Christopher Marlowe
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
(ca. 1592-93)
- Norton Overview
- Alternate Scene 9 and ending(s)
Things to Consider:
- Historical Context: Humanism and the Renaissance
- cf. Luther, Galileo, Machiavelli, Francis Bacon
- Ambition and Overreaching
- Forbidden Knowledge
- "Good" and "Bad" Angels: What is their role?
- Does Faustus get all that he desires?
- Does he get all that he deserves?
Characteristics of the Morality Play:
- the chorus/narrator
- pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins
- Temptation, Salvation, Damnation
- the entertaining, comical Vice (or devil)
- concern with ultimate spiritual issues
- crude, farcical humor grafted on to solemn story
Terms to Know:
- soliloquy
- dramatic irony
- exposition
Discussion Questions (See Part
Two ):
Prologue:
573-74:
- How does the Chorus function here? Explain the opening
speech.
Scene One:
575:
- Why does Faustus reject Divinity in favor of Necromancy
(1.47-50)?
577:
- What is the Delphian oracle (1.143)?
Scene Three:
581:
- Explain the offer Faustus makes to
Lucifer. (See also Scene Five, p. 586).
Scene Five:
584:
585:
- Why does Lucifer want Faustus's soul?
- What does "Consummatum est" mean
(5.74)? Why is this quote significant?
586:
- Where, according to Mephastophilis, is Hell?
587:
- Why can't Mephastophilis procure a wife
for Faustus?
590:
- Why is calling on Christ contrary to his promise to Lucifer?
Other Discussion Questions:
Marlowe:
571:
- Describe the circumstances
under which Marlowe received his Master's degree.
572:
- What was Marlowe the first
English translator to do?
574:
- Who is Icarus?
- Why does Faustus reject Logic/Philosophy (1.8-9-10)?
575:
- Why does he reject Medicine/Physics (1.18-27)?
- Why does he reject Law (1.34-36)?
577:
- Explain lines 1.121-23. What historical phenomenon is
referred to?
578-79:
- How does Wagner "triumph" over the other two students?
579:
- What is the significance of lines 3.8-10?
581:
- Why does Faustus call men's souls "vain trifles" (3.62)?
- Explain lines 3.77-81.
582-83:
- Why does Wagner hire the clown?
583:
- How is Wagner able to conjure devils?
585:
- Why does Faustus's blood congeal (5.62)?
- What does "Homo, fuge!" mean (5.77)?
587:
- Why does Faustus not care about giving his soul to Lucifer?
588:
- Why does Faustus want to repent?
- Why "can't" he?
590:
- Why do the Seven Deadly Sins appear?
591:
- Why does the sight of the Seven Deadly Sins feed Faustus's
soul?
Part Two
Discussion Questions:
Scene Seven:
593:
- What does Faustus do once he procures
the power he achieves?
594:
- How does the Cardinal of Lorraine explain the pranks Faustus
performs?
- Could this explanation be considered ironic? Explain.
Scene Eight:
595:
- What is the purpose of this scene? How does it relate
to Scene Six?
598:
- Who is Actaeon? Explain Faustus's comments about him
(9.53-54).
Scene Twelve:
602:
- Does Faustus really repent? If so,
shouldn't he be saved? Explain.
604:
- Explain: "Was this the face that
launched a thousand ships,/And burnt the topless towers of
Ilium?" (12.81-82).
- Why does Faustus want to kiss
Helen? What does this desire reveal about him?
Scene Thirteen:
605:
- Why can't Faustus be saved?
607:
- What moral/lesson does the Chorus impart
at the end?
Other Discussion Questions:
Scene Six:
592:
- What is the purpose of this scene?
- What do horns signify (6.14-16)?
592-93:
593:
- Why do Faustus and Mephastophilis go to visit the Pope?
595:
- What do the bell, book, and candle signify (7.81)?
596:
- How can Robin summon Mephastophilis?
596-97:
597:
- Why does Faustus appear before Charles V (the Emperor)?
Scene Ten:
600:
- Why is the horse-courser upset with Faustus? Has
Faustus treated him fairly? Explain.
Scene Eleven:
601:
- Explain the discussion of the grapes.
602:
Scene Twelve:
- How was Helen "raped" (12.19)?
603:
- What is the purpose of the Old Man at this point?
Scene Thirteen:
605:
- How do the scholars explain Faustus's strange behavior?
606:
- Explain lines 80-85.
- Explain lines 89-94. Is Faustus asking God for
forgiveness?
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