Johann Spies
Encyclopedia
Johann Spies was a German printer who published an anonymous book of tales about a legendary Doctor Faust who made a pact with the Devil. The story became the basis for several notable literary works, including Marlowe's Tragedy of Doctor Faustus and Goethe's Faust
.
Spies published the book in 1587 in Frankfurt am Main under the title Historia von D. Johann Fausten. The book is a compendium of anecdotes about a professor of theology and medicine who undertakes the study of sorcery, forms an alliance with the Devil (in the form of a friar named Mephistopheles
), and undergoes a series of fantastic adventures. In the end, Faust is punished for his sins when Satan
torments him and takes his soul to hell.
Within a year the book was translated into English, and by 1611 it had also appeared in French
, Dutch
, and Czech
.
Goethe's Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play in two parts: and . Although written as a closet drama, it is the play with the largest audience numbers on German-language stages...
.
Spies published the book in 1587 in Frankfurt am Main under the title Historia von D. Johann Fausten. The book is a compendium of anecdotes about a professor of theology and medicine who undertakes the study of sorcery, forms an alliance with the Devil (in the form of a friar named Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore...
), and undergoes a series of fantastic adventures. In the end, Faust is punished for his sins when Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
torments him and takes his soul to hell.
Within a year the book was translated into English, and by 1611 it had also appeared in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, and Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
.