Goethe's Faust

Is Faust a hero?

Why? Why not?

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Faust could be construed as both hero and villain in the play. As a hero, Faust confronts his own nihilism and accepts that love has created for him a moment of peace and contentment with Nature. He accepts this contentment, even though he knows it secures his own damnation because of his wager with the Devil. However, Faust is also a villain because his quest is ultimately self-centered. He cannot help but drag others, including Gretchen and Martha, into his own self-centered temptations, dragging them toward damnation in the process.

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