Faust: The Neighbor's House

Summary

Margarete goes to Marthe's house and tell her that she found more jewels in her closet. Marthe tells her not to tell her mother about them this time. Mephisto goes to Marthe's house to tell her that her husband is dead. Marthe tells Mephisto that she wants proof and so they agree to meet in Marthe's garden at night.

Notes

Marthe seems to be a bit dramatic. When Mephisto is telling her of her husbands death, she goes through phases where she is sad and upset and then to angry and mad.

Mephisto asks Faust to lie and go with him to tell the Magistate that Marthe's husband is dead. Faust refuse to do it. His goodness show here. This contradicts that: " he is not conscience as a moral voice pointing out the difference between and evil" (Champagne).

Commetary

Faust depicts how Goethe thought human beings should behave. He describes them: " with Faust in Faust eschews, if not abhors, the constraints of a traditional moral order and instead embraces a morality of the self" (Van Der Laan). It was immoral for Mphisto to ask Faust to lie about Marthe's husband. Faust did the right thing and refused to do it.

Study Questions

1. What is Marthe talking about when the scene opens?

2. What does Marthe tell Margarete to do with the jewelry?

3. What news does Mephisto bring Marthe?

4. What is Marthe's reaction to this news?

5. Why does Marthe want proof that her husband is dead?

6. Where do Margarete and Marthe agree to meet Mephisto and Fasut that night?

External Resources

• Study Guide for Goethe's Faust

Works Cited

Champagne, Roland A. An Etical Model in a Postmodern Faust: The Daemonic Parody of the Politics of Friendship in Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus. Style. (2000)

Van Der Laan, J.M. Faust's Divided Self and Moral Inertia. Monatshefte. (1999).