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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mephistopheles claim happened to Martha's husband?

2. What is Wagner's relationship with Faust?

3. Where does "Outside the Town Wall" take place?

4. How does the girl first react to Faust when she meets him?

5. Why does Gretchen believe people tell her that she is beautiful?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the black poodle disturb Faust?

2. Why is the witch in a bad mood when she finally appears to Faust and Mephistopheles?

3. Why is Mephistopheles initially held prisoner by Faust and how does he escape?

4. What debate arises between Mephistopheles and God in regards to Faust?

5. What is the fate of the first box of jewels that Mephistopheles secretly leaves Gretchen and why?

6. During the second scene called "Faust's Study," what does Faust admit to Mephistopheles?

7. For what reasons does the director decide that the audience should experience a journey from heaven to hell in this play?

8. Why does Mephistopheles have no power over the girl with whom Faust is obsessed?

9. Describe the argument between the director, the clown, and the poet in "Prelude on the Stage."

10. Describe Faust and Wagner's relationship.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Goethe use "Faust" to critique society? Discuss this in the following format:

Part 1) People's relationship with God.

Part 2) God and Mephistopheles.

Part 3) The role of the church.

Part 4) The town's rejection of Gretchen.

Part 5) "A Walpurgis Night's Dream."

Develop a clear thesis and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of temptation in "Faust" in the following format:

Part 1) Mephistopheles's conversation with God.

Part 2) Faust's bargain.

Part 3) The courtship of Gretchen.

Part 4) The consequences of giving into temptation.

Part 5) The decadent lifestyle of Faust and Mephistopheles.

Part 6) Gretchen's redemption.

Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What is meta-theater? How is meta-theater used in "Faust"? Describe the scene or scenes in which this concept is present and how it affects the characters. What purpose does it serve, and how does it frame the rest of the play? Does it alter the mood of the play at all? If so, how? How do these moments of meta-theater change the readers perceptions of the play?

(see the answer keys)

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