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Unlike Marlowe's Faust, Goethe's Faust is saved in the end. Why do you think it is important for Goethe to end his play happily? Why do you think Faust is redeemed in the end? In what way does this reflect the Enlightenment idea of salvation?

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Answer and Explanation:

"Faust" written by Goethw tells the story of a man who was so thirsty for knowledge that he ended up selling his soul to the devil to have unlimited access to all the knowledge that the world presents.

The contract with the devil promotes horrible situations for Faust, but at the end of the story Faust is saved by God and is happy. It is important that Faust finish the story happily, so as not to discourage people from seeking knowledge, but to encourage them to flee from evil. In this context, Faust is redeemed in the end because what promoted all the pain and suffering he suffered was not his studies, but the devil. This shows that knowledge is needed even to escape what is evil.

This reflects the illumist ideas that knowledge, when used towards good, is liberating and progressive, but when used towards evil, it is condemning.

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