PART VIII. Goethe and Faust

GOETHE AND FAUST

GOETHE’S YOUTH

Goethe’s youth.—Pessimism of youth.—Werther.—Tendency to suicide.—Work and love.—Goethe’s conception of life in his maturity 261

GOETHE AND OPTIMISM

Goethe’s optimistic period.—His mode of life in that period.—Influence of love in artistic production.—Inclinations towards the arts must be regarded as secondary sexual characters.—Senile love of Goethe.—Relation between genius and the sexual activities 270

III

GOETHE’S OLD AGE

Old age of Goethe.—Physical and intellectual vigour of the old man.—Optimistic conception of life.—Happiness in life in his last period 279

GOETHE AND “FAUST”

Faust the biography of Goethe.—The three monologues in the first Part.—Faust’s pessimism.—The brain-fatigue which finds a remedy in love.—The romance with Marguerite and its unhappy ending 283

THE OLD AGE OF FAUST

The second Part of Faust is in the main a description of senile love.—Amorous passion of the old man.—Humble attitude of the old Faust.—Platonic love for Helena.—The old Faust’s conception of life.—His optimism.—The general idea of the play 290