ACT I

Faust has made a compact with Mephis­tofeles, but believes that he can use his powers to do good and  to outwit him. Faust is disgusted with mere pleasure. He wants something more, some­thing new, he wants to do good deeds, and he wants true love. Mephistofeles derides him: What? Do good deeds through  the powers of hell? Faust retorts that the devil has to serve him. In reality Faust is the victim of his own passions; he wavers between his love for the pure maiden, Röschen,  and his lust for Countess Kunigunde, whom, with the aid of Mephistofeles, he has rescued from the clutches of a robber knight, Sir Gulf He swears love and faithfulness to Röschen, who has just come from her mother's fresh grave, while his companions wait for him, bawling, drink­ing, and jealous of the beggars for whom he provides. Wagner, a friend of Faust, tries to console them by asserting that Faust can produce goldthrough alchemy. Faust arrives with Röschen and Mephisto. Franz,who has been seeking Röschen’s hand, storms in with an angry mob. He claims that Faust the magician has abducted Röschen and murdered her mother: bring him to justice and  lead him to the stake! Mephisto is ordered to save Röschen from danger and takes advantage of the situation to have Faust renew their pact. Faust does so in order to save Röschen and flees through the roof with his companions. Franz and the mob are duped and left standing there openmouthed. The abducted Kunigunde is lamenting in Gulf's castle; she is supposed to comply with the wishes of the robber and tyrant who abducted her but loves only Hugo. Count Hugo wants to free Kunigunde, and Faust comes to his assis­tance with help from the devil. While Röschen clings to him, he falls in love with the noble lady he has rescued, who, for her part, has eyes only for her count.

 

ACT II

Mephisto takes Faust along to Walpurgisnacht and asks the witch Sycorax for a potion to make women fall in love with Faust. Faust obtains a magic potion with which he plans to seduce Kunigunde. At the feast after her marriage to Count Hugo, Kunigunde consequently finds herself irresistibly a­ttracted to Faust. When Hugo intervenes Faust kills him in a duel..

ACT III

 

Mephistofeles exults over Faust's impend­ing damnation. Röschen, distressed by Faust's infidelity with Kunigunde, drowns herself. Kunigunde is outraged at at her own behaviour and disowns Faust. While his friends press in around him. Mefistofeles  seizes Faust; his time is up. Hell is his destination, and Mefistofeles is finally able to return to Hell, his home.