“Faust” is Goethe’s representative work, a poetic tragedy. It was created based on folklore in the 16th century. It is a masterpiece that Goethe devoted his whole life to writing. It describes the protagonist Faust’s pain in searching for the truth throughout his life. The experience reflects the history of the entire Europe from the Renaissance to the early 19th century, suggesting the constant struggle between the two forces of light and darkness, progress and backwardness, science and superstition. Goethe used Faust’s ambition and pursuit to express his own lofty and beautiful ideals for the future of mankind.
The book consists of a series of narrative poems, lyric poems, dramas, operas and dance dramas, covering theology, mythology, philosophy, science, aesthetics, literature, music and political economy.
Similarly, “Faust” is one of the four major European masterpieces, along with Homer’s epic poem, Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.