The Faustian legend has captured the imagination of readers and writers for centuries and in Goethe's "Faust" we find one of the greatest tellings of this old German tale. It is the story of man who makes a deal with the devil and pays with his soul. The influence of this theme on literature cannot be understated. In Goethe's "Faust" we find what is probably the most famous version of the story and one of the greatest works of literature ever written.