Faust by Johann Wolfgang Goethe Das Ewig Weibliche

 Faust by Johann Wolfgang Goethe


Das Ewig Weibliche

 

My whole life may have been encircled by two important references, at least in one important area of relationships.

One would be at the end of Faust:  “The eternal feminine- the power of women to inspire and spiritualize mankind”

The other comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Frailty thy name is woman”

But Aristotle said that truth is in the middle and the conclusion would be that women, like men are neither frail nor eternal and sublime. But they can be. At times.

The myth of the scholar who makes a deal with Mephistopheles is not only well known, but used by a number of writers, like Turgenev for instance.

Goethe is not just the best known, but his Faust has entered the most precious vault, with the best books ever written.

The Guardian has published a list of the best 100 works of literature ever published, compiled by scholars and critics and Faust is included.

The contract sounds very good, and as an agnostic I would have no qualms about signing it- since I do not practice any religion, go to no church and obey no commandments, I am going to hell anyway.

What would be the difference between genie in Aladdin’s lamp and Beelzebub?

They both do whatever is asked of them, once the contract is signed.

The only ‘dangerous” provision is that once Faust asks for the moment to stay he belongs to the devil.

There are interesting things that one can do with supernatural, if evil powers. Faust can fly, in an age when flying was impossible.

I would say that even in the present, flying with “own means” would be very pleasant. I dream that I just lift from the ground and fly away and it is extraordinary even in my sleep, in “reality „it would be tremendous.

I enjoyed even the humor that is not everywhere in the play, but at the moment when a witch does not recognize Beelzebub I smiled. The devil says:

-          “I am your master, you do not know me

-          Well…some things are absent

-          There are no crowns, or ghosts, but they are not in fashion anymore…”

Words not that effect, for this is not a quote.

It is a paradox that I used so much the final quote from Faust, since I did not really like the play. But I have always loved women and found the final message fabulous.

                Das Ewig Weibliche!!

It is elating to read about the eternal feminine that will make us grow wings.

However, when I mentioned this to the first nice German girl that I met, she was puzzled and did not know what to make of it.

We then entered a discussion from where I gathered that either she was right in saying that they have different dialects, the literary language is not what they generally speak.

But there is a possibility that she did not read Faust, and I was the one to explain about how it ends, what a great ode the finale is to all women, including her…

The effect was Instant enrapture!

It was great to talk about a German masterpiece and kind of explain, at least part of it- the most important in the context- to a German. It should have been the other way around.

Thank you Goethe for the conquest made possible by your work…

Oh… I forgot about the literary pleasure

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