Three Opening Scenes of Faust Questions
Please read the three opening scenes of Faust, Part One (“Dedication,” “Prelude in the Theater,” and “Prologue in Heaven”) and answer the following questions.
1. In “Dedication,” who is speaking? To whom does he speak? What question does he ask? (Note: this is a challenging verse! Don’t worry if you don’t understand it well.)
2. “Prelude in the Theater”: summarize briefly what each character says about the theater (3-5 sentences per character). Which of the three characters “wins” the debate? What is the function of this scene?
3. “Prologue in Heaven”: How do the Archangels describe the Lord? What are the terms of the bet between the Lord and Mephistopheles? Describe the relationship between the Lord and Mephistopheles.
4. Why does the play start 3 times (“Dedication,” “Prelude in the Theater,” “Prologue in Heaven”) before it starts (the scene “Night”)? Why not just start with the scene “Night”? (Here I am asking you to speculate.)
