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Mephistopheles
Also known as Gretchen, a shortening of her given name, Margarete is a beautiful, innocent, poor young woman with whom Faust falls madly in love and who in turn falls in love with him. The two become involved in a torrid love affair, and one night Faust tells Margarete to administer a sleeping potion to her controlling mother so that the two lovers can consummate their relationship. This act, however, is the beginning of Gretchen’s end: the potion kills her mother, Gretchen becomes impregnated by Faust, and the community shuns her for her having sex outside of marriage. After Faust murders her brother Valentine, Gretchen becomes further haunted by her guilt and her yearning for innocence. She murders her newborn infant to free it from this world, and is consequently imprisoned and sentenced to death by beheading. Though Faust attempts to liberate her, Gretchen at last refuses to leave her prison with him. As Faust and Mephistopheles fly from her cell, however, a voice from the heavens announces that Gretchen is saved, to spend eternity in heaven despite her sins. At the end of the play, Gretchen’s soul, referred to as a penitent, successfully appeals to the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of Faust’s soul. Mary then instructs her to rise, so that Faust can follow her into eternity.
Margarete/A Penitent Quotes in Faust
The Faust quotes below are all either spoken by Margarete/A Penitent or refer to Margarete/A Penitent. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1: A Garden Quotes
Don’t be afraid! Look in my eyes,
let them and let these hands that now clasp yours
express what tongue can never say:
complete devotion and a sense of bliss
that must endure eternally!
Eternally!—Its end would be despair.
There must not be an end! Not ever!
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Part 1: Gretchen’s Room Quotes
My heart is heavy,
all peace is gone,
I’ll never find it,
never, again.
My breast is yearning
to be with him;
could I but clasp
and hold him tight,
and kiss him
as my heart desires,
under his kisses
I’d swoon and die!
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Part 1: At the Well Quotes
How readily I once declaimed
when some poor girl did the wrong thing!
…
I’d cross myself, act high and mighty—
and now I’m prey to sin myself!
And yet, o God, what brought me to it,
was all so good, and oh so sweet!
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Margarete/A Penitent Quotes in Faust
The Faust quotes below are all either spoken by Margarete/A Penitent or refer to Margarete/A Penitent. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1: A Garden Quotes
Don’t be afraid! Look in my eyes,
let them and let these hands that now clasp yours
express what tongue can never say:
complete devotion and a sense of bliss
that must endure eternally!
Eternally!—Its end would be despair.
There must not be an end! Not ever!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1: Gretchen’s Room Quotes
My heart is heavy,
all peace is gone,
I’ll never find it,
never, again.
My breast is yearning
to be with him;
could I but clasp
and hold him tight,
and kiss him
as my heart desires,
under his kisses
I’d swoon and die!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1: At the Well Quotes
How readily I once declaimed
when some poor girl did the wrong thing!
…
I’d cross myself, act high and mighty—
and now I’m prey to sin myself!
And yet, o God, what brought me to it,
was all so good, and oh so sweet!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
