10) ... du
gleichst dem Geist, den du begreifst,
nicht mir ...
GEIST:
SPIRIT.
Du gleichst dem Geist, den du
begreifst, Nicht mir! (verschwindet)
Thou art like the spirit thou canst comprehend,
Not me! [Vanishes.]
These verses are quite famous as well, although the general
use is mostly far from the context. There are a lot of
people who interpret the character, the behaviour and
the aims of other people according to their own. To these
people one can say: Thou art like the spirit thou canst
comprehend, Not me!
The situation we have here is a bit different. Faust believes
himself to be a superman, but when he achieves to call
a spirit, he can't stand it. The spirit is too strong
for Faust. Faust believes himself to be on the same level
as the spirit, but the spirit that he is like himself
and not like an omnipotent spirit. This is another frustration
for Faust. Later Faust says something similar to Mephistopheles.
FAUST:
FAUST.
Ward eines Menschen Geist,
in seinem hohen Streben,
Von deinesgleichen je gefaßt?
Was any human spirit, struggling to ascend,
Such as your sort could ever comprehend?
And evidently this is not the case. Mephistopheles does
not really understand Faust's aspirations. Or, better
said, he understands them but thinks that he can break
them. Of course there are a lot of people that might have
problems in understand the aspirations of others. These
people can be asked: Was any human spirit, struggling
to ascend, Such as your sort could ever comprehend?
