Analysis of Faust Characters
Faust is a character with high esteem in society and is ambitious in his pursuit of knowledge. He is characterized by his unrelenting pursuit of higher knowledge, which is also the cause of his deep existential crisis. He exhibits depressive tendencies and even contemplates suicide as a way to escape his human form. He is also selfish and only thinks of himself, which leads to the destruction of Gretchen's family and life. He has also incurred a lot of guilt through Mephisto's manipulations, which he initially tries to suppress.
Mephisto is a manipulative character who uses dark magic to achieve his goals of transcending natural limits, such as rejuvenation. He is a pantheist and does not believe in a personified God. He is a puppet master who manipulates Faust for his own gain. He is a character who is not afraid of God or the devil and leads an isolated life.
Gretchen is a 14-year-old girl who was raised to be virtuous and religious. She is naive and sees Faust as an indispensable figure in her life. She is driven by an unyielding desire for true love and takes on all the blame for her actions, including drowning her child in a moment of panic. She is Faust's antagonist and Mephisto's foil.
Overall, Faust is an idealized character who represents the human pursuit of knowledge and higher understanding. He is the subject of a bet between Mephisto and God, with Mephisto believing that he can lead Faust astray from his moral pursuits. In the end, Faust embodies both the pursuit of higher knowledge and the extremes of human experience, such as love and hate.
