The Romantic Hero in Goethes Faust Essay - 1550 Words

The Romantic Hero in Goethes Faust Works Cited Not Included Long hailed as the watershed of Romantic literature, Goethe’s Faust uses the misadventures of its hero to parallel the challenges that pervaded European society in the dynamic years of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Faust is the prototypical Romantic hero because the transformation of his attitudes mirrors the larger transformation that was occurring in the society in which Goethe conceived the play. Faust’s odyssey transports him from adherence to the cold rationale of the Enlightenment to a passion for the pleasures that came to define the Romantic spirit. Faust not only expresses the moral contradictions and†¦show more content†¦Faust’s statement, â€Å"In the beginning was the deed,† is a perfect example of his adherence to the idea that action is the only worthy means of living (line 1264). Like Napoleon, the greatest real-life Romantic hero of Goethe’s day, Faust is desperate to advance his earthly position. He is prepared to go so far as to sign a compact with the Devil to â€Å"enlarge my soul to encompass all humanity† (line 1793). He will do anything to achieve a life of adventure and passion; and, like Napoleon, he refuses to believe that he can be conquered by any force. Like all heroes, Faust is doomed because his personality possesses a fatal flaw. In Faust’s case, his ego is the root of his damnation. The dominance of Faust’s ego, however, is one of the things that makes his heroism a particularly Romantic. The Romantic movement placed an emphasis on the self – on feelings, desires, and the abstract workings of man’s emotional depths. Faust, as a Romantic hero, constitutes the supercharged Everyman of his era. He proudly believes his particular passions are so voracious that all the pleasures of the world, even those conjured by the Devil, cannot possibly satisfy him. Satisfaction, in this context, would signal the abdication of the self in favor of a union with the earthly comforts of life. FaustShow MoreRelatedThe Romantic Movement1322 Words   |  5 PagesThe Romantic Movement, known for its emphasis on the emotional aspect of literature, was a period when such novels as Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus wer e written, being very different than novels written before this era. Romantic thinkers and writers, such as Mary Shelley, believed that imagination was the crucial way of thinking. They often depicted their heroes in their novels as â€Å"creative artists† that are determined to push beyond society’s restrictions and ways of life. Mary ShelleyRead MoreThe Impact Of Beethoven On The Development Of The Symphony Until Mahler3555 Words   |  15 Pagestradition1 and a pioneer of romantic self-expression, has secured his status as one of the most revered composers in the history of Western music. Throughout his symphonic cycle, Beethoven’s own journey of self-discovery can be very clearly heard. The Third, Fifth, Sixth and Ninth symphonies were particularly pioneering; they used new ideas such as programme music, orchestral and symphonic expansion and the prolongation of dissonance, inspiring a new generation of romantic symphonists. However, there