E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A COLUMN B
a) come into existence quickly (phrasal verb)
b) having made an agreement with a person or
organization regarding, usually, illegal or immoral
things (phrase)
c) something done showing skill, strength or daring
d) generally considered
e) a person who claims to have more skill,
knowledge or ability than he or she really has
f) a scientist in the Middle Ages who tried to
discover a way to change ordinary metals into
gold and to achieve immortality
g) a writer of a work of literaure whose name is
unknown or has been lost
h) a man, usually in folklore or fairy tales, with magic
powers
i) of something that is not controlled or explained by
physical laws
j) an agreement to buy, sell or exchange something,
usually after some discussion
k) an agreement
I) give oneself up (phrase)
m) a very quick sight of someone or something
n) a place of punishment after death
342 ELS
THE FAUST LEGEND
In the early 16th century, there sprang up in Germany tales of a magician, Dr.
Johannes Faust - or, sometimes, Faustus - who was rumoured to be in league with the
devil. With the devil's aid, Faust could supposedly perform remarkable feats. There
seems little doubt that a fortune-teller of this name actually existed. He is said to have
died in about 1540, but the details of his life have been lost. He was reputed to be a
charlatan who travelled from place to place in Germany, passing himself off as a
physician, alchemist, astrologer and magician. Faust owes his first literary fame to the
anonymous author of "Das Faustbuch", published in Frankfurt in 1587. This was a
collection of tales concerning a number of ancient and medieval wizards who had gone
by the name of Faust. "Das Faustbuch" relates how Faust sought to acquire supernatural
knowledge and power through a bargain with Satan. In this pact, signed in his own
blood, Faust agreed that Mephistopheles, a devil, was to become his servant for 24
years. In return, Faust would surrender himself to Satan at the end of that period.
Mephistopheles entertained his master with luxurious living, long intellectual
conversations, and glimpses of the spirit world. After the agreed 24 years, during an
earthquake, Faust was carried off to Hell. The Faust legend soon gained wide popularity
and was used as a theme by many writers. The most outstanding treatment of the legend
was formulated by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who raised the story to the level of a
powerful drama and introduced the motif of a heroine, Margarete. Other authors in the
19th and 20th centuries have used the legend as the basis for stories, but the best
recent work is probably the 1947 novel "Doktor Faustus", by the German writer Thomas
Mann. This version makes use of certain passages from the original "Faustbuch".
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