Goethe's Faust reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant scholar so disillusioned that he decides to make a contract with Mephistopheles. The devil will do whatever he asks of him on Earth and seeks to grant you such a glorious moment of life that he will wish it to last forever. But if Faust makes an offer to stay, he falls to Mephisto and must serve him after death. In this first part of Goethe's great work, the bitter thinker and Mephistopheles come to terms, and soon Faust is living a rejuvenated life and winning the love of the beautiful Gretchen. But in this compelling tragedy of arrogance, unsatisfied desire, and self-deception, Faust is heading inexorably toward hellish destruction. The best translation of Faust available, this volume provides the original German text and its English counterpart on the facing pages. Walter Kaufmann's translation conveys the poetic beauty and rhythm, as well as the complex depth of Goethe's language. Includes the first part and selections from the second part.