Speculah:Madoka Magica and Faust
Lines from Goethe's Faust appear widely in Episodes one and two, in writings on walls and in runes which flash across the screen.
[TODO: Please mirror all references on the Facts_and_Observations page related to Faust that have been discovered so far and write about how they could connect with the actual story (e.g. in >>44790618 and >>44797549)]
Episode 1
Prologue
The very first shot of the series after the curtains rise is a title card that reads (in runes) "Prolog im Himmel". This is the title of the Prologue of Goethe's Faust, where Mephistopheles and God make a wager over the soul of Faust. The runes underneath the title are assumed to say "2011".
The addition of "2011" may imply that the series is intended to not just reference Faust, but as a full, animated adaptation of the story.
In Prolog im Himmel, Mephistopheles and God have a conversation about Faust. In the series prologue, Madoka and Kyubey have a conversation about Homura. While it is normally assumed that Madoka is playing either Faust, or the Gretal to Homura's Faust, the placement of characters in this scene presents other possibilities.
That Kyubey is Mephistopheles seems a no-brainer, after all Mephistopheles appeared to Faust as a small cute animal. So we could consider the possibility that Madoka is God. As of Episode three Kyubey, Mami and Homura have all stated that Madoka has massive magical potential, which could be viewed as god-like power. If true, we would expect to see Homura(Faust)'s existing interest in and devotion to Madoka(god) being tested and eventually broken as she loses her way or becomes more corrupt.
The alternative scenario presented by the prologue is that Kyubey is god, and Madoka is Mephistopheles. Certainly Kyubey's ability to grant wishes is godlike, while his animal form may be a red herring. Madoka's journey through the checkered hallways to reach the treetop where she converses with Kyubey may mirror Mephistopheles' journey to reach heaven. Also, the homo erotic subtext between Homura and Madoka parallels the subtext between Faust and Mephistopheles. In this scenario, we might expect Homura's relationship with Madoka to lead her down a path to damnation.
Please also note that Mephistopheles was not always depicted as an evil character. Often he is an unwilling slave to Satan, who helps and advises Faust, trying to steer him away from the dark path he is treading.
The Witch's spell
After Madoka and Sayaka run away from Homura, four Anthonies are seen to be "speaking", or singing, moving streams of runes which are a quote from "The Hexeneinmaleins" in Goethe's Faust. This quote is a basic magic spell demonstrated to Faust on his first visit to a witch. It describes a 3x3 numerical grid where each row and column adds up to 15. Here is a translation of the passage.
| Original text | Translation |
|---|---|
| Die Hexe Du mußt verstehn! Aus Eins mach' Zehn, Und Zwey laß gehn, Und Drey mach' gleich, So bist du reich. Verlier' die Vier! Aus Fünf und Sechs, So sagt die Hex', Mach' Sieben und Acht, So ist's vollbracht: Und Neun ist Eins, Und Zehn ist keins. Das ist das Hexen-Einmal-Eins! |
The Witch This you must ken (understand) From one make ten, And two let be, make even three, Then rich you'll be. Skip o'er the four! From five and six, The Witch's tricks, Make seven and eight, 'Tis finished straight; And nine is one, And ten is none, That is the witch's one-time-one! |
Other
While inside the witch's barrier cut-out rings containing German text appear which can be assumed to be quotes from Faust, although only a few are identifiable.
Episode 2
Entrance to the witch's barrier
The texts on the abandoned building's entrance wall in episode 2 are quotes from Goethe's Faust. Here is a translation of the portion that is quoted.
| Original text | Translation |
|---|---|
| Weh! Weh! Du hast sie zerstört, Die schöne Welt, Mit mächtiger Faust; Sie stürzt, sie zerfällt! Ein Halbgott hat sie zerschlagen! Wir tragen Die Trümmern ins Nichts hinüber, Und klagen Über die verlorne Schöne. Mächtiger Der Erdensöhne, Prächtiger Baue sie wieder, In deinem Busen baue sie auf! Neuen Lebenslauf Beginne, Mit hellem Sinne, Und neue Lieder Tönen darauf! |
Woe! woe! Thou hast it destroyed, The beautiful world, With powerful fist: In ruin ’tis hurled, By the blow of a demigod shattered! The scattered Fragments into the Void we carry, Deploring The beauty perished beyond restoring. Mightier For the children of men, Brightlier Build it again, In thine own bosom build it anew! Bid the new career Commence, With clearer sense, And the new songs of cheer Be sung thereto! |
Note that this passage is sung by an "invisible ghost choir". In the series Kyubey, the witches, their minions and barriers are all invisible to normal people.
Inside the barrier
As in episode one, cut out rings containing Faust quotes in German can occasionally be seen within Gertrud's barrier.
Episode 3
The pinnacle of happiness
As part of Faust's deal with Mephistopheles, if he should ever reach the highest state of happiness possible for humanity, he will immediately die and be consigned to hell. It has been noted that Mami died very soon after achieving a similar state of happiness.
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]