Knowledge Power and Desire Goethe’s Faust and the Conquering of Gretchen

Abstract

Many literary critics and scholars focus on archetypes in their studies in the field of literature. Archetypes are important because they provide what is known as the “mythic resonance” that makes literary texts relatable and effective (Gillespie, 2010 pp. 59). Most literary researchers try to identify these patterns in literary works by tracking its major elements and analyzing the different parts of the archetypical stories. This paper analyzes the Faustian archetype as one of the archetypes that can be analyzed through tracking and analyzing its major elements. In this sense, the major aspects of the Faustian archetype are Faust, the devil and the Faustian deal. The Faustian deal is triggered by a desire for power or what Nietzsche calls the will to power. Therefore, this paper focuses on the motive behind the Faustian deal while offering a new perspective on Faust’s actions and his desires in one of the most influential reincarnations of the Faustian archetype. This paper aims to reveal the existence of a desire behind the deal made between Goethe’s Faust and Mephistopheles and to examine the nature of such desire. It also aims to analyze Faust’s character and his desires through his actions during the events of the story and mainly through his relationship with Gretchen.