Faust Parts I and II Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 'Faust' is a monumental poetic drama of man's eternal search for the meaning of life. Based on the legend of Doctor Faust, who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for infinite knowledge, Goethe's 'Faust' stands as a compelling symbolic treatment of man's creative aspiration. Bayard Taylor translation, modern spelling and punctuation.