Comparing Evil In Faust And The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Introduction
The nature of Evil has been debated for centuries. It has fascinated mankind since the beginning of time, perhaps because we all seek to understand the dark instincts of our Id . One of the most prominent works, which makes a study of the nature of Evil, is Goethe’s Faust. Goethe personifies Evil by creating a new Devil, one that is now popularized in pop-culture: a charismatic, witty and sarcastic character whose personality serves as retribution for all of his Evil deeds. Because of this personification the reader is forced to view Evil as something that is part of you, not something that you do, but it also shows that Evil isn’t all that you are, which illustrates the importance of choice.
Faust inspired a lot of other works, one of which is The Picture of Dorian Gray . Oscar Wilde builds on the arguments introduced by Goethe, such as the personification of Evil and on the exploration Evil as a symbol, specifically through faith and religion. Additionally, the context of production; namely the values and desires of the Victorian Society, also affected Wilde’s presentation of Evil. The focus of this essay will be …show more content…
In Faust, Evil is something that exists in tandem with Good, the two powers are balanced and one cannot exist without the other. However in Dorian Gray, Evil is something that does not exist separately of the soul— it is in the core of every living being, just like Good is. It exists within the human, and no human would be one without experiencing it. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Evil is the hidden desires of society, creeping around the edges, never quite acknowledged but never denied. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a study of the corruption of the soul, illustrated through the visible changes in the portrait, and a cautionary tale of Evil, whilst Faust is an exploration of how Evil cannot exist without
The nature of Evil has been debated for centuries. It has fascinated mankind since the beginning of time, perhaps because we all seek to understand the dark instincts of our Id . One of the most prominent works, which makes a study of the nature of Evil, is Goethe’s Faust. Goethe personifies Evil by creating a new Devil, one that is now popularized in pop-culture: a charismatic, witty and sarcastic character whose personality serves as retribution for all of his Evil deeds. Because of this personification the reader is forced to view Evil as something that is part of you, not something that you do, but it also shows that Evil isn’t all that you are, which illustrates the importance of choice.
Faust inspired a lot of other works, one of which is The Picture of Dorian Gray . Oscar Wilde builds on the arguments introduced by Goethe, such as the personification of Evil and on the exploration Evil as a symbol, specifically through faith and religion. Additionally, the context of production; namely the values and desires of the Victorian Society, also affected Wilde’s presentation of Evil. The focus of this essay will be …show more content…
In Faust, Evil is something that exists in tandem with Good, the two powers are balanced and one cannot exist without the other. However in Dorian Gray, Evil is something that does not exist separately of the soul— it is in the core of every living being, just like Good is. It exists within the human, and no human would be one without experiencing it. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Evil is the hidden desires of society, creeping around the edges, never quite acknowledged but never denied. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a study of the corruption of the soul, illustrated through the visible changes in the portrait, and a cautionary tale of Evil, whilst Faust is an exploration of how Evil cannot exist without