Probebohrungen an einem Mythos

The German myth of “Faust” and its monumental dramatic adaptation by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe have for centuries been the subject of countless interpretations, speculations and
rewritings. From philosophical considerations to modern parodies, the subject of Faust has inspired numerous interpretations and analyses. But what remains when you take a serious/
unserious look at the myth and its reception? In his literary intervention “Probing a Myth”, Steve Karier invites the audience to join him on an extraordinary journey through the history of the reception of Goethe’s “Faust”: from Friedrich Theodor Vischer’s half-baked literary parody, called “Faust. The Third Part of the Tragedy” (1862), to Fernando Pessoa’s “Faust. A Subjective Tragedy” (written between 1909 and 1933) to Ewald Palmetshofer’s “faust is hungry and chokes on a grete” (2014). Steve Karier is primarily interested in Friedrich Nietzsche’s influence, whose work had a lasting effect on our understanding of the myth of Faust. Karier examines how Nietzsche’s philosophical ideas – in particular the concepts of the will to power and the Übermensch – resonate in subsequent treatments and re-interpretations of “Faust”, for instance by Werner Schwab. Through his inspiring mix of literary analysis, parody and speculative examination Karier’s intervention prepares the ground for his own, ironic/reflective interpretation of one of the most important works of German literature.

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