Speculah:Madoka Magica and Faust

Lines from Goethe's Faust appear widely in Episode 2 and briefly in Episode 1, in writings on walls and in runes which flash across the screen.

[TODO: Please write about all the references to Faust that have been discovered so far and how they could connect with the actual story (e.g. in >>44790618 and >>44797549)]

Episode 1

The very first shot of the series is a title card that reads (in runes) "Prolog im Himmel", the title of the Prologue of Faust, where Mephistopheles and God make a wager over the soul of Faust.

General analysis

Parallels between Goethe's Faust and Madoka

In the opening of the drama, Faust, filled with regrets of his life, laments about his life ending before it has truly begun. He felt that he has little importance in a world that emphasizes not the wealth of knowledge in sages... whereas Madoka, filled with regrets of her short life, laments about her life coming to a point where she is of little importance in a world that requires one to be useful... yet, both Madoka and Faust are actually ambitious and hopeful. They both do not see hedonistic happiness as the most important thing.

Faust heads off brazenly, in the spirit of headstrong ignorance, that he shall seek all the ups and downs of humanity without ever stopping, and he shall fall should he wish time to standstill. Madoka has now seen sorrow and joy in its rawest form, and she now has the opportunity to make the same leap of faith... yet she of course is ignorant.

Madoka, as Faust has, will soon face the issue of her hotheaded ambition being doused time, time and time again. The ill omen strikes in this parallel where, by the second part of Faust, the man becomes resolved to do good via obtaining the means to do so. Although Mephistopheles misinterpreted Faust's intentions as Faust attempting to seize power unto himself, it was not so... which led, unfortunately, to the bloody price that Faust paid to achieve his own Utopia, that land made from sea reclamation; The blood of innocents would yet again trip the mind of the idealist.

Will we see this occur with Madoka, where good intention does not yield the ideal performance?

Faust lives on, with humility of understanding that he is no better than others and that he cannot play god, yet he must live on and continue this journey in the ugly yet beautiful world. Will Madoka come to understand this bitterness and yet still resolve to reach a form of satisfaction, albeit with humility? It remains to be seen. This realization has earned Faust of his salvation, yet would that point come with Madoka and would she in term, reach her salvation?

In relation to the Faustian issue in the price to be paid for a contract, I now think that Goethe's answer would be that once signed, the moment of lament is over. Moreover, make no assumption that one will gain such tangible benefit and that you are wiser than the other side of the consigning parties by dictating the terms of the agreement. After that, all parties must partake the journey together, as success and failure is now defined, and intertwined between all parties involved.

As Junko applies her makeup, Faust downs the Witche's one-times-one, Madoka must transform into a magical girl and face a world that she has consigned to involve herself in. Everything prior is just prologue. I hope Madoka would solve the Witchs' Epitaph and enter the Golden Land of her choosing.

Source: [1]