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Faust: An Overcast Day, a Field: Difference between revisions
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==Commentary== | ==Commentary== | ||
===Overcast Day=== | |||
Goethe leaves the part of an overcast day in this story, perhaps for the effect of a depressing mood for a depressing subject. Nature has "ability to affect us" (Grandy 26). This also goes back to the idea of the romantics (nature). Faust discovers that Gretchen is imprisoned. Faust then calls out to the Lord "O you infinite Spirit, change the worm back into a dog" (621). Faust blames Mephisto for Gretchen being in prison and wants help. The field and the overcast day is a constant idea of nature talked or acted about throughout the entire story. | |||
===Shakespeare's Influence=== | |||
Upon Faust's first meeting Gretchen, he is infatuated with her. Over time, she comes to love him as well. From previous sections, we know that Gretchen's family does not approve of this, causing many problems and painful emotions for Gretchen. In "An Overcast Day, a Field," Faust discovers that Gretchen has been imprisoned, though for what, he does not know. Since he has such strong feelings for her, Faust plans to rush to the prison, save Gretchen, and live happily ever after. In other words, welcome to the basic outline of ''Romeo and Juliet'', modernized a few centuries (Cooksey). The similarities are obvious: the offended family, young lovers, the plight. Valentine's death by Faust's hand even bears a resemblence to Romeo killing Juliet's cousin, Tybalt. However, instead of Romeo rushing to the cemetery to die beside Juliet, Faust rushes to the prison to save Gretchen from her coming execution. | |||
==Study Questions== | ==Study Questions== | ||