Faust: The Mocking ReligionGoethe's play Faust is subtitled a tragedy. There is nothing in the play like Romeo and Juliet. So why should a tragedy be subtitled? Well, I don't know who or why you call it a tragedy, but I know why I would call it a tragedy. Some things in the play are very tragic: for example the mockery of religion (lines 290-295) the girl's pregnancy, the loss of faith (line 388) the intelligent Faust losing hope (line 381) and even though we didn't read this, the fact that Faust goes to heaven after all he is dead (the end of the play) Throughout this play religion is constantly mocked. The devil and God are pretty buddies, man. I mean, they make bets, they have informal conversations (lines 275-302). They're just kind of friends. I'm not the most religious person, but I know that the Devil and God are not friends. They don't talk, make bets or go out together. Obvious mockery right there. Furthermore, it seems that the mighty Devil is not powerful at all. He is repeatedly outsmarted by a mere mortal (line 2715) and has many limitations. If you grow up going to church and are taught religion, you have the impression that the Devil is so powerful, that he always tempts us mortals and ultimately buys our souls. God and the Devil are mocked by showing how little power they have. God over the Devil and the devil over mortals. The fact that the girl, Grethen, becomes pregnant is a tragedy for the simple fact that she and Faust are in love and probably would be forever if it were not for the Devil. Faust loves this girl and would like to be with her forever, but the Devil says that Faust can sleep with any girl without being with her. Then the Devil convinces Faust to smear this innocent girl. He sleeps with her, making her pregnant and thus sending her to prison (at the time it was a crime for a woman to become pregnant without being married). Faust knows that the woman he loves is in prison, perhaps forever and he wants to help her, but the Devil convinces him otherwise. Faust's loss of faith is another problem with this play which I think was a tragedy.