The German Sturm und Drang Movement and Its Relevance to Goethes Faust - Essay Example

?The German Sturm und Drang Movement and its Relevance to Goethe’s Faust The German Sturm und Drang Movement and its Relevance to Goethe’s Faust Written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Goethe’s Faust is a tragic play of widespread renown within Germany. It consists of two parts, the first of which was published in 1808 and the second of which was published in 1832. While written to be read, there have been numerous productions of the play, and it has been considered to be one of the greatest pieces of German literature. From first conception to the final publication the play took 60 years to create, throughout which time much of the world changed. The consequence of this is that the play was highly influenced by changes throughout the time period and changes in Goethe himself; indeed much of the development of Faust mirrors that of Goethe’s own development. One of the most important influences during the time that the play was written was the German literature romantic movement of Sturm und Drung. Translating to ‘turbulence and urgency’ or ‘storm and stress’, this movement was particularly influential in German writing around the time of Goethe, and spread beyond Germany to be present in many of the literary works of the period worldwide. Goethe was considered to be one of the leaders of the movement, one of the strongest writers that worked within Sturm und Drung. The movement had similarities to other literary movements of the time such as the European Romanticism movement, but was also unique in its own right. It influenced the way that Faust was written, the progression and the conclusion of the story as opposed to other versions of the story. The Sturm und Drang movement began in 1771 running through to 1782. As an author, Goethe was deeply involved in the movement, producing many works in the style. The movement came about as a consequence of the certainties, strong reason and boundaries that were present during the 18th century and was a rebellion against them. The wild, intense nature of Sturm und Drang works contrasted violently with earlier works under the period of rationalism, and works in the Sturm und Drang style focused on individualism, on emotions and feelings and on nature, with the works created generally being dynamic, intense and descriptive. Faust was a work that spanned from the student days of Goethe until it was published in full 60 years later. In 1775 he produced a version of the play that strongly reflected the Sturm und Drang movement, written during its height. In this early development of the play, Goethe and Faust are essentially the same character, and the play is written with more passion and intensity than the final published version. From the opening passage, the influence of Sturm und Drang is evident, with an opening monologue that strongly reflects the attitude of Sturm und Drang towards learning and knowledge. This theme continues throughout the version along with strong intensity and passion, vivid language and leaves an overall impression that is in some cases stronger than the final published work . This version of Faust is substantially different than the later versions, largely in terms of style rather than in content. It was written in the height of the Sturm und Drang movement, and as a consequence lacks the calmer more philosophic manner of the final version. Sturm und Drang has also been described as being the depiction of an individual of high emotions against society in general. This is true both of the older and the final publication of the play, as the emotional desire of Faust to go beyond the current limits of knowledge fit this description. The story of Faust is not one that is unique to Goethe, and it was already a familiar tale at the time that he wrote it. The most common version of the story is that of a man, Faust, who wants to learn more than man is meant to know, and as a consequence of this desire makes a bargain with the Devil in which he is given magical powers for a number of years. Eventually, as a consequence of the bargain, Faust is sent to hell. The tale is considered to be a cautionary Christian story, warning of the dangers of trying to gain power against the will of God, and of making bargains with the Devil. In the 17th century Christopher Marlow published a play called The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, which follows much of the same legend of Goethe’s Faust. This version is very similar to the original story, especially in relation to the bargain with the devil and the final outcome for Faust . Goethe’s Faust differs significantly from both of these versions. There is a greater emphasis placed on the character and the morality of Faust. He is presented as a flawed character who desires knowledge, but he does not make the same bargain that the protagonists in the other versions make. Instead he makes a bet with the Devil, Mephistopheles, and as a consequence he is shown a number of pleasures and temptations. Goethe’s version also incorporates a romance with a maiden named Gretchen in the first part, although she is not present in the second part of the play . Importantly, despite the term tragedy in the subtitle Goethe’s Faust does not bear the hallmarks of a tragedy as, unlike other interpretations of the story, Goethe’s Fauste sees Fauste finding redemption, despite losing half of the bet and giving in to the Devil partially . Goethe’s version focused more on the protagonist and on developing his character, which is a feature of Sturm und Drang and Romanticism. Romanticism manifested in calmer, more introspective writing than did Sturm und Drang, as well as making characters heroic and the isolation of the main character or hero from the rest of the environment around them. All these themes are prevalent in Goethe’s Faust, perhaps to a stronger degree than the themes of intensity and urgency that the Sturm und Drang movement was associated with. The differences between Goethe’s version of the story and others derive from changes within himself, from the Sturm und Drang movement and from the European Romanticism movement. The Sturm und Drang movement produced many moving, detailed and dynamic pieces of writing, many of which were by Goethe. Goethe’s Faust shared many of these influences, but was also unique. The Sturm und Drang movement was in its height when Goethe started writing the play, but the movement had been over for some time when it was published. As a consequence, Goethe’s Faust contains some elements of the Sturm und Drang movement, but also contains many elements and influences from the English Romanticism movement. References Brown, J.K. Goethe's Faust: The German Tragedy. Cornell University Press, 1986. Print, 15-2-. Goethe. Faust Part One. Trans. Wayne, Philip. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1986. Print, ---. Faust Part Two. Trans. Wayne, Philip. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1986. Print, Hoelzel, A. "The Conclusion of Goethe's Faust: Ambivalence and Ambiguity." The German Quarterly 55.1 (1982): 1-12. Print. Rasmussen, E., and Bevington, D.M. Doctor Faustus a- and B- Texts (1604, 1616): Christopher Marlowe and His Collaborator and Revisers. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993. Print, 103-199. Robertson, J. G. "Sturm Und Drang". A History of German Literature. New York: Putnam's Sons, 1902. 307-340. Print.  Read More