Prologue: Chorus 1:: Doctor Faustus Notes Christopher Marlowe (Published 1604)

DOCTOR FAUSTUS NOTES
Christopher Marlowe (published 1604)

Key:
Red = Quote
Green = Different genres: GOTHIC, TRAGIC, MORALITY
Blue = Context
Orange = Alternative Interpretations
PROLOGUE: CHORUS 1:
OVERVIEW:
o Designed to outline the action of the play; given information prior to events commencing. Gives it a meta-theatrical
quality where we are fully aware it is a play, where the chorus acts as a mediator between the audience and the
central performance itself.
o Introduced by 'The Chorus' (an actor on his own), which links DF to the traditional Greek tragedy, in which a chorus
traditionally comments on the action. The chorus acts as a curtain raiser, attracting the audience's attention by
addressing them directly.
o Depicts how this can be considered a Tragic play and a Morality play, with clear Gothic elements. Morality plays
have less focus on the human condition, using stereotypical characters to teach us how to improve, but in Tragedies,
we are encouraged to sympathise with characters and focus on human motives. Marlowe combines both these
themes.
THE ACTION OUTLINED: FORESHADOWS THE COURSE OF THE PLAY.

o Begins by announcing the entire topics the play will NOT cover. Whilst this may seem strange, it makes us more
content when he leaves these behind to focus on a more practical story. Instead, Chorus expresses how he "intends
our muse to vaunt his heavenly verse": here he points Marlowe as the muse, even though the muse is typically the
inspirer of the literature, not the poet/author himself. Aligns Marlowe with Faustus in his PRIDE AND HUBERIS
(Gothic/tragic themes)
o Not focusing on stories of triumph or love or battles and therefore not focusing on typical themes of TRAGEDIES.
"Not marching now in fields of Trasimene" (battle in 207BC)
"Not sporting in the dalliance of love"
"Nor in the pomp proud of audacious deeds"
o Communicates how DF was not born into power, but from a lower class: "Now is he born, his parents base of stock".
Shows that this is the story of an ordinary man, aligning the audience with him as we are on the same level.
Untypical of a tragic hero who is usually born into power e.g. Hamlet.
o "Wittenberg he went, whereas his kinsmen chiefly brought him up": Moved to the home of LUTHER, a man who
protested against the Catholic Church and was instrumental in the wave of Protestant reform.
o "Shortly he was graced with doctor's name": Despite earlier disadvantages, he earns his status as an intellect, unlike a
usual tragic hero who is born into prestige. Use of the word "graced" makes him seem very special and God-like in
his reputation.
o Chorus offers a doubt to Faustus' fortunes, saying they will be "good or bad". Explicitly tells us that DF's swelling
pride leads to his downfall: "his waxen wings did mount above his reach".
o This is a reference to the GREEK MYTH of Icarus; a boy whose father gave him wings made out of wax and warned
him not to fly too close to the sun. Icarus did not heed Daedalus’ warning and plunged to his death. Like Icarus,
Faustus ignores later warnings about the danger of his pursuit of forbidden knowledge.
o The above point depicts how Faustus is overambitious and depicts how his fate is pre-determined and inescapable,
where his FATAL FLAW is his superhuman ambition. (Gothic/tragic theme)
o Introduces the theme of SIN and BLACK MAGIC (Gothic elements): "he surfeits upon cursed necromancy".
o Uses language of consumption to depict how his greed for black magic is almost like a lust for the forbidden fruit.
Depicts how he is hungry for power, knowledge and wisdom. Use of the word "glutted" depicts how he uses physical
images to discuss spiritual matters to shows how his mind has become an appetite; wants more than just theological
knowledge. AMBITION IS IN EXCESS; showing how he is a Gothic over-reacher.
"glutted more with learning's golden gifts"
"nothing so sweet as magic is to him"
o The introduction to DF also reflects a commitment to Renaissance values: the interest in classical learning with
emphasis on painting literature. In the Medieval Era which preceded the Renaissance, focus was on God and
theology, but 15th and 16th Centuries saw focus turn to the study of mankind and the natural world. Prologue locates
this drama squarely in Renaissance world: humanistic values hold sway. Classical and Medieval literature also
typically focus on the lives of the great and famous, but in DF we are to witness the life of an ordinary man = Clear
message that ordinary people are just as important as any king or warrior.
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SCENE ONE:
OVERVIEW:
o Begins with Faustus' individual soliloquy, where he shows that there are no longer any sufficient challenges for him
except black magic - he needs intellectual stimulation. (HUBRIS - GOTHIC)
o Sends his servant to fetch Valdes and Cornelius (tutors in black magic). Whilst awaiting them, the Good and Evil
Angels appear to Faustus, and Faustus follows the Evil one.
o Valdes and Cornelius arrive and offer his wealth and power, planning to meet for another lesson that evening.
FAUSTUS' SOLILOQUY:
o In proceeding through the various intellectual disciplines and citing authorities for each, DF is following the dictates
of medieval scholarship, which held that learning was based on the authority of the wise rather than on
experimentation and new ideas. This soliloquy, marks Faustus’s rejection of this medieval model, as he sets aside
each of the old authorities and resolves to strike out on his own in his quest to become powerful through magic.
o Addresses himself by name "Faustus" to create the impression that he has control over what he is doing; almost as if
it is a dramatic monologue.
o Also addresses his books as people: "'tis thou has ravished me" - not words usually put with academia, showing that
he cares almost a little too much about it. He places bodily terms that are usually used to describe the physical, with
the intellectual, making him seem misguided and creates the impression that the mind and body are indistinguishable.
o Faustus then rejects his old learning. He approaches his decision by systematically considering the purpose of each of
the disciplines, and then rejecting them upon their flaws.
o 1. Rejects philosophy which is represented by "Aristotle's works". He describes the analytics in sexual terms, as
having "ravished" Faustus (see above). BUT Faustus concludes that Aristotle teaches that the goal of logic is to
"dispute well", i.e. to conduct formal arguments without making errors of logic. He can already do this so decides
that he can gain nothing more from Aristotle.
o 2. Turns from philosophy to medicine that is represented by "Galen", describing the purpose of medicine as a way of
"heap(ing) up gold" and becoming "eternized", where his bills are "hung up as monuments". But since he has already
got fame and fortune, he no longer needs medicine and science in his life. He also rejects medicine on the grounds
that we are hindered by mortality: "the end of physic is our body's health". Reflects his error in moral judgement as
he clearly pursued medicine for the wrong reasons, and rejected it for the wrong reasons also. Thus, he implies that
he would only be a doctor if he could be the same as Christ/equal to God to "make man to live eternally" or "raise
them to life again". HUBRIS (Gothic theme)
o 3. Turns from medicine to the legal profession represented by "Justinian’s laws". To discard this, Faustus adopts the
traditional Christian view that material wealth is "nothing but external trash" in comparison to spiritual things. Feels
the liberal arts are more appropriate and law is beneath him. BUT he doesn't see that the magic he plans to take up is
very different from the spirituality that defines money as trivial - uses whatever approach is more convenient for him
but discards it later. Uses two examples of the legal profession that can be seen as metaphors for his current state:
one concerns values, the other concerns inheritance from father to son - Faustus, in rejecting God, will reject the
figure of "father in heaven", and the spiritual inheritance of Christianity.
o 4. Turns from law to religion, represented by "Jerome's Bible". Says religion is incomprehensible as "the reward of
sin is death", and since we all sin, we "so consequently die". However, it is evident that Faustus expresses an
extremely fatalistic view, for he does not consider the Christian belief in reconciliation as the verses he takes are
incomplete = wilful blindness to the reality of religion. Comments "Che sara sara"/"What shall be, shall be" -
fatalistic misinterpretation of Church doctrine.
o He explicitly tells us that he decides to devote his life to magic: "these metaphysics of magicians and necromatic
books are heavenly" - Inverts traditional views; makes religion a source of death and Black Magic heavenly.
o "a sound magician is a mighty God" - wants to displace God and have dominion over humanity and everything on
earth. Protestant audience would see this as villainous. HUBRIS (Gothic theme)
o Faustus clearly has flawed reasoning: does not apply the same disputes to magic that he has applied to other
disciplines, merely claiming that he finds it really exciting. But the audience know that the magical world does not
hold a sense of spirituality that he deemed "paltry legacies" to hold, and is in fact the least noble of all these
principles.
THE GOOD AND EVIL ANGELS:

o Juxtaposition between the two angels reminds us of the difference between good and bad actions. Therefore, they are
designed to keep our moral perspective clear. Like a character traditional of a morality play, DF chooses to
follow the path of the angel who talks last. This is this EVIL angel. Reflects how Faustus knows there are two paths
but he chooses to follow the evil one - he is a conscious sinner.
o The angels are often seen as genuine visitations, but can be interpreted as an outward symbol of Faustus' inner
turmoil; allegories of his split mental process and divided will.
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o The Good Angel tries to warn Faustus by saying how black magic will "heap God's heavy wrath upon thy head",
where turning his back on God means feeling the frenzy of his anger.
o The Evil Angel tempts Faustus by promising him power as "Lord and commander of these elements".
o Faustus is carried away with the possibilities of black magic and moves into a richly poetic speech whereby he
follows the Evil angel.
o Uses lots of 'l' sounds to give a mellifluous quality to his words: "resolve", "gold", "all", "pleasant". This makes his
ambitions seem charming and harmless.
o Uses rich language: "princely delicates", "pleasant fruits" to convey his desire for glory. Trying to encourage us to
TRANSGRESS like himself (Gothic theme).
o Seeks knowledge and power: "secrets of all foreign kings" "sole king of all our provinces".
o Andrew Duxfield comments that it is difficult to "consider Faustus as anything other than a fool", whereby his
dreams are depicted as ruthless and to some extent, ridiculous. A prime example of this is his desire to “make swift
Rhine circle fair Wittenberg”, reflecting how he wants to redirect the flow of the river. The aspect that makes this
seem particularly absurd is his belief that this he is capable of achieving this, thus reflecting the over-ambitious
nature of his dreams. (Gothic theme)
o INTRIGUING AND EMBELLISHED LANGUAGE MAKES HIS DERAMS ENTICE WONDER.
o At this point it is clear that Faustus is not a saint but he is certainly not a sinner either - his ambition makes him
enticing and he does want to do some good natured things: "fill the public school with silk", so we cannot totally
condemn him. Also, his dreams seem a bit ridiculous rather than realistic, and at this point we are not entirely
convinced that he will receive what he desires.
VALDES AND CORNELIUS: 'the vice-crew'.

o Marlowe invents the characters of Valdes and Cornelius as characters who will aid Faustus on the path to his fall.
They try to tempt Faustus into dark magic, however it is clear that he is already resolute: "yet not your words, but
mine own fantasy". He needs them to help make his dream reality. Seems ironic that he needs human help to become
God-like: "aid me in this attempt."
o DF repeats his argument to them, showing HUBRISM (again). "‘Tis magic, magic that hath ravished me".
o "Will be as cunning as Agrippa was", "whose shadows made all of Europe honour him". Agrippa doesn't need his
presence to still have influence whereby only his shadows are needed. DF wants to achieve this too.
o Therefore, as DF is already resolute, Marlowe uses their exhilarating speeches as a means to tempt the audience
towards black magic. This therefore makes us sympathise with Faustus more for it is clear that he is not the only
individual to succumb to attractive lure. INTRODUCES THEME OF TRANSGRESSION (GOTHIC.)
o There is a clear contrast between the means Valden and Cornelius use to tempt the audience and secure Faustus’
“resolution” for dark magic.
o Valdes appeals to Faustus’ hunger for power whereby “the subjects of every element (will) be always serviceable to
us three”. The "us three" hints at an UNHOLY trinity. Appeals to DF's greed wealth in the form of “huge argosies”
and “Philip’s treasury”. Argosies were the ships Jason travelled on when seeking the Golden Fleece and they are
therefore representative of wealth.
o Valdes expresses how untamed lions “shall guard us when we please”, which emphasises how dominion over the
wild, powerful and feral natural world appeals to Faustus’ resolute desire for control. Marlowe extends this to bring
in supernatural elements in the form of shape-shifting spirits, interchangeable between “lions”, “women” or “Lapland
giants”, and this paranormal atmosphere adds to the gothic impression.
o Marlowe uses Cornelius to promote the wonders of intellect and knowledge. His use of powerful language such as
“enriched”, “well seen” and “grounded” communicates the attractiveness of black magic, and describing this magic
as performing “miracles” reflects the sheer wonder and sensation of necromancy.
o INTRODUCES GOTHIC THEME OF OBSESSION:
"if learned Faustus will be resolute" - foretells need for strong determination
"full possession" - imagery of total consumption
o INTRODUCES THEME OF CONSCIOUS SIN (GOTHIC): Faustus recognises "this night I'll conjure, though I die
therefore" - knows that turning to black magic is a sin and a matter of life and death, but expresses this colloquially.
He turns his back on God, and with it, turns away from eternal life and towards everlasting damnation to show that he
is a conscious sinner.
o This brings an ominous end to scene 1 as we fear for DF and almost know the issues at stake better than he does.
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SCENE TWO:
OVERVIEW:
o Two scholars come to see Faustus, however Wagner teases them with a parody of scholarly argument.
o When Wagner finally tells them his whereabouts, they realise that he is learning black magic and begin to fear for
him.
COMIC RELIEF:
o Scene 2 acts as a break from the intensity of Scene one. It is the first of the low comic scenes.
o Low comedy is a dramatic or literary form of entertainment with no primary purpose but to create laughter by
boasting, boisterous jokes, drunkenness, scolding, fighting, buffoonery and other riotous activity. It is also
characterized by "horseplay", slapstick or farce. Marlowe introduces this into his work to create lighter moments.
This type of comedy often appealed to the lower classes.
o Marlowe uses Wagner to poke fun at scholarly discourse by turning ordinary conversation into a jokey form of
argument. Terms such as “follows” indicate logical argument, while “witness” are used in a legal sense, and
discussions of the natural body such as "for is he not corpus naturale? (but a man)", indicates theology and
philosophy. Wagner amuses himself by playing verbally with a variety of ways to understand the world to parody
Faustus in the previous scene, thereby undermining him in a satirical manner. Shows that he is very competent in his
master's area of skill: manipulating language and logic.
REENFORCING TRAGIC ELEMENTS:

o Not only is the scene a comic interlude, but it is also a comment on the actions performed by Faustus. By the end of
the second scene, we realise that Faustus' choice affects more people than just himself. First, Faustus has had a direct
influence upon Wagner, who tries in his silly ways to imitate his master. Furthermore, in the end of the scene, we see
that many more people are concerned over Faustus' choice than just Faustus alone. The two scholars indicate their
desire to reclaim Faustus. The use of the word "reclaim" keeps in view the idea that Faustus' choice to use magic has
already damned him. Essentially, the concern of the scholars heightens Faustus' error.
o "I fear he is fall'n into that damned art" depicts a realistic portrayal of the magic - we have only ever seen Faustus'
misguided and one-sided judgement, but the scholars give us truth.
o Also indicates Faustus' isolation: "I wonder what's become of Faustus", suggesting that he is reclusive figure, isolated
because of black magic. The two scholars represent his old way of life, and through turning to necromancy he has
abandoned them too.
o Thus, the scholars induce fear around what DF is doing; creating a threatening atmosphere. As the comedy contrasts
to this entirely, this almost increases the fear even more. (GOTHIC TENSION)
SCENE THREE:
OVERVIEW:
o Faustus conjures using a lengthy Latin speech and a repulsive devil, Mephistopheles, appears. Mephistopheles is
very honest to Faustus, telling him how he is loyal to Lucifer and warns him against turning away from God.
o Faustus ignores this and hence proposes a contract regardless, and they arrange to meet later to conclude the bargain.
COUNJURING THE DEVIL: (GOTHIC DENUNCING OF RELIGION)

o Setting used creates a sinister, gothic atmosphere though strong imagery of the elements.
o "Now that the gloomy shadow of the earth"..."dims the welkin with her pitchy breath" - This suggests how the sky is
overpowered by the Earth, blocking off heaven to establish an appropriate time for Faustus' sinful deed. This
indicates a time when man is stronger than God?? This subsequently depicts the supposed power of Faustus'
"uttermost magic" and how it is strongest at night.
o Furthermore, earth is inhabitant of the body, and the sky (heaven) is inhabitant of the soul. Therefore, this reflects
how DF is turning his back from God and eternity in heaven, but is instead giving his soul up to necromancy.
o An audience of the time would have literally believed in the idea of conjuring devils so this would be a very, very
scary moment of the play. Some may have even expected the actor to conjure a real devil!
o Faustus uses an elaborate Latin speech of black magic which should be thrilling and a theatrically chilling for the
audience. The audience is filled with suspense and Marlowe's use of "Quid tu moraris?" (Why do you delay?)
heightens anticipation as we wait to see whether a devil will appear, and in what form. The devils ugly appearance
could be depicted in various ways - lack of stage directions means it is open to interpretation. For example, in the
Faust Bach it appears as a dragon.
o This black magic of Latin is a complete paradox of the rhythms of the Catholic Church. (Gothic)
o The devil appears in an ugly form and DF therefore tells it to change its shape: "Thou art too ugly to attend on me".
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This portrays the idea that he shuns from reality, where by he orders him to "Go, and return an old Franciscan friar".
This is clearly a rather satirical exclamation, whereby Faustus implies that the most appropriate shape for a devil is a
holy monk. Furthermore, this infers that Faustus wants to disguise the truth of the devil's "ugly" form to avoid the
true horror of black magic.
DOCTOR FAUSTUS: BLINDED:

o Faustus is blinded by power. He is convinced that there is "virtue in my heavenly words" but in reality
Mephistopheles is "servant to great Lucifer". This depicts how he shuns reality: BLINDED.
o This is also evident of DF's pleasure in playing with moral contradictions: his conjuring is far from heavenly and
there is no virtue in his words. He is so convinced of his cleverness that he makes many fundamental mistakes,
making him seem childish. One of the most significant is:
o DF is convinced that his elaborate conjuring brought the devil to him. But Marlowe undermines this by
communicating how Mephistopheles came "in hope to get his glorious soul" - DF HAD NO EFFECT, but the devil
appeared due his denunciation of God's name. This makes a mockery of DF's black magic and further intensifies the
idea that he is blinded by his egotistical nature.
MEPHISTOPHELES' WARNING and INTERPRETATIONS OF HELL:

o Gives DF a direct reflection of hell's horrors and warns him against denouncing God. Tries to convince DF to "leave
these frivolous demands".
o WARNS DF about hell: gives him an honest interpretation: This unconventional devil explicitly portrays the horrific
consequences of rejecting religion and its "eternal bliss", whereby he depicts hell as an all-consuming state of mind,
where one can never escape "out of it". This provides a sharp contrast to Faustus' impression of hell, where he
"confounds hell in Elysium" as an imaginary eternity.
o For a modern audience, this makes the horror of Gothicism even more pronounced, for hell as a state of mind seems
much easier to be banished to than the stereotypical religious conceptions of hell as a physical place: an underworld.
Therefore, the fact that Faustus does not learn from Mephistopheles' warning and fails to grasp the seriousness of his
sin emphasises his misguided judgement and corrupt personal integrity.
o Therefore, Marlowe depicts how Faustus' resolution to black magic blinds him to Mephistopheles' warning regarding
the reality of hell's torment.
o This makes us more sympathetic for M than for DF, and it seems that he replaces DF as the intellect, for Faustus fails
to learn from his warning.
o This suggests that M is quite a 'nice' devil. We can explain this by saying that he sees part of himself in DF. He was
thrown into hell and does not want DF to have to experience the same. This is supported by the fact that M seems to
blame his master, Lucifer for what has happened to him...
o Epistophre of "with Lucifer" makes it seem like a chant and creates an atmosphere of evilness; carries the emphasis
and fear associated with Satan. We can read this as having a hateful tone. Furthermore, the fact that 'Mephistopheles'
means 'no friend to light' and Lucifer means 'giver of light' suggests that M blames L. Therefore, it is easier to
sympathise with M that DF in this scene.
o HOWEVER, ALTERNATIVELY, there are arguments that Mephistopheles is using reverse phycology!!!!
FAUSTUS DOES NOT LEARN and creates a MISGUIDED CONTRACT:

o Dismisses Mephistopheles' warnings as he is blinded by his resolution: "is great Mephistopheles so passionate for
being deprived of the joys of heaven?"
o DF ironically tells M to "learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude" - where he is telling what he thinks a conventional
devil should be like (strong), however this is ironic as Faustus does not have this himself. Reflective of his egotistical
nature. (Gothic trait)
o In this scene DF seems to lose all sense of logic that he prides himself in. In his flush of excitement, he forgets the
skill of reason and rushes into a misguided contract with Lucifer.
o Faustus bids "say he surrenders up to him his soul, so he will spare him four-and-twenty years". Thus, in exchange
for soul, DF will gain 24 years power over Mephistopheles. 24 years makes the audience think of 24 hours that is
significant as it depicts how DF's contract for power is much shorter than his perception. Indicates how he gains little
but gives up a lot.
o "Go and return to mighty Lucifer" - DF has evidently substituted one God for another and is therefore no closer to
omnipotence than he was. He also thinks he is in control of Mephistopheles however he clearly isn't.
DISSOLUSIONED STATE.
DESIRES:
o "By him I'll be great emperor of the world" - political power
o "I'll join the hills that bind the Afric shore and make that land continent to Spain" - control over nature and physical
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world
o "Make a bridge through the moving air" - control over elements, overcoming distance
SCENE FOUR:
OVERVIEW:
o Wagner meets a clown (Robin) and tries to make him become his servant.
o When the clown hesitates, Wagner calls up two devils who terrify him into agreeing.
o Wagner offers to teach the clown how to change himself into anything, and hence the deal is settled.
ROLE OF LOW COMEDY:

o Designed to mimic the big plot. It is a parallel to the previous scene. Robin takes the figure of DF, and in this scene
Robin is a clown. Marlowe is therefore commenting of DF's foolishness.
o Wagner exclaims how Robin would "give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton" - this evokes the explicit
impression that for what he gives up he won't gain much, thereby ridiculing DF's motives. This also implies that DF
is not gaining what it's worth.
o Marlowe uses a series of malapropisms to allow for a lot of comic potential, for example: "knave's acre" instead of
"staves acre" and "gridirons" instead of "guilders". This pokes fun at DF's misinterpretation of his power.
o Wagner conjures the devils without using magic to suggest that he has also turned his back on God (a devil appears
in denunciation of God's name). Shows that W is meddling in black magic, and also depicts how the devils are ALL
AROUND in the play and do not need an elaborate conjuring. They are ever-present.
o Robin mispronounces the devil's names: calls them "Balio and Belcher" rather than "Balliol and Belcher" - these are
made up devils, and it is often said that Marlowe names them in this way as an attack upon Oxford's Balliol college.
o Comic potential through using the supernatural to induce fear: "the clown runs up and down crying".
o Sexual innuendo and phallic images: "all he devils has horns, and all she devils has clefts, and cloven feet" -
heightens low comedy.
o Wagner offers "I will teach thee to turn thyself into anything" if his offer is accepted. The Clown says he wants to
turn into a "frisking flee" to "tickle the pretty wenches' plackets!" - this suggests how he is selling soul for no gains:
making DF's motives seem pointless. Despite big dreams, he will gain little from them. Further sexual innuendo here.
o Also, Wagner uses incorrect Latin - further mimics DF.
o By the end of Scene 4, Robin ends up serving Wagner, which implies that DF will end up serving the devil. Marlowe
suggests that he is becoming more and more like the comic characters - falling lower and therefore not achieving the
omnipotence he strives to achieve.
SCENE FIVE:
OVERVIEW:
o Faustus is in his study thinking about damnation when the good and evil angels appear to him.
o Scene 5 and 7 can be understood as a narrative sequence of 4 set phases:
o Cycle goes from doubt -> persuasion -> resolve -> gains.
o In Scene 5, Faustus has doubts, Mephistopheles acts as tempter, persuading Faustus to sign a contract in blood, and
then Faustus is told of his gains.
o Repeated cycles show that Faustus is in a vicious circle. Also, builds up the hope that he will act on his doubts and
repent, but we are constantly disappointed. This builds up suspense.
CYCLE ONE: DOUBT: contemplates inevitability of damnation and possibility of repentance.

o Faustus is convinced that he cannot be saved, however the audience is aware that he can be, thus, this is Faustus' big
mistake. It seems it is easier for him to believe he is damned than accept he can be saved = willful blindness.
o This mirrors Scene 1: Faustus forgets he CAN be forgiven. "and canst thou not be saved"
o In the Elizabethan Age, atheism could mean rejecting the GOODNESS of God, not just disbelieving in his existence.
This is different from today's standards.
o Faustus denies God's goodness: "he loves thee not" THEREFORE ATHIEST
o His doubts are explicitly portrayed through his wavering beliefs. Faustus' internal voice tells him "abjure this magic,
turn to God again", but Faustus is mercurial in his thoughts, reflected through the phrase "No, Faustus, be resolute".
o DF portrays how he will "build an alter and a church, and offer (Beelzebub) lukewarm blood of newborn babies" -
this is a biblical reference to the 'sin of Moloch', child sacrifice in the Old Testament and the 'slaughter of the
innocents', babies killed by Herod at the time of Christ's birth.
o Faustus portrays a self-realization that he can't climb higher with black magic, he is rather like an animal who has
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cravings, thus giving in to his own appetite: "the god thou servest is thine own appetite" - also, doesn't capitalize
'God' which suggests that Faustus' self-absorbsion is far from holy.
CYCLE TWO: PERSUASION: Good and Evil Angels.

o Marlowe uses stichomythia between Good and Evil Angel to reflect constant battle of Faustus' internal thoughts.
o Although the Good Angel tells Faustus "leave that execrable art", he refuses to acknowledge this. Intensifies the
impression that Faustus is willfully blind.
o Instead, he picks up on the Evil Angel's words "think of honour and wealth" because this suits his aspirations better.
Selective hearing emphasises his resolution towards evil.
CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION: Faustus resolves towards evil.

o "What God can hurt thee, Faustus? Thou art safe" - rhetoric question emphasises how he assumes the answer is yes,
but it is pertinent that he misreads the situation. Doesn't think beyond the 24 years.
o "Now tell, what says Lucifer thy lord?" - transfers religious language traditionally used to describe God onto Lucifer:
completely displaces one God for another.
o Faustus blasphemously distorts the language of ritual at key points in his resolution. One key moment is his use of
the phrase "veni, veni, Mephistophele" which would have reminded many of the sentence "Veni veni spirits" (Come,
Holy Spirit) in the Roman Catholic Mass, and the Latin Hymn "Veni Veni Emmanuel" about the coming of Jesus.
This indicates how Faustus completely rejects the Christian Catholic Church.
CYCLE FOUR: GAINS: Mephistopheles satisfies Faustus' curiosity.

o Mephistopheles tells Faustus he will gain power: "enlarge his kingdom". Mephistopheles cements this resolve
towards evil by tempting Faustus further away from God in a malicious way, acting as a more stereotypical devil:
"and I will be thy slave, and wait on thee, and give thee more than thou hast wit to ask". - This is AMBIGIOUS
because it could be referring to eternal damnation, or Mephistopheles could be referring to more power and
knowledge etc. Doctor Faustus is so confident in his wit that he doesn't consider the latter.
o Tells Faustus he will be "as great as Lucifer" - tempting him with power. Audience knows that this could never
happen.
o As a result of these temptations, DF signs a contract in his own blood, this makes it clear that the contract is part of
himself. Christian view teaches that blood is a symbol of Christ's love for humanity. Christ's blood was spilled on the
cross in crucifixion. Therefore, the fact that DF is signing in blood is symbolic of him believing Christ cannot save
him, and is beyond God's mercy.
o This is explicit in the line: "and write a deed of gift with thine own blood". As a result, Faustus expresses how "I cut
my arm" which suggests the wounds of a crucified Christ, but it is evident that Faustus' acts are VERY unholy.
o FAUSTUS' BODY UNCONSCIOUSLY REBELS: (Gothic moment) "my blood congeals, and I write no more". This
is a clear message from God, who is trying to change Faustus' attitudes. Indication that he can repent but chooses not
to. WILFUL BLINDESS.
o Mephistopheles communicates how he will "fetch thee fire to dissolve it straight" - will loosen the blood to negate
God's power. Fire synonymous of hell; potential to overcome God through hell. Fire is also a symbol of passion and
reckless thoughts, therefore the fire dissolving blood is a suggestion of passion overcoming reason.
CYCLE ONE: DOUBTS:

o Marlowe uses a lot of rhetoric questions to communicate how Faustus recognises this warning but fails to learn from
it. Faustus contemplating what he can do, but thinks he cannot turn back to God for he will "throw thee down to hell"
- denies God's goodness and believes he is an angry, irrational God. Deliberately goes against God and reason, thus,
although he is DOUBTFUL, he quickly manages to talk himself out of it again.
o "is not thy soul thine own?" - ignores message offered by his own blood.
o Mephistopheles acts as a much more conventional devil - as DF has expressed doubts, M needs to act as tempter: "O,
what will not I do to obtain his soul?".
CYCLE TWO: PERSUASION: Mephistopheles' show.

o Mephistopheles brings a supernatural display of devils to act as a distraction to prevent DF from further doubts.
o These are also a second symbolic symbol. The devils flatter Faustus by giving him "crowns" (signifying political
power) and "rich appeal" (signifying wealth and luxury). The dance delights Faustus' senses, and perhaps also his
mind, and the whole display is intended as a promise to him of things to come.
o It is also a diversion that prevents Faustus from thinking clearly about the consequences of his actions. Faustus
admits that he does not understand it when he asks Mephistopheles what the show means, and naively accepts
Mephistopheles' answer unquestioningly. UNAWARE that Meph lies and by saying it means "nothing" but to
"delight thy mind" - audience aware that this does however function as a prevention of DF from considering moral
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issues. 'Meph' meaning LIAR becomes more pertinent. (Gothic)
o Although DF signs the contract, it is not clear whether he has written it himself or whether 'write' means sign. If he is
merely signing the document, he seems not to read it until later in the scene: an excessively trusting and misguided
act. The only written words DF actually reads aloud are "homo fuge" (flee man), which appear on his arm, but he
convinces himself that he imagines it "my senses are deceived; here's nothing writ" - disbelieving God. EVEN
WHEN THE WORDS REPEAT THEMSELVES HE STILL DISBELIEVES IT.
o He illogically comes to the conclusion that God wouldn't accept him anyway. Resolves with grim determination that
he is already damned. "yet shall not Faustus fly".
CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION: Faustus stands by the written contract.

o "Here, Mephistopheles, receive this scroll, a deed of gift of body and of soul - "
o "Faustus may be a spirit in form and servant" - For Elizabethan audience, spirit usually meant the end. Thus, this
signifies how he is giving up BODY and SOUL.
o "by these presents do give both body and soul to Lucifer, Prince of the East, and his minister Mephistopheles".
CYCLE FOUR: GAINS:

o Seeks knowledge of hell. Mephistopheles tells him how "hell hath no limits". This introduces the different
conceptions of hell (see essay for details)
o Seeks a wife. Ironic how this is something he could have got without superhuman powers and through God. BUT
instead of getting a wife, he gains an illusion. This indicates that his gains are worthless and trivial. Evident that
Mephistopheles couldn't summon an actual wife for Faustus because this is a religious thing, therefore has to
summon, "a devil dressed like a woman". - Potential for comical moment but undercurrent of darkness. Shows how
his aspirations are degrading.
o Mephistopheles plays on DF's lust. "be she as chaste as was Penelope" (faithful wife to Odysseus)
o Tempts Faustus with knowledge and books: "take this book", but Faustus is never quite satisfied and constantly asks
for "one book more".
SCENE SIX:
OVERVIEW:
o Another short, low comic scene. Allows for a time lapse to show that Faustus has now become famous.
o Similar in tone to that of Scenes 2 and 4, whereby Marlowe again takes up the tale of Rafe and Robin and their
attempt at black magic. This highlights darker themes using comedy.
o A comment on Faustus’ desires and reflects his ever-increasing degradation.
THE LOWER ORDERS:

o Robin and Rafe are representative of the lower class. Therefore, this relaxed scene between the two servants shows
how Faustus' behaviour is contaminating morals of even the lowest members of society.
o Combining religious imagery with corrupt desires shows that their religion is little more than a matter of
habit/custom: "I will make all the maidens in our parish dance at my pleasure stark naked before me".
o Marlowe uses lots of double entendre to emphasise the vulgarity of the lower orders. For example, Robin claims that
he can read by saying - "I can read - he for his forehead, she for her private study. She's born to bear with me, or else
my art fails": Use of the words "born to bear" depict sexual innuendo and reflect Robin's lustful thoughts upon
forbidden ground. Furthermore, "he for his forehead" is important for the forehead was thought to be the location of
where horns grew had one's wife been adulterous. This is a rather foolish approach to women.
o Robin and Rafe plan to use black magic for trivial means (i.e. women), reworking the theme of lust. "if thou hast any
mind to Nan Spit, our kitchen maid, then turn her and wind her to thy own use as often as thou wilt, and at midnight".
Sexual emphasis on the words 'turn her and wind her' reflects how they will use magic for sex. This is ironic because
romantic relationships are something that can be achieved with God, not with the Devil. Thus, this comments
critically upon Faustus' desires, whereby the lower orders aspire for the same thing as Faustus and therefore Faustus
degrades. DOWNWARD SPIRAL.
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SCNENE SEVEN:
OVERVIEW:
o Cycle repeats again: doubt -> persuasion -> resolve -> gains.
CYCLE ONE: DOUBTS:

o Faustus opens the scene by blaming Mephistopheles for his deprivation of heaven: "when I behold the heavens, then
I repent and curse thee, wicked Mephistopheles, because thou hast deprived me of those joys". Although a positive
interpretation would consider this reflective of Faustus' desire to turn back to God, a negative interpretation shines
light on Faustus' inability to accept his own responsibility of sin, and thus, he is in reality incapable of repenting
entirely. Faustus is blind.
o Faustus is very unstable for his belief in God is ever shifting: "I will renounce this magic and repent". Lacks a strong
personal integrity.
CYCLE TWO: PURSUASION:

o The Good and the Evil angels speak very briefly: it doesn't take much to persuade Faustus. Further evidence of his
inability to thing entirely independently: weak in his own mind.
o Like previously, Faustus listens to the last one to speak - the evil angel. "Ay, but Faustus never shall repent". The evil
angel seems to recognise how Faustus is too far gone to ever repent. However, he clearly doesn't consider the fact
that God will always forgive, and therefore, clearly does not understand the concept of repentance. Alternatively,
perhaps he does and yet manipulates the information in order to tempt Faustus.
o Good/Evil angels can again be seen as elements of Faustus' subconscious.
o Mephistopheles becomes a more conventional kind of devil at this point by becoming the liar. "think'st thou heaven
is such a glorious thing? I tell thee, 'tis not half so fair as thou or any man that breathes on earth". - Mephistopheles'
inaccurate depiction of heaven in order to tempt Faustus. He does this by using flattery, for Faustus would succumb
to this: "man is excellent".
CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION:

o Faustus' monologue shows that he has been converted back to necromancy - the Evil Angel persuades him in just a
few lines. This monologue is a very climatic moment.
o Introduces the Gothic theme of SUICIDE and PARANOIA. "Then swords and knives... are laid before me to
dispatch myself" - shows how unhappy he is. This is intensified through Marlowe's depiction of the emotion despair:
"had not sweet pleasure conquered deep despair" - the SIN of despair is defined as loosing one's faith in God, and
suicide is seen as a result of despair. Thus, this shows that the only reason his despair is conquered, or rather,
postponed, is due to necromancy/sin: "sweet pleasure" is a reflection of gluttony (one of the seven deadly sins.) Thus,
the reason he has not taken his own life is because he desires too much.
o Faustus returns to relishing in his gains to convert him back to devilish exercise: "Have not I made blind Homer sing
to me of Alexander's love?"..."made music with my Mephistopheles" - however, the audience question whether these
things are actually substantial. Furthermore, referring to Mephistopheles as "my Mephistopheles" infers a
companionship between the two sinners: partners in crime. Alternatively, it suggests a kind of possession, whereby
Faustus seems to believe he has the power: DELUDED.
o Faustus believes he has gone too far to be redeemed: "I am resolved Faustus ne'er shall repent. Come,
Mephistopheles, let us dispute again". Past the point of return. Further intensified through use of the line "My heart's
so hardened I cannot repent".
CYCLE FOUR: GAINS:

o Faustus seeks knowledge, however, it is most evident for the audience that these gains are significantly hollow.
"argue of divine astrology"..."tell me, are there many heavens above the moon?" This is reflective of contemporary
beliefs of the time, whereby people believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, with 9 spheres of planets
and stars in a cyclical movement around the Earth.
o However, Mephistopheles gives very limited and sometimes inaccurate responses, proving that Faustus has more
knowledge than Mephistopheles. Thus, this implies that necromancy only enables futile gains, unpromising of
anything substantial.
o "Tush, these slender trifles Wagner can decide" - gives the impression that Faustus is disappointed in Mephistopheles
as he doesn't gain any new knowledge and thus the gains of necromancy does not live up to his expectations.
Furthermore, Wagner is Faustus' servant and this therefore heightens the impression that the knowledge he gains is
insubstantial for even the lower orders have the ability to uncover it.
o Faustus seeks knowledge that Mephistopheles cannot speak of: "Tell me who made the world" - Mephistopheles
cannot answer this because he cannot talk of God's work and thus cannot engage in theological discussion. Depicts
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how the answers that Faustus desires point upwards towards God, however, the central irony of this pact with the
devil is that he cannot obtain this, and thus, the access to higher knowledge is cut off. Should look up towards heaven
but instead he looks down towards hell - more evidence of his willful blindness. However, Faustus is still able to
speak God's name: "Think Faustus, upon God, that made the world" which shows that he still has the ability to
repent, however, he doesn't recognise this.
CYCLE ONE: DOUBTS:

o Faustus returns to doubt, however there are significant differences within this cycle. Whereas before, Faustus was
persuaded within a few lines, here, LOTS of temptation is needed. Shows how he is progressively becoming more
and more guilty, but equally, more mercurial.
o Repeated cycles create a lot of tension for the audience as we continually hope that Faustus will repent but we are
gradually disappointed. However, the possibility that he might repent remains with us, whereby we hold onto this
shred of goodness. In a sense, Faustus is saved through his inability to understand, for it is pertinent that he
misunderstands the nature of God's mercy.
o Curses Mephistopheles again: "go, accursed spirit, to ugly hell!" - further portrayal of hell as a place.

o For the first time, Faustus listens to the Good Angel: "repent, and they shall never raze thy skin". Thus, this portrays
the possibility of him turning towards virtue rather than sin, making the audience hopeful but also heightening
anticipation and suspense.
CYCLE THREE: RESOLVE:

o Faustus actually turns towards Christ and God: "Ah, Christ, my Saviour, seek to save distressed Faustus' soul!" -
referring to himself in the third person suggests a certain disconnection, implying that Faustus feels separate from his
own soul. This is a RESOLVE towards virtue, and thus, repeated persuasion is needed.

o Appearance of three devils is a very climatic moment and would be terrifying for the audience. This is because in the
Elizabethan era society believed in the prospect of realistic devils. = TENSION AND FEAR (GOTHIC THEME).
o Faustus addresses Lucifer by asking "O, who art thou that look'st so terrible?" - returns to the idea of the reality of
black magic. Just like at the start whereby Faustus orders Mephistopheles to change his "ugly" form, here Faustus
cannot face the reality of the Devil.
o Faustus interprets the appearance of Lucifer as his moment of doom: "O Faustus, they are come to fetch away thy
soul" - Depicts a moment of panicked realisation whereby he seems to recognise the gravity of his actions: potential
for ANAGNORISIS. Furthermore, the fact that he uses the word 'soul' rather than 'ghost' heightens the interpretation
of recognition. Nicolas Brooke supports the view that Faustus does realise at this point.
o Faustus is persuaded by Lucifer's words "Thou talk'st of Christ, contrary to thy promise. Thou shouldst not think of
God. Think of the devil, and of his dame, too". Very assertive vocabulary, makes it seem very threatening.
o Lucifer appeals to Faustus' hubristic nature to convert him: "do so, and we will highly gratify thee".
CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION:

o Faustus resolves towards evil: "never to name God or to pray to him, to burn his scriptures.." - fire is symbolic of
hell, thus this imagery further heightens his resolution.
o Thus, Faustus vows to speak and think only of devilish exercise.
CYCLE FOUR: GAINS:

o Faustus is rewarded with a pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins, each one of which he cross-questions.
o Representation of sin establishes Faustus' connection with evil and thus keeps our moral perspective clear as we have
the potential to abuse these sins as well. However, the fact that we can recognise these sins in ourselves also gives
Faustus a significant human quality and evokes slight sympathy for Doctor Faustus.
o However, the fact that Faustus sees the sins as an entertainment rather than a moral warning evokes a more negative
impression of him, providing further evidence of his willful blindness.
o This scene has HUGE comic potential through the elaborate entertainment. Thus, although we judge Faustus we are
also entertained to an extent as well. Thus blurs the boundary between good and evil and therefore encourages a clear
moral perspective, establishing a standard against with other characters can be judged.
o It is clear to the audience that this show serves as a distraction, rather like a theatrical performance and thus offering
the audience a satirical version of themselves. Although the stage directions are brief, this episode would be much
expanded by dances and action. For example the RSC (1970) staged this scene with huge carnival puppet heads, and
in the Liverpool Playhouse theatre production of 2005, each sin appeared in an element of Faustus' costume,
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implying that he himself is guilty of each and every sin.
o Although the general concepts of pride, envy and lechery etc. are referred to here, Marlowe's contemporary audience
would not have distinguished strongly between e.g. pride as a personal characteristic, pride as one of the Seven
Deadly sins and Pride as an allegorical stage character representing either or both the others.
o PRIDE: "I disdain to have any parents" - does not accept position = most serious of sins. "I can creep into every
corner of a wench" - hollow gains
o COVETOUSNESS: "O my sweet gold!" - materialistic nature.
o WRATH: "wounding myself when I had nobody to fight withal" - angry without any provocation, turning to self
harm when there is no object for fury.
o ENVY: "O, that there would come a famine through all the world, that all might die, and I live alone!" - jealous of
everything anyone else has, and thus, wants to live alone so he doesn't have to envy but can covet all for one's self.
o GLUTTONY: "thou hast heard all my progeny, wilt thou bid me to supper?". Uses a list of over-indulgent figures
such as "my grandfather was a gammon of bacon", "my grandmother a hogshead of claret wine" - Gluttonous
thoughts are all consuming and immovable.
o SLOTH: "Let me be carried thither".
o LECHERY: The only female sin, targeting men through sexuality. This suggests that women are only sinful in sexual
measures, thus providing the reason for mankind's downfall. Marlowe uses sexual innuendo: "I am one that loves an
inch of raw mutton better than an ell of fried stockfish" = short and powerful not long and flacid. 'Lechery' as a name
is also significant for it mimics the sound of the word 'hell'.
o Faustus is delighted by this show: "O, might I see hell and return again, how happy were I then!": shows how he has
not listened to Mephistopheles' warning about hell but only relishes in hollow gifts.
CHORUS 2:
o Wagner enters, alone on stage, directing his words very much at the audience.
o Chorus' function is to fill in any gaps of what the audience may miss; allows time to pass to connect scene 7 and 8.
o Wagner portrays Faustus' achievements, however, it is clear that they have ominous undertones e.g.:
o "scale Olympus' top" is an allusion to the story of Bellefonte, an individual who tried to scale Olympus but the Gods
threw him out as no human can ever achieve this kind of status.
o Wagner also communicate the progression of Faustus' desires: "he now is gone to prove cosmography": progressed
from knowledge of the heavens (astrology) to study of the earth (cosmology). This is thus reflection of his fall and
diminishing knowledge.
o Connects to Scene 8 in the sense that Wagner introduces the audience to Faustus' next steps: "to see the Pope and
manner of his court, and take some part of holy Peter's feast". Use of the word "holy" is ironic because he is turning
away from anything spiritual and heavenly, and thus, Faustus is in the process of creating a facade of holiness.
Furthermore, the reference to 'Peter' is important, as Peter is an individual who denied Christ three times yet was still
forgiven. Thus, Marlowe constantly suggests that Faustus can also be saved.
o Wagner's language is dignified and glamorous, evidenced through his use of polysyllables such as "astronomy"
"firmament" and vivid images such as "yoky dragons' necks" to suggest Faustus' enjoyment of the glories of his
bargain with Lucifer. As his servant, Wagner is in delighted awe.
SCENE EIGHT:
OVERVIEW:
o Faustus and Mephistopheles go to Rome, whereby they taunt the Pope and use magic for very trivial things i.e.
invisibility.
o A group of Friars then chant a formal curse on Faustus, but are chased away by Faustus' display of beatings and
fireworks.
o Lots of time has passed between Scene 7 and Scene 8.
o Marlowe gives his audience no clear cut villains in this scene: Faustus' behaviour towards the Pope is motivated by
evil, but Marlowe also displays Catholicism in an exaggerated and unattractive form, in a way favoured by anti-
Catholic satirists of the time.
o This scene could be played in a number of different ways to convey different implications: it could be a highly
entertaining diversion of slapstick comedy, stressing the childishness of Faustus and implying that the intellectual
nature we saw at the beginning of the play may have become corrupted. Alternatively, stress could be placed on the
critique of society.
CRITIQUE OF SOCIETY:
o Throughout history the Church and churchmen were often criticised for their indulgence in food and drink. During
the reformation in the sixteenth century, this criticism was strengthened by disagreements between the Catholic
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Church and the Protestant Church. When Marlowe was writing, the English Church had broken from Rome and thus
turned towards Protestantism. Hence, this scene can be seen as a critique of the Catholic Church.
o Thus, Marlowe uses lots of language associated with consumption in this scene such as "dainty dish" and "the meat"
to represent the gluttonous nature of the Catholic Church. Mephistopheles' language heightens this idea:
"Nay, Faustus, stay, I know you'd fain see the Pope
and take some part of holy Peter's feast,
Where thou shalt see a troupe of bald-pate friars
Whose summum bonum is in belly cheer."
o This Latin means 'supreme good', thus ironically implying that the supreme good of the church is used in relation to
gluttony: Pope treated as a figure to poke fun at by showing Catholicism in a grotesque way. Furthermore, gluttony is
one of the seven deadly sins, and it is hugely ironic that this is now used as something associated with the Church -
suggests that there is potential for corruption even in the most civilised.
o Thus, Mephistopheles and Faustus use invisibility to poke fun at the Pope: "charm me that I may be invisible" to steal
the food from the Pope's hands: "who's that which snatched the meat from me?".
o This scene holds a lot of comic potential through humiliation. However, there are clearly darker undertones, whereby
this episode represents Faustus' ungodliness without upsetting authorities. Furthermore, they are humiliated by evil
forces which induces a shiver of fear: how can we therefore be protected by evil? "Pope crosses himself again and
Faustus hits him a box of the ear" - God's protection is ineffective.
o Mephistopheles recognises that they will be "cursed with bell, book and candle" - symbols of excommunication,
however, Faustus is ready to admit that they are cursed regardless: "forward and backward, to curse Faustus to hell".
o Friars use impressive Latin chants to curse Faustus: "Maledicat Dominus" (May the Lord curse him). However, this
impressiveness is undermined by what they wish to inflict upon Faustus: "blow on the face" - we expect the court to
be above this. Thus, this adds to Marlowe's critique of the Catholic church.
o Faustus and Mephistopheles override this through fireworks, thus closing the scene with a short-term triumph.
However, it is evident that in the long term, God has the upper hand.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAUSTUS AND MEPHISTOPHELES:

o Arguably, Mephistopheles is the individual who dominates their relationship: whilst Faustus initially sought to
explore "the walls of Rome", Mephistopheles' ability to transgress and divert Faustus' motives to something rather
trivial demonstrates the strength of his power. Thus, the Faustus we see here is very much dependent on
Mephistopheles, who is subtly corrupting Faustus' feelings and tastes: "I know you'd fain see the Pope, and take some
part of holy Peter's feast".
o Biblical context allows us to understand that Peter was a man who defied Christ three times, but still God forgave
him, implying that even Faustus could be redeemed. However, Mephistopheles' satirical tricks towards "Peter's feast"
undermines the authority of religion and therefore adds to our conventional perception of the devil.
o Alternatively, we can consider this particular episode supportive of the interpretation that Mephistopheles and
Faustus have an alliance of companionship, whereby repeated use of the pronoun "we" and their crude humiliation of
the Pope suggests a certain unity between the pair.
SCENE NINE:
OVERVIEW:
o Low comic scene acts as a parallel to Scene 8 as it involves eating, drinking and invisibility. Robin and Rafe are
playing pranks just as Doctor Faustus does, thus degrading DF to a clown-like status.
ROLE OF LOW COMEDY:

o Still using Faustus' book, Robin and Rafe steal a goblet. Use of the Latin term "Ecce signum" (behold the evidence)
is a satirical reference to Catholic mass, with its veneration of the wine as becoming the blood of Christ, especially as
Robin points to the wine goblet as he says this. Along with the garbled Latin of Robin's spell and the desperate cries
later in the scene, this provides further evidence of the appeal to Protestant prejudices seen in the treatment of the
Pope in the previous scene.
o Robin and Rafe make the goblet invisible and thus taunt the vintner by saying they do not have it: "I, a goblet?
Search me."
o To terrify the vintner, Robin recites from Faustus' magic book. However, Robin's use of confused Latin such as
"Sanctobulorum Periphrasticon" to reflect his uneducated status. Nevertheless, the appearance of Mephistopheles
portrays how anyone, regardless of status, can conjure a Devil. MORAL WARNING.
o Having seen Mephistopheles mock the higher social figures in Scene 8, here we see him put the servants in their
place to preserve the status quo. Thus, here we see how frightening Mephistopheles can be if the magician is clumsy,
uneducated and lacking skill: "damned slaves".
o He terrifies them through turning them into animals: "I transform thee into an ape an thee into a dog." Thus, his
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irritability and frustration shows how Mephistopheles is becoming more and more human, for these are qualities that
we all experience regularly. Furthermore, we can relate to Mephistopheles at this point for we are also annoyed with
Robin and Rafe for being so ignorant. This almost makes the scene all the more scary, for it reveals a darker side of
human alignment.
CHORUS 3:
o At this point in the play we are coming to the end of Faustus' 24 years with the Devil, linking the disconnected parts
of the play that are Scene 8 and Scene 10.
o This particular monologue is undefined and can therefore be spoken by any character in the play. Different characters
would give this a different focus e.g. the Good Angel would give the impression of a sorrowful observer, however, if
it was spoken by the Evil Angel, it would become very mocking and satirical = scope.
o The content of the speech suggests the warmth that Faustus' friends feel for him, whereby they "did gratulate his
safety with kind words". Marlowe also suggests a certain awe surrounding his knowledge: "they put forth questions
of astrology, which Faustus answered with such learned skill". However, there is a darker undertone for it is clear
that he had this kind of knowledge before, thus suggesting that his devilish exercise was insubstantial.
o Portrays how Faustus has achieved fame: "now is his fame spread forth in every land". Thus, the purpose of this
speech is to accentuate how he has indeed succeeded in some areas he sought. Triumphant in some areas.
o Although Marlowe doesn't specifically reference time, he subtly implies that it has been significantly accelerated.
Thus, this creates fear among the audience for the short scenes make the passage of time even quicker, emphasising
how Faustus is marked for death by dramatic determinism.
o Also an emphasis on how this is a play: "... I leave untold, your eyes shall see performed" - increases sense of
didactic appeal.
SCENE TEN:
OVERVIEW:
o Structurally significant as it is the 'calm before the storm', whereby Faustus gives the Emperor a magic show
conjuring an appearance of spirits resembling Alexander the Great and his lover.
o Faustus becomes involved in an incident of low comedy with a sceptical knight, showing Faustus' degradation.
o Faustus recognises that his 24-years are coming to a close.
ENTERTAINING THE EMPEROR:

o The Emperor is the Ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, which was dissolved in 1806.
o Faustus is extremely gracious and respectful to this figure of power, portraying an excellently courtly manner.
Evidenced through his reverential prose such as "my gracious sovereign" and "my gracious lord". This reflects how it
is a very class-conscious play: Faustus always remains the worshipper to those of higher status and can never fully
break free from this: He is very much caught up within the hierarchies of etiquette.
o This idea is further emphasised through Faustus' use of prose; often associated with characters of lower status.
However, as Faustus is constantly flitting between verse and prose, this signifies the beginning of his degradation.
Therefore, this is hugely ironic as one of Faustus' main desires was to become "sole emperor".
o However, when the Emperor asks Faustus to remove the horns for the Knight's forehead, he does so as a negotiation
rather than a command: "at my entreaty, release him" which suggests that Faustus has achieved a certain level of
unity with those of higher powers.
o The Emperor's use of language shows how Faustus has achieved fame: "I have heard strange report of thy
knowledge" and "they say thou hast a familiar spirit". - This 'familiar spirit' holds associations with witchcraft.
o This is a play heavily including deals, contracts and bargains. On the Emperor's level, in exchange for a show of
Faustus' magic, he offers Faustus protection: "thou shalt be no ways prejudiced or endamaged". This is heavily
loaded with dramatic irony as the audience is aware that so long as Faustus is devoted to necromancy, he can in no
way be protected.
o The Emperor asks Faustus: "If, therefore, thou by cunning of thine art
Canst raise this man from hollow vaults below
Where lies entombed this famous conqueror,
And bring with him his beauteous paramour, - Alexander had a lover (something that
Both in their right shapes, gesture, and attire Faustus desired)-ironic because A can
They used to wear during their time of life, achieve human power, but Faustus
Thou shalt both satisfy my just desire cannot achieve super-human power.
And give me cause to praise thee whilst I live."
o It is clear that the acts Faustus is performing are very different from his original aspirations and thus, he is being
degraded and is no longer performing his own desires, but performing that of somebody else. Thus, his magic is
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being used for nothing more than mere entertainment for the nobility and thus, Faustus is little more that a servant.
o Faustus' black magic can only conjure illusions: "it is not in my ability to present before your eyes the true
substantial bodies of those two". Sense that as humanity is God's creation, Faustus cannot touch those that are at
peace with God in the afterlife. Further evidence of God always being the greater power. However, the fact that the
Emperor believes they are the "true substantial bodies" suggests that anybody can be indoctrinated by the Devil.
LOW COMEDY:
o Faustus is irritated with the Knight's scornful remarks such as "now there's a sign of grace in you, when you will
confess the truth" - this provides another reminder to the audience that no matter how gracious or courteous Faustus
is in language, he will never be humbled unless he confesses his sins.
o The Knight undermines Faustus' necromancy: "that's as true as Diana turned me into a stag". This reference alludes
to Diana, the God of Hunting and Chastity. Legend states that when someone tried to look upon her naked form she
turned this individual into a stag. On one hand, this implies that Faustus tries to take a peep at greatness but will only
ever be punished. Alternatively, it suggests that despite attempts, no peep at greatness can ever be achievable.
Faustus responds to the Knight with a warning: "No, sir, but when Actaeon died, he left the horns for you". This is
another reference to cuckolding, whereby horns appeared on the forehead had the wife committed adultery - Faustus
warns the Knight by asserting his power.
o This episode shows Faustus to be extremely petty and concerned with his reputation for he revenges the Knight by
placing horns upon his forehead. However, despite being an uncalled for prank, this concern for his reputation
stresses a human quality about Faustus, for conventionally, associating one's self with evil evokes a disregard for
reputation. Thus, this evokes a certain level of sympathy for him. Furthermore, the fact that he is merely concerned
with pranks rather than the super-human experiences he once desired emphasises his degradation and thus heightens
sympathy to an extent.
o Despite removing the horns from the Knight's head, Faustus leaves this individual with a warning: "hereafter speak
well of scholars". This is a prime example of his concern for his reputation, but is also suggestive of his unforgiving
nature.
RELATIONSHIP WITH MEPHISTOPHELES:

o This episode has a very chatty, colloquial quality to it, whereby they seem like they are companions, even friends.
This is most pertinent through the way in which Faustus addresses him as "sweet Mephistopheles".
o Mephistopheles seems to be Faustus' confidant, whereby he unloads how "the restless course that time doth run with
calm and silent food, short'ning my days and thread of vital life calls for the payment of my latest years". Here,
Faustus recognises how time is running out through referencing the Ancient Greek myth whereby fate spins a yarn of
lives and then is cut upon death. The fact that FATE cuts life suggests that Faustus doesn't have the control he
sought, for his fate is destined for hell. His life has been reduced to a contract.
o By deciding to "walk on foot" Faustus reverts back to being more and more human, whereby he recognises how time
is running out and wants to revert to originality. This evokes sympathy for Faustus, thus intensifying the damnation
to come.
SCENE ELEVEN:
OVERVIEW:
o This scene is important in signifying Faustus' degradation. Previously, he was separated from the low comic scenes
but now he is involved in them.
o Faustus sells his horse to a horse-courser and warns him not to ride it into water. The horse-courser does just that and
returns to demand his money back. In an attempt to wake Faustus up he pulls his leg and in the process, pulls it off.
Thus, threatened with the law, the horse-courser flees, despite the fact that the detachable leg was one of Faustus'
petty pranks.
CHEATING A HORSE-COURSER:
o This scene involves use of colloquial prose rather than the more dignified, eloquent forms of verse, thereby
emphasising degradation of Faustus further.
o Both Mephistopheles and Faustus are highly satirical in addressing the Horse-Courser: "let him have him; he is an
honest fellow, and he has a great charge, neither wife nor child". However, this is hugely ironic because Faustus does
not have this either.
o KEY PARALLEL: The two devise a short-term contract to allow for a gain: "My boy will deliver him to you. But I
must tell you one thing before you have him: ride him not into the water, at any hand". It becomes clear that Faustus
is selling the illusion of a horse, thereby emphasising the hollowness of the horse-courser's gains. This provides a
significant parallel to the rest of the plot, for Marlowe comments that Faustus' gains are equally just as insubstantial.
o KEY PARALLEL: Devising this contract gives Faustus a false sense of power. This is seen through his commanding
Page 14
use of vocabulary such as "ride him not into the water" - however, this is further evidence of Faustus' willful
blindness for it is clear to the audience that Faustus does not have control over his soul, he only holds power over his
body.
o KEY PARALLEL: Once the HC returns with the realisation that his newly acquired horse is a mere allusion, it is
evident that he, like Faustus has been a subject to over-reaching. Despite warnings, the HC rode into the "middle of
the pond" and subsequently his horse "vanished away". Just like Faustus, the HC does not listen to warnings.
However, when he complains about the deal, DF and Mephistopheles blackmail him into giving them more money.
Similarly, other characters, preventing him from pursuing the matter further, thwart Faustus’ weak attempts at
repentance.
o In response, the HC tries to wake Faustus up by pulling his leg, however, Faustus uses his magic to produce a
detachable leg: "O my leg, my leg!" This is much more in common with the actions of Rafe and Robin:
DEGRADED to low comic forms of magic.
o Furthermore, the episode of the detachable leg foreshadows Faustus' torments in hell. Although it seems that Faustus
is in control again, it is clear that he is only in control of the body: of physical as opposed to spiritual matters. This is
a permanent feature of the kind of magic he has 'bought' with his soul: it always exists on a physical level. He cannot
change the true nature of things, only their appearances. The horse reverts to hay, the grapes in SC 12 are fetched
from a distance, Helen of Troy is a performance by a devil etc. In this way, Faustus' transaction with the devil
parallels that of the HC, whereby they have both bought the illusion of things, not the substantial item itself.
o Faustus does this for trivial, materialistic matters: "forty dollars more". This depicts a form of emotional blackmail:
The HC exits the scene much worse than he was at the beginning. DF exits the play much worse than he started.
Thus, this is Marlowe suggesting that you cannot turn back from black magic: DF seeks the HC's money, the Devil
seeks DF's soul.
o Thus, this comic section echoes the main plot but with some differences. The Horse-Courser is keen to buy the horse
from Faustus, who has deceived him into believing that the creature is a valuable animal. This mirrors Faustus' own
desire to buy knowledge from Mephistopheles and his self-deception into believing that it is right to pay such a price
for black magic.
A MATTER OF STATUS:
o The horse-courser mistakes Faustus for a Horse Doctor and therefore unintentionally insults him: "if I bring his water
to you, you'll tell me what it is?" to which Faustus responds "Away, you villain! What, dost think I am a horse-
doctor?" - This enhances the idea that this is a class-conscious play, heightening Faustus' obsession with his
reputation. However, this causes Faustus to reflect on who and what he really is:
"What art thou, Faustus, but a man condemned to die?
Thy fatal time doth draw to final end.
Despair doth drive distrust unto my thoughts.
Confound these passions with a quiet sleep.
Tush! Christ did call the thief upon the cross;
Then rest thee, Faustus, quiet in conceit."
o This speech is reminiscent of Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be", whereby Faustus is considering the nature of existence
in an interrogation of his identity. In a sense this seems like a noble realisation as Faustus is accepting that he can
never be God-like or super human: he will always be "but a man".
o Structurally, this monologue is important due to its end-stopped lines. This slow, reflective pace gives certain clarity
to Faustus' thinking but moreover; it foreshadows his impending end whereby it becomes pertinent that he too will
soon stop. Furthermore, turning to verse during a time of self-realization seems appropriate for his mind turns to
serious matters. Faustus was once clear in his mind and knew precisely what he wanted to be and the price he was
prepared to pay. However, he now seems to be losing the clarity of identity. For the Elizabethans, loss of social status
was the equivalent of loosing social identity, and for Faustus the episode with the horse-courser reflects just that.
o Faustus turns to suicidal thoughts through the emotion of "despair", whereby Faustus presents it as an all-consuming
force, evidenced through use of the word "drive". These words are given a very heavy quality through alliteration of
the "d" sound, creating a pace of extreme drudgery.
o Faustus juxtaposes life and death, whereby life is presented as the embodiment of "passions", but death is that of
"quiet sleep". However, this is hugely ambiguous because it is not clear whether 'sleep' is referring to literal sleep or
literal death. If we interpret this as a literal sleep, then it seems Faustus is using the subconscious as a form of
distraction. However, if we interpret this as a literal death, it seems he uses is as a form of escape.
o By referring to Christ Faustus gives us hope that he will repent. However, this is sharply undermined by the fact that
he thinks about Christ in relation to him forgiving sinners at the last minute: "upon the cross". Thus, it is clear that
Faustus is contemplating leaving redemption as long as possible before confessing, thus providing an undercurrent of
negativity to the hope we feel. Thus, Faustus gives himself a very dangerous form of comfort. However, Marlowe
leaves this deliberately ambiguous for thus arises the question of whether Faustus knows he is deluding himself: is it
a question of willful blindness or pre-conceived scheming?
Page 15
o In this scene Mephistopheles becomes a willing accomplice in Faustus' pranks: un-devilish behaviour. Thus, this
change in Mephistopheles may be interpreted in several ways:
1. It is dramatically convenient to give Faustus a 'friend'
2. A sign that Faustus is degrading as he chooses devilish rather than human company
3. A poignant attempt by M to try out the simple pleasures of human company
SCENE TWELVE:
OVERVIEW:
o Faustus goes to see "the Duke of Vanholt", a figure of minor nobility. Therefore, as a servant to those in power
Faustus is slowly degrading: he has gone from performing the bidding of Emperors to the bidding of a Duke.
o This scene begins in the middle of a visit, whereby there is no obvious narrative beginning or end. This is evidenced
through the way in which the Duke opens the scene with the line "this merriment hath much pleased me". This
technique provides a snapshot of a scene, with other events taking place before and afterwards. This is described as
'in medias res' (in the middle of things). This gives a powerful sense of an on flow of events, enhancing the stage
illusion of reality with the audience positions as casual bystanders. This also speeds up the pace of the play giving the
impression that Faustus' end is nearing.
MAGICIAN AND SCIENTIST:

o Faustus uses his magic to please the "great-bellied woman" that is the Duke's pregnant wife who is craving "ripe
grapes". However, this also picks up on the theme of gluttony: "I would desire no better meat than a dish of ripe
grapes" - suggesting that it is perhaps not just an innocent craving.
o Faustus gives the impression of being knowledgeable by referring to the difference of seasons across the different
corners of the world: scientific explanation. Portraying DF as a willing teacher therefore contrasts significantly to the
preceding comic scenes. Despite the fact that his information is jumbled (grapes come from the southern hemisphere
not the eastern) this is a genuine mistake of society, not Faustus, for in the Elizabethan Era this is what they believed.
"the year is divided into two circles over the whole world"..."and by a means of a swift spirit that I have, I have
brought hither, as ye see".
o This scene again picks up on Faustus' desire to please the nobility: "I am glad they content you so, madam". Very
humble.
SCENE THIRTEEN:
OVERVIEW:
o Wagner, alone on stage, reminds the audience of Faustus' approaching death.
o Faustus practices magic for trivial means
o The Old Man urges Faustus to repent.
WAGNER, ACTING AS A CHORUS:

o Wagner's monologue is addressed directly to the audience, whereby he portrays the nature of Faustus' actions with
the knowledge of his ever-approaching death.
o Faustus is seeking idle basic pleasures such as the "banquet" and "belly-cheer" - this induces sympathy for Faustus
for it seems he is becoming more and more human by returning to basic human desires. However, it is ironic that he
is pursuing exactly what he criticised the Pope for earlier in the play: gluttony. Very hypocritical.
o Faustus seems to view this as a distraction: further evidence of his willful blindness.
o "Belike the feast is ended" - The feast symbolises gluttony, and the fact that the feast is coming to a close gives a
very ominous impression. It seems that the end of his sin is nigh, but not in a positive form of redemption, in a
negative form that is death.
NARRATIVE FORM:
o Narrative rhythm is important in this scene, and the events are juxtaposed in such a way as to comment on each
other. When the scholars depart they utter a blessing which seems oddly out of place in the context of demonic
conjuring: "Happy and blest be Faustus evermore". This calls up the old man.
o After the prosaic simplicities of the low comic scenes, Scene 13 returns to the rich intensity of Scenes 3, 5 and 7.
o Scene 13 also reuses the pattern of doubt-persuasion-resolve-gains, but with a significant difference. The Old Man
functions as a wise adviser (Good Angel). However, whilst Faustus previously followed the last one to speak, here,
he actually expresses his own emotions and feelings; creating the impression that he is involved in private turmoil.
Page 16
ROLE OF THE OLD MAN/Good Angel: PURSUASION
o The presentation of the Old Man is part of a literary tradition, obtaining a symbolic role. e.g. In Macbeth an old man
appears for guidance.
o The Old Man arrives at a point where Faustus clearly needs faith: as if God has sent this individual. Thus, he acts as a
representation of the Good Angel. At the start of the play, the Good and Evil Angels were part of Faustus'
subconscious. Now, they take the form of Helen of Troy and the Old Man: replaced by people. Therefore, this
implies that Faustus has lost the ability to rationalise on his own accord.
o The Old Man attempts to convince Faustus to repent: "whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt" - another
reference to how Christ's blood will provide a cleansing force. However, Faustus does not recognise how repentance
is correct: he believes suicide is the only way: "Faustus will come to do thee right...(Faustus prepares to stab
himself)". This shows how he does not want to betray his purpose and will instead take his own life.
o The Old Man expresses an ancient attitude towards death: "call for mercy and avoid despair". However, despite
attempts, the old man leaves "fearing the ruin of thy hopeless soul" which shows recognition of how Faustus is too
far gone resolved towards evil.
o Marlowe uses the old man to portray how steadfast faith will dominate over evil. This is most explicit within the Old
Man's acceptance of death and his salvation through prayer, whereby the line "my faith, vile Hell, will triumph over
thee" heightens the power of his belief in God. This also provides a contrast between Faustus and the Old Man,
whereby the Old Man does not fear death because he knows he will have a happy eternity, whereas Faustus fears
death as he knows he is damned. Furthermore, Mephistopheles "cannot touch his soul", which emphasises to the
audience that this individual is under God's protection and his soul is pure because of his unshakeable faith.
Therefore, the Old Man's death provides an intense contrast to that of Faustus, who is tormented and tortured by
devils in his final hour. This introduces us to the idea that the Old Man is a reflection of what Faustus could have
been had he remained loyal to God.
FAUSTUS' DOUBTS / MEPHISTOPHELES' PURSUASION:

o Mephistopheles shows himself to be a much more conventional devil in this scene. Upon Faustus' doubts after the
Old Man's words, as shown within the line "I do repent, and yet I do despair"..."what shall I do to shun the snares of
death?", Mephistopheles picks up on DF's anxiety. To combat it, he threatens Faustus: "I arrest thy soul for
disobedience to my sovereign lord. Revolt, or I'll in piecemeal tear thy flesh".
FAUSTUS' RESOLVE TOWARDS EVIL:

o "And with my blood again I will confirm my former vow made to Lucifer" - returns to the imagery of Christ's blood.
Christian view teaches that blood is a symbol of Christ's love for humanity. Christ's blood was spilled on the cross in
crucifixion. Therefore, the fact that DF is signing in blood is symbolic of him believing Christ cannot save him, and
is beyond God's mercy.
ROLE OF WOMEN: The Evil Angel/Helen of Troy: PURSUASION

o This scene is important because it portrays the function of women in Doctor Faustus through Helen of Troy.
o The scholars are debating the nature of beauty in women and "which was the beautifull'st in all the world". In
response, Faustus summons an illusion of Helen. This is significant because there are no physical descriptions of her,
but we are aware of her beauty due to the reactions of the males. Therefore, this makes it seem like she is an object of
observation rather than a physical being: "too simple is my wit to tell her praise" (dumbstruck at her beauty)
o Helen is a representation of sin/lechery, thus acting as the Evil Angel in this scene.
o "One thing, good servant, let me crave of thee to glut the longing of my heart's desire" - Faustus' lust for Helen has
entirely replaced any devotion to God. This is a reminder of how he seeks to live in sin. Furthermore, this is a
portrayal of his declining desires, whereby he once wanted a wife but now he is overcome by sexual desires: "whose
sweet embracings may extinguish clean these thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow". Here, Helen's passivity
acts as a temptation for Faustus: the woman is his downfall.
GAINS:
o Faustus seeks immortality from Helen, pleading, "Make me immortal with a kiss". However, it is most pertinent that
he cannot get heavenly grace from her lips and thus, associating her with religion proves very misguided. For
example, he uses words such as "heavenly" and "sweet" to describe her. Instead, Helen seals Faustus' resolution to
hell: "her lips sucks forth my soul" - Intercourse with a demon results in his eternal damnation. The fact that she is an
illusion signifies how his sexual stimulation is hollow. Faustus' lust is all consuming: "give me my soul again" is
reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet "give me my sin again", whereby both constantly seek more.
Page 17
SCENE FOURTEEN:
OVERVIEW:
o The last hour of Faustus' life: cements the play as a tragedy.
o A long monologue ends the play: it is an accelerated representation of the last hour of his life, marked by the chimes
of the clock, which show Faustus in a sequence of emotional turmoil.
o Faustus goes to hell.
THE TERRORS OF HELL:

o Faustus communicates to the Scholars the nature of his contract with Lucifer. This shows him finally accepting and
acknowledging the nature of eternal damnation: "but now I die eternally". Repetition of "hell for ever" emphasises
the realisation of his destiny.
o "A surfeit of deadly sin that hath damned both body and soul" - Faustus is now loosing control of his body as well,
not just his soul. Hell/damnation is an all-consuming force. This is further emphasised by the way in which "the devil
draws in my tears", and "O, he stays my tongue!", as the Devils prevent Faustus from weeping or praying for
repentance. This, in combination with Marlowe's use of emphatic punctuation thereby induces a fearful and
anguished tone into Faustus' words. Henceforth, we can see that this reflects how Marlowe portrays Hell as a
merciless and unforgiving environment of endless, dreaded torture.
o Faustus continues to blame the devil for his sins: "the devil threatened to tear me in pieces if I named God" - Not
acknowledging responsibility for his own actions.
FAUSTUS' FINAL SOLILOQUY:

o This soliloquy is one of the most impressive and moving passages in theatrical tradition. Faustus, isolated from
human companionship and alone on stage moves through the final hours of his life in a condition of intense feeling
and anguished thought.
o The question of belief is now taken for granted: since hearing the Old Man's words, Faustus no longer questions the
existence of God or Hell. At last he comes to see himself as Faustus the human, not Faustus the exceptional being.
He reasons with himself accordingly upon the face of death.
o Marlowe begins and ends the play with a soliloquy, which reminds us of the former eloquence of Faustus. Thus, this
reminds us of what Faustus could have become had he remained loyal to God. It also gives us a personal insight into
Faustus' private turmoil, as a final chance to gain sympathy. The length of the speech also builds suspense: just as
Faustus wants release, we too seek escape from the terror of his words.
o Faustus begins with lots of monosyllables, which echoes the sound of a clock ticking: constant reminder that time is
running out. e.g. "now hast thou but one bare hour to live".
o Time is a fundamental part of the play, and much of this monologue is concerned with the passage of time. The
external sound of the clock striking imposes the idea that time is out of his control. For a moment Faustus considers
the idea that it is the movement of stars/the sun that controls time: "stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven" -
he thinks if he can control these elements he can control time. However, the sun and stars lie within a heavenly
spiritual realm and subsequently, are out of reach from Faustus' sphere of influence.
o For the first time in the play Faustus seems to understand the concept of eternity, counting "a thousand years/ A
hundred thousand" as magnitudes smaller than endless existence.
o Here, Marlowe draws together images that have dominated the preceding scenes of the play. The motif of the
elements is seen again: "mountains and hills, come, come and fall on me", whereby Faustus seeks protection from the
Earth; "now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist", whereby he seeks absorbsion into the air; "O soul, be changed into
little waterdrops", seeking escape into the water vapour. Thus, Faustus refers to earth, air and water. Fire is
unmentioned because in its literal form it exists in hell.
o Imagery of height and depth continues, whereby Faustus sees heaven as something he climbs up to: "so that my soul
may but ascend to heaven". Hell is seen as something below: "O I'll leap up to God! Who drags me down?" Faustus
at last longs for Heaven and forgiveness; however, when he comes to repent he is faced with Lucifer's torments.
Unlike the Old Man, Faustus does not have the strength of will to resist these physical assaults.
o "See, see where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!" - Here, Faustus recalls the congealed blood which would
not 'stream' when Faustus signed his soul away in SC 5. The flowing verse of this line is then followed by
fragmented thoughts, often in part lines to suggest his tormented state of mind. Faustus first addresses these to
himself: "One drop would save my soul", then to Christ: "ah, my Christ!", to Lucifer: "Ah, rend not my heart for
naming of my Christ", to himself again: "Yet will I call on him" before finally and fatally turning back to Lucifer: "O
spare me, Lucifer!" After this climatic indecision, Faustus discovers that the vision of grace has vanished an he is to
see instead, an angry, punitive God.
o Throughout the speech, the concept of a unified identity is analyzed and seen to be a separate body and soul. Faustus
also accepts the religious definition of a soul as an immortal force, accepting that it is the soul that will suffer in hell:
"O soul, be changed into little waterdrops". Thus, the most extreme form of trickery has been played on Faustus: the
Page 18
pleasures he gained were of the body, yet it is his soul that will suffer to pay for them.
o Faustus continually shifts the blame: not entirely accepting of his responsibility: "No Faustus, curse thyself. Curse
Lucifer, that hath deprived thee of the joys of heaven".
o Faustus' final soliloquy is representative of Marlowe's portrayal of Hell as a medieval concept to enhance dramatic
effect. His use of vivid images of Hell such as the appearance of devils as "adders and serpents" allows for terrifying
visual scope within performance. Marlowe amplifies Faustus' feelings of suffocating torture by combining these
images with his despairing plea to "let me breathe a while". Thus, this establishes conventional concepts of devils as
"ugly" swarms, present to punish sinners in the most frightening manner.
o Faustus ends the soliloquy with the line "I'll burn my books. Ah Mephistopheles!" - This is significant because it
depicts Faustus burning his desire for knowledge and renouncing magic, thus portraying a didactic message that
scholarship and over-ambition is dangerous. Books are a symbol of over-reaching, and thus, they became a part of
him. Therefore, to burn his books is to burn a part of himself, however, it is too late.
EPILOGUE:
o Aligns us as an audience/observer.
o The short chorus that concludes the play compares Faustus to a branch of a tree. This natural imagery is symbolic of
the Renaissance attitudes whereby violence is symbolic of science. In Greek mythology, they believed that life was a
piece of string to be cut by fate upon death. Thus, the line "cut is the branch that might have grown full straight"
communicates how Faustus' life ended unnaturally.
o The image of the 'laurel bough': "and burned is Apollo's laurel bough that sometime grew within this learned man"
reminds us of his great achievements before he took to black magic.
o The chorus then turns to the audience and asks us to learn: to observe this entertainment provided by the play 'Doctor
Faustus' and to be morally improved by it.
"Faustus is gone. Regard his hellish fall,
Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise - Alliteration gives a sense of closure
Only to wonder at unlawful things,
Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits
To practice more than heavenly power permits."
o This short speech could be seen as an elegy for Faustus: the nearest he'll get to a funeral speech. The tone is one of
detachment and almost of superiority, which rather suggests that Wagner or even the Scholars should not speak it. Its
quality is more abstract, like a much later observer giving a historical judgment. It would seem appropriate to give it
to one of the more virtuous characters such as the Old Man or the Good Angel.
o The epilogue ends with a line of Latin: "terminat hora diem; terminat author opus" (the hour ends the day; the author
ends the work). This provides another reminder that it is a play: gives a tone of resolution, emphasising the author's
purpose by suggesting that an author ends a work strategically. Therefore, we need to learn from and appreciate the
importance of this.
Page 19

Prologue: Chorus 1:: Doctor Faustus Notes Christopher Marlowe (Published 1604)

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Prologue: Chorus 1:: Doctor Faustus Notes Christopher Marlowe (Published 1604)

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DOCTOR FAUSTUS NOTES

Christopher Marlowe (published 1604)

THE ACTION OUTLINED: FORESHADOWS THE COURSE OF THE PLAY.

THE GOOD AND EVIL ANGELS:

VALDES AND CORNELIUS: 'the vice-crew'.

REENFORCING TRAGIC ELEMENTS:

COUNJURING THE DEVIL: (GOTHIC DENUNCING OF RELIGION)

DOCTOR FAUSTUS: BLINDED:

MEPHISTOPHELES' WARNING and INTERPRETATIONS OF HELL:

FAUSTUS DOES NOT LEARN and creates a MISGUIDED CONTRACT:

ROLE OF LOW COMEDY:

CYCLE ONE: DOUBT: contemplates inevitability of damnation and possibility of repentance.

CYCLE TWO: PERSUASION: Good and Evil Angels.

CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION: Faustus resolves towards evil.

CYCLE FOUR: GAINS: Mephistopheles satisfies Faustus' curiosity.

CYCLE ONE: DOUBTS:

CYCLE TWO: PERSUASION: Mephistopheles' show.

CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION: Faustus stands by the written contract.

CYCLE FOUR: GAINS:

THE LOWER ORDERS:

CYCLE ONE: DOUBTS:

CYCLE TWO: PURSUASION:

CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION:

CYCLE FOUR: GAINS:

CYCLE ONE: DOUBTS:

CYCLE TWO: PURSUASION:

CYCLE THREE: RESOLVE:

CYCLE TWO: PURSUASION:

CYCLE THREE: RESOLUTION:

CYCLE FOUR: GAINS:

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAUSTUS AND MEPHISTOPHELES:

ROLE OF LOW COMEDY:

ENTERTAINING THE EMPEROR:

RELATIONSHIP WITH MEPHISTOPHELES:

MAGICIAN AND SCIENTIST:

WAGNER, ACTING AS A CHORUS:

FAUSTUS' DOUBTS / MEPHISTOPHELES' PURSUASION:

FAUSTUS' RESOLVE TOWARDS EVIL:

ROLE OF WOMEN: The Evil Angel/Helen of Troy: PURSUASION

THE TERRORS OF HELL:

FAUSTUS' FINAL SOLILOQUY:

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