What Makes Faust A Superman
Faust is a legendary hero who is known for making a pact with the devil in order to obtain unlimited knowledge. Throughout history there have been many variations of the story of Faust. Faust himself is depicted differently in them. For example in the Chapbook published in 1587 he is depicted as a horrible human being. As a matter of fact the purpose of the book was to warn the reader not to behave like Faust. The anonymous author criticizes not only Faus making a pact with the devil but, also his desire to learn the secrets of life. Fast forward 221 years in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, a strong case can be made that Faust has elevated his status to a superman. The dictionary defines superman as a person with exceptional physical or mental abilities. Faust is in fact a superman the extraordinary ability that makes Faust a superman is his desire for knowledge. Additionally he is directly praised by God. Furthermore Faust’s is very brave.
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The one thing that sets apart Faust from other humans is his desire to know everything about life.
His methods might be wrong, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is trying to figure it all out. Faust is an expert in various subjects, probably the smartest person in Germany. Many others would have been satisfied by those achievements, but not Faust.Also, unlike his student Wagner, Faust is tired of learning about the past, he want’s to learn things that no other individuals have ever known. Faust actually goes on to say that history is “A vast old rubbish dump.” This kind of thinking is also very innovative for it’s time. The fact that Faust is challenging traditional way of learning is also unique and contradicts the beliefs of many others scholars. This desire for finding new ways to do things is not present in many others, therefore this exceptional ability makes Faust a
superman. Also in heaven God and Mephisto talk about the human race. Mephisto expresses his concern to God that humans are unhappy because God has given them the ability to reason. God however, disagrees with Mephisto and points to Faust as an example of a person who will ultimately uncover the truth. The disagreement between God and Mephisto continues and after a while they decide to make a bet. The fact that god picks out Faust for countering Mephisto’s argument implies that indeed there is something exceptional about Faust. God had millions of options and by picking Faust it shows that Faust possesses something that no other human being does. Therefore making him a superman. Additionally God is so confident that Faust will ultimately succeed which is why he makes the bet with Mephisto without any hesitation. This confidence by god also implies that there is something special in Faust.
Also A superman must usually be brave in order to reach his full potential. And Faust doesn’t luck courage at all. He is not afraid to get in touch with spirits and even the devil. His fearlessness must be applauded, because he is putting his life on the line in order to fulfill his passion for knowledge. Faust himself knows that making a pact with the Mephisto is extremely dangerous. He also knows that the devil can’t be trusted. Yet Faust is willing to risk everything in order to learn the secrets of life. This remarkable bravery certainly contributes to his superman case.
The one thing that sets apart Faust from other humans is his desire to know everything about life.
His methods might be wrong, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is trying to figure it all out. Faust is an expert in various subjects, probably the smartest person in Germany. Many others would have been satisfied by those achievements, but not Faust.Also, unlike his student Wagner, Faust is tired of learning about the past, he want’s to learn things that no other individuals have ever known. Faust actually goes on to say that history is “A vast old rubbish dump.” This kind of thinking is also very innovative for it’s time. The fact that Faust is challenging traditional way of learning is also unique and contradicts the beliefs of many others scholars. This desire for finding new ways to do things is not present in many others, therefore this exceptional ability makes Faust a
superman. Also in heaven God and Mephisto talk about the human race. Mephisto expresses his concern to God that humans are unhappy because God has given them the ability to reason. God however, disagrees with Mephisto and points to Faust as an example of a person who will ultimately uncover the truth. The disagreement between God and Mephisto continues and after a while they decide to make a bet. The fact that god picks out Faust for countering Mephisto’s argument implies that indeed there is something exceptional about Faust. God had millions of options and by picking Faust it shows that Faust possesses something that no other human being does. Therefore making him a superman. Additionally God is so confident that Faust will ultimately succeed which is why he makes the bet with Mephisto without any hesitation. This confidence by god also implies that there is something special in Faust.
Also A superman must usually be brave in order to reach his full potential. And Faust doesn’t luck courage at all. He is not afraid to get in touch with spirits and even the devil. His fearlessness must be applauded, because he is putting his life on the line in order to fulfill his passion for knowledge. Faust himself knows that making a pact with the Mephisto is extremely dangerous. He also knows that the devil can’t be trusted. Yet Faust is willing to risk everything in order to learn the secrets of life. This remarkable bravery certainly contributes to his superman case.