Commentary Against Absurdity in Goethes Faust Essay -- Faust Essays

input Against Absurdity in Faust   Goethes Faust could be called a comedy as promptly as it is subtitled A Tragedy. In the course of the play, the author finds comic or ironic ways to either mock or punish religionists, atheists, demons, and deities. notwithstanding the obvious differences between these, Goethe unites them all by the common threads of ego and ridiculousness. Thus, the play as a whole becomes more of a exposition against absurdity than against religion.             The first victims of satire in Faust are Satan and God, who bet in somewhat small-scale form in an early moving-picture show that parallels the Book of Job. In Goethes Heaven reigns The Lord, to whom a trio of archangels ascribe creation. usher in Mephistopheles, and all semblance of seriousness is lost. Introduced as a demon, and arguably THE Devil, he is witty, cynical, and in general a caricature of what religionists throughout the ages have labe l pure evil. The Lord proceeds to give Mephistopheles permission to go to his devout servant Faust,...