Western European stream·Works of Goethe·Faust (Parts I and II)·Faust I (1808)·Scene XIII — A Garden-Arbor

Source context

Theme

brief erotic consummation, Mephistopheles as boundary-enforcer severing the lovers' stolen intimacy

Soul-faculty

Sentient Soul

Steiner

not engaged in the GA corpus

Cross-tradition

• Sufi poetic tradition (Rumi, Hafiz)The abrupt interruption of the lovers' union by an external force mirrors the Sufi trope of the divine-appointed 'veil' that prevents premature consummation of longing, preserving the soul's unsatisfied striving as a spiritual motor.
• Greek New Comedy / dramatic conventionThe trickster-figure who orchestrates and then curtails a romantic encounter—fulfilling desire while engineering guilt—parallels the role of the scheming slave in Menandrian comedy, marking a structural cross-tradition congruence between Mephistopheles and the amoral enabler archetype.

(Marcaret comes in, conceals herself behind the door, puts her-finger to her lips, and peeps through the crack.)

| E comes!

/ MaRGARET.

Faust (entering). Ah, rogue! a tease thou art:

I have thee! (He kisses her.)

MarGaRET (clasping him, and returning the kiss).

Dearest man! I love thee from my heart. (MepuistoPHELes knocks.)

Faust (stamping his foot). Who's there?

MEPHISTOPHELES.

A friend!

Scene XLT. 205

Faust.

A beast !

MEPHISTOPHELES.

'T 1s time to separate.

MartTua (coming). Yes, Sir, 't is late. Faust.

May I not, then, upon you wait?

MARGARET.

My mother would — farewell!

Faust.

Ah, can I not remain? Farewell !

| MarTHA. Adieu ! MarcaretT. And soon to meet again !

[ Exeunt Faust and MEPHISTOPHELES.

MARGARET.

Dear God! However is it, such

206Faust.
A man can think and know so much? I stand ashamed and in amaze, And answer " Yes" to all he says, A poor, unknowing child! and he— I can't think what he finds in me! [ Exit. Scene XIV. 207 XIV. FOREST AND CAVERN,'3

JSON: /api/sources/goethe-works/faust/faust-i/16-scene-13-a-garden-arbor.json