Faust: Prologue in Heaven
Summary
The Lord and the Heavenly Host converse with Mephistopheles. The Archangels, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael first praise creation, remarking on its order, continuity, mystery, and power. The Lord agrees to allow Mephistopheles to tempt Faust, and He futher agrees not to interfere: "As long as man strives, he is bound to err" (l. 77), but that a "good man still knows which road is the right one" (l. 89).
Notes
"The Prologue in Heaven" is patterned on the Book of Job: essentially a meeting between God and Satan wherein the two make a wager: God allows Satan to test Job in order to prove that the latter's devotion is not based on materialistic reward. Goethe's The Lord seems to be closest to the image of Yahweh in the Old Testament: one who demands that the righteous fear God and shun evil.
Lines 1-28
Spoken by the Heavenly Host: Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael, respectively.
Commentary
Goethe's obvious allusion to the Old Testament's Book of Job suggests that this will be Faust's own test, and like Job, he will have to lose all he has in order to find his salvation.
Implicit in the Heavenly Host's praise is the presence of light: a symbol of reason. While the Archangels speak in an elevated tone, Mephistopheles apologizes for his "lack of eloquence" (l. 33). The latter then suggests that humanity find the world a difficult place, despite its brilliant design. Man abuses Reason, seeking to soar ever higher, but always finding himself in stark reality. The implication of his speech impunes the Lord's creation by suggesting that humans can be easily turned from the light because they are so pathetic. Tthere seems to be an insect/worm motif throughout Faust when describing humans; look for more instances throughout the work.