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The first kiss between Faust and Margaret.
Faust, who never felt any sympathy for Mephistopheles
has said quite in the beginning in Faust's
study II :
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FAUST: |
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FAUST. |
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Ward eines Menschen Geist, in seinem hohen
Streben,
Von deinesgleichen je gefaßt?
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Was any human spirit, struggling to ascend,
Such as your sort could ever comprehend? |
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He doubts that Mephistopheles is even able to understand
the search and at this point of the drama he has reduced
him to very little and Faust starts to really hate him
for this. When Mephistopheles interupts the conversation
with Margaret, he simply calls him a beast.
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MARGARETE (ihn fassend
und den Kuß zurückgebend):
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MARGARET [embracing him and
returning the kiss]. |
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Bester Mann! von Herzen lieb
ich dich!
(Mephistopheles
klopft an.) |
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Best of men, I love you from my heart?
[Mephistopheles
knocks.] |
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FAUST (stampfend): |
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FAUST. [stamping] |
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Wer da? |
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Who's there? |
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MEPHISTOPHELES: |
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MEPHISTOPHELES |
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Gut Freund! |
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A friend. |
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FAUST: |
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FAUST. |
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Ein Tier! |
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A beast. |
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Even though it seems that Mephistopheles is right in his
disillusion view upon the world, he nevertheless does
not believe in what he is saying. This adds to the drama
of the two conceptions of mankind. There is no fight, if
the fighters are not on the same level. Mephistopheles
knows very well, that reason and science are the strongest
powers, that mankind has. And only by taking Faust from
one amusement to the next, even less important, he will
be able to break these powers and turn Faust into a cattle-type-person.
This can be proved by the words of Mephistopheles to Faust
in his study:
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MEPHISTOPHELES |
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MEFISTÓFELES |
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Verachte nur Vernunft und Wissenschaft,
Des Menschen allerhöchste Kraft,
Laß nur in Blend- und Zauberwerken
Dich von dem Lügengeist bestärken,
So hab ich dich schon unbedingt-
Ihm hat das Schicksal einen Geist
gegeben,
Der ungebändigt immer vorwärts dringt,
Und dessen übereiltes Streben
Der Erde Freuden überspringt.
Den schlepp ich durch das wilde Leben,
Durch flache Unbedeutenheit,
Er soll mir zappeln, starren, kleben,
Und seiner Unersättlichkeit
Soll Speis und Trank vor gier'gen
Lippen schweben; Er wird Erquickung
sich umsonst erflehn,
Und hätt er sich auch nicht dem Teufel
übergeben,
Er müßte doch zugrunde gehn! |
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Humanity's most
lofty power,
Reason and knowledge, pray despise!
Let but the Spirit of all Lies
With works of dazzling magic blind you;
Then, absolutely mine, I'll have and bind
you!
To him has Fate a spirit given
That, uncurbed, ever onward sweeps,
Whose striving, by too hasty impulse driven,
The joys of this earth overleaps.
Him will I drag through wild life whirling
past,
Through all that is unmeaning, shallow stuff;
I'll see him struggle, weaken, and stick fast!
Before his greedy lips that can not feast
enough
Shall hover food and drink as if for some
grand revel;
Refreshment will he all in vain implore;
And had he not surrendered to the Devil,
Still were he lost forevermore. |
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