The Tragical History of Dr Faustus

Christopher Marlowe

Overview of Doctor FaustusMarlowe makes excellent use of Christian

religious convention Christian in the playIn the play, the character Faustus strives against

human limitation to the point of selling his soul to the devil

Faustus is not only a seeker for power but also a knower and a desirer to know

The story is created out of Medieval morality play with a late Renaissance temper

This is because a ‘knowing’ Faustus deliberately launching himself upon a course of evil-doing

Faustus – a man ruined by knowledge

More on Dr. FaustusHe is a scholar overpowered by his

intellectual prideDoctor Faustus is thus a tragedy of a man

who misdirects great gifts of mind and spirit and who therefore progressively loses his soul by disintegration

This disintegration brings low comedy into the tragedy

The danger of having too much…This low comedy serves to show the tragic

failure of the hero to live up to his high hopes of what he would gain from magic

It also illustrates that knowing too much would eventually kill the person in you

The play begins…The Chorus introduces the theme of the playIt informed that the play will not deal with:- the subject of war- scenes of love in royal courts- presentation of “proud audacious deeds”This play will deal with “Faustus’ fortunes,

good or bad” and opens with an introduction of Faustus as a genius who was sent to an established university to study medicine

Act One

Faustus is shown in his study, examining various fields of learning in order to decide upon his choice of the particular field in which to specialize:

Analytic = he already attained great proficiency in itMedicine = his skill as physician already recognizedLegal = suitable for those who have money in their

minds

Act OneDivinity appeals to him but it teaches a

doctrine which is for him totally unsatisfactory

So what actually appeals to Faustus???

MAGICThis study appeals to him because:- It promises wealth- It promises power - It promises gloryMagic will enable him to extend his authority

as far as the mind of man can go, “A sound magician is a demi-god”

Faustus the n instructed Wagner to bring his two friends Valdes and Cornelius to ask for advice

Good angel vs evil spiritWhile waiting for Wagner to come back,

these two elements/supernatural characters enter and offer Faustus advices:

Good angel asks Faustus to put the book aside

Evil spirit asks Faustus to go forward

In his soliloquy, Faustus begins to plan..The things that he will instruct the sprits

under him to do:Get all the gold, pearls from all over the

worldFind rare, exotic foodRead to him ‘strange philosophy’Reveal to him the ‘secrets of foreign kings’Wall all Germany with brassTo cloth students with silk