Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) is Germany's most celebrated writer, and his dramatic poem Faust his most Celeb--rated work. Born into a prosperous family of lawyers and civic administrators in Frankfurt am Main, Goethe studied at the universities of Leipzig and Strasbourg, and by the age of twenty-four had earned an international literary reputation with his historical drama Gotz yon Berlichingen (which Walter Scott trans-lated into English in 1799) and his best-selling novel The Sufferings of Young Werther. In 1775 he moved to the small Duchy of Weimar at the personal invitation of the Duke Karl August,where, except for extended journeys to Italy and to other parts of Germany, he spent the rest of his life.

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Based on the fable of the man who traded his soul for superhuman powers and knowledge, Faust became the life's work of Germany's greatest poet. It is a compelling dramatic poem that charts the life of a deeply flawed individual and his fight against despair and the nihilism of the diabolical Mephistopheles; it is also a symbolic and panoramic commentary both on the human condition and on modern history and culture.

This edition presents Part One of Faust in a new translation that preserves the poetic character of the original, its style and diction,its tragic pathos and hilarious comedy. In addition, John Williams has translated the U~ast, an early draft of Part One that offers a fascinating glimpse into the younger Goethe's imagination, and the sensational draft scenarios of the witches' Sabbath - material so ribald and blasphemous that Goethe did not dare publish it.

Johann Wolfgang yon Goethe (1749-1832) was a poet,playwright and novelist. He trained as a lawyer but his heart was not in the profession. He then held an important cabinet post at the ducal court in the Weimar, was a theatre director, and carried out extensive research in anatomy, botany and physics. He was initially a leading figure in the 'Sturm und Drang' movement, but a trip to Italy opened his eyes to the classical world and led his most creative period. The universality of Goethe's genius is undisputed and he has been called the greatest humanist of modern times.

INTRODUCTION

NOTES ON THE TRANSLATION

FURTHER READING

Faust. A Tragedy

The First Part of the Tragedy

The Unpublished Scenarios

Urfaust: Goethe's Faust in its Original

Form after the Cochhausen Transcript

NOTES