KNOWLEDGE AND FEAR: FAUST ON THE WAY TO DAMNATION

Abstract

The Historia von D. Johann Fausten, 1587, the first printed version of the famous narrative about Faust's life, is a German Lutheran work that aims to build a negative example: the good Christian, reader of the novel, must understand the consequences of arrogance and levity towards God. The protagonist, Faust, seeking knowledge forbidden to man, makes a pact with the devil, which condemns him to eternal damnation in hell. The forms and consequences of the knowledge are central issues of the novel and object of analysis of this article, which aims to answer which knowledge is sought and really achieved by Faust and what are the consequences of the pact. The main result of the search for knowledge is a protagonist dominated by fear, unable, therefore, to return to divine mercy, even after repenting.