for life, a desire to know the universe around him, the nature of things and his own feelings.

The protagonist of the tragedy is alien to the petty-bourgeois conventions of his time. He cannot, like Wagner, learn the secrets of being from books. He needs the free expanse of forests and fields, the magical dances of fairies and witches' covens of the late German Middle Ages, the bodily sensuality of antiquity, embodied in the most beautiful woman who ever lived on earth, and the effective force of the New Age, capable of subordinating nature. Given by God to be torn to pieces by Mephistopheles, Faust is only partially likened to the biblical Job, who went through a chain of difficult life trials and tribulations. The hero of Goethe, if he loses anything in the tragedy, then only himself - his best feelings (love for Margaret-Gretchen), his sincere intentions (to prevent water from spilling on fertile lands). He is fascinated by the vital energy of Mephistopheles and his own dreams of beauty.

Like the classical heroes of romanticism, Faust is not able to perceive happiness in its earthly incarnation. Carried away by magical dances, he loses his beloved and daughter. Happiness with Elena is more to his liking, but even here the hero will be disappointed: the legendary heroine is just a myth, a shadow of the past. Coming out of Hades, she again descends into him after her dead son, leaving Faust to his era. At the same time, the hero of Goethe, with all the satanic temptations, does not lose his "good spiritual thoughts." Making mistakes and sinning, he is not afraid to admit and try to correct his mistakes, he does not stop in his life search and thus is pleasing to the Almighty, who declared at the beginning of the tragedy: “He who seeks is forced to wander.” And Faust is saved precisely because his life “was spent in aspirations”, which allowed him to get closer to the truth, to strengthen himself spiritually, to understand that the main thing is an action that brings good and freedom to people.

The famous tragedy of Goethe is a unique work that raises to the surface of the reader's perception not only eternal philosophical questions, but also a number of social and scientific problems of its time. In Faust, Goethe criticizes a narrow-minded society that lives on greed and sensual pleasure. The author, in the person of Mephistopheles, heartily mocks the German system of higher education, built on methodical attendance at classes and drawing up notes that no one needs. Scientific problems were reflected in the philosophical dispute between Anaxagoras and Thales, who defend different points of view of the origin of the world - volcanic and water.