Items related to Faustus: The Second Part

Faustus: The Second Part - Softcover

John Anster

 
9780371621813: Faustus: The Second Part

Synopsis

Faustus: The Second Part by John Anster. This English edition translates Goethe's Faust Part II, presenting a drama-poem that combines allegory, myth, and political reflection. The work revisits Faustus's obsession with beauty and power, charting his journey through scenes of Swiss landscapes, imperial courts, masquerades, the classical Walpurgis Night, and the mythic underworld of the Mothers. Central episodes include Faustus's encounters with Helena and Euphorion, his ascent with Mephistopheles and Homunculus, and the fusion of classical and romantic elements into a German empire-building fantasy that culminates in political machinations and personal transformation. Anster's prefatory remarks discuss how allegory masks individual personality and show how Goethe uses masks to examine culture, art, and society. The edition also includes detailed notes and stage directions, providing readers with a sense of the poem's theatrical and philosophical ambitions and its enduring questions about art, ambition, and fate.

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