"Faust" is a play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, considered the greatest work of German literature and Goethe's magnum opus. It consists of two parts written mainly in verse. The plot is based on a classic German legend about the historical personage Johann Georg Faust. The erudite Faust is very successful yet dissatisfied with his life. He decides to make a pact with the Devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Goethe's work describes the tragedy of Faust's soul and different social phenomena such as psychology, history, and politics.