For my research paper I have decided to write about the German legend of Faust. I chose this topic because the story is about a scholar who is unhappy with his life and decides to make a deal with the Devil. He exchanges his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. This sparks an interest in me because not only do I have a German background, but the legend shows how far a person will go to be satisfied with life. It is based off a real magician who lived in northern Germany in the 15th/16th century.
My father used to tell my sister and I bits and pieces of this legend when we were young, so now that I have the opportunity I'd really like to research more about the story. There are different versions of the story. I will be researching many of them, and developing my paper around the more well known ones. I will also be doing research on the main evil spirit in the story, Mephistopheles, to learn about it's characteristic traits in order to see how it not only influenced the legend, but how it influenced German culture then and possibly even now. Lastly, there were many different works of literature and music based off the legend which I will also look into.
That sounds like a really cool myth. What's the story of the magician it's based off of? Was he just really smart and sneaky to get his worldly desires? Did the fact that he was a magician, a master of deception, play a role? I don't know much about German folklore, but I do fine them interesting (especially when they're a little twisted, like Krampus). Also, what parts of the folklore reflect German culture?
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