UNIT 2: DRAMA

DOCTOR FAUSTUS.
NAME:
CLASS:

Doctor Faustus (Marlowe) Summary

Doctor Faustus, a talented German scholar at Wittenburg, rails against the limits of human
knowledge. He has learned everything he can learn, or so he thinks, from the conventional
academic disciplines. All of these things have left him unsatisfied, so now he turns to magic. A
Good Angle and an Evil Angel arrive, representing Faustus' choice between Christian
conscience and the path to damnation. The former advises him to leave off this pursuit of
magic, and the latter tempts him. From two fellow scholars, Valdes and Cornelius, Faustus
learns the fundamentals of the black arts. He thrills at the power he will have, and the great
feats he'll perform. He summons the devil Mephostophilis. They flesh out the terms of
their agreement, with Mephostophilis representing Lucifer. Faustus will sell his soul, in
exchange for twenty-four years of power, with Mephostophilis as servant to his every whim.
In a comic relief scene, we learn that Faustus' servant Wagner has gleaned some magic
learning. He uses it to convince Robin the Clown to be his servant.
Before the time comes to sign the contract, Faustus has misgivings, but he puts them aside.
Mephostophilis returns, and Faustus signs away his soul, writing with his own blood. The
words "Homo fuge" ("Fly, man) appear on his arm, and Faustus is seized by fear.
Mephostophilis distracts him with a dance of devils. Faustus requests a wife, a demand
Mephostophilis denies, but he does give Faustus books full of knowledge.

Some time has passed. Faustus curses Mephostophilis for depriving him of heaven, although
he has seen many wonders. He manages to torment Mephostophilis, he can't stomach mention
of God, and the devil flees. The Good Angel and Evil Angel arrive again. The Good Angel
tells him to repent, and the Evil Angel tells him to stick to his wicked ways.
Lucifer, Belzebub, and Mephostophilis return, to intimidate Faustus. He is cowed by them,
and agrees to speak and think no more of God. They delight him with a pageant of the Seven
Deadly Sins, and then Lucifer promises to show Faustus hell. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has
gotten one of Faustus' magic books.
Faustus has explored the heavens and the earth from a chariot drawn by dragons, and is now
flying to Rome, where the feast honoring St. Peter is about to be celebrated. Mephostophilis
and Faustus wait for the Pope, depicted as an arrogant, decidedly unholy man. They play a
series of tricks, by using magic to disguise themselves and make themselves invisible, before
leaving.

The Chorus returns to tell us that Faustus returns home, where his vast knowledge of
astronomy and his abilities earn him wide renown. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has also
learned magic, and uses it to impress his friend Rafe and summon Mephostophilis, who
doesn't seem too happy to be called.
At the court of Charles V, Faustus performs illusions that delight the Emperor. He also
humiliates a knight named Benvolio. When Benvolio and his friends try to avenge the
humiliation, Faustus has his devils hurt them and cruelly transform them, so that horns grow
on their heads.
Faustus swindles a Horse-courser, and when the Horse-courser returns, Faustus plays a
frightening trick on him. Faustus then goes off to serve the Duke of Vanholt. Robin the
Clown, his friend Dick, the Horse-courser, and a Carter all meet. They all have been
swindled or hurt by Faustus' magic. They go off to the court of the Duke to settle scores with
Faustus.
Faustus entertains the Duke and Duchess with petty illusions, before Robin the Clown and his
band of ruffians arrives. Faustus toys with them, besting them with magic, to the delight of the
Duke and Duchess.

Faustus' twenty-four years are running out. Wagner tells the audience that he thinks Faustus
prepares for death. He has made his will, leaving all to Wagner. But even as death approaches,
Faustus spends his days feasting and drinking with the other students. For the delight of his
fellow scholars, Faustus summons a spirit to take the shape of Helen of Troy. Later, an Old
Man enters, warning Faustus to repent. Faustus opts for pleasure instead, and asks
Mephostophilis to bring Helen of Troy to him, to be his love and comfort during these last
days. Mephostophilis readily agrees.

Later, Faustus tells his scholar friends that he is damned, and that his power came at the price
of his soul. Concerned, the Scholars exit, leaving Faustus to meet his fate.

As the hour approaches, Mephostophilis taunts Faustus. Faustus blames Mephostophilis for
his damnation, and the devil proudly takes credit for it. The Good and Evil Angel arrive, and
the Good Angel abandons Faustus. The gates of Hell open. The Evil Angel taunts Faustus,
naming the horrible tortures seen there.

The Clock strikes eleven. Faustus gives a final, frenzied monologue, regretting his choices. At
midnight the devils enter. As Faustus begs God and the devil for mercy, the devils drag him
away. Later, the Scholar friends find Faustus' body, torn to pieces.

Epilogue. The Chorus emphasizes that Faustus is gone, his once-great potential wasted. The
Chorus warns the audience to remember his fall, and the lessons it offers.

Doctor Faustus (Marlowe) Character List

Faustus Himself
He sells his soul to the devil
Faustus
A brilliant man, who seems to have reached the limits of natural knowledge. Faustus is a
scholar of the early sixteenth century in the German city of Wittenburg. He is arrogant, fiery,
and possesses a thirst for knowledge. As an intellectual, Faustus is familiar with things (like
demon summoning and astrology) not normally considered academic subjects by today's
universities. Faustus decides to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for earthly power and
knowledge and an additional 24 years of life. He proceeds to waste this time on self-
indulgence and low tricks.Faustus is the absolute center of the play, which has few truly
developed characters.

Mephostophilis
From the Hebrew, mephitz, destroyer, and tophel, liar. A devil of craft and cunning. He is the
devil who comes at Faustus' summoning, and the devil who serves Faustus for 24 years. In
lore, Mephostophilis (also spelled Mephistopheles, or Miphostophiles, and also called
Mephisto) seems to be a relative latecomer in the recognized hierarchy of demons. He
possibly was created for the Faustus legend.

In Marlowe's play, Mephostophilis has layers to his personality. He admits that separation
from God is anguish, and is capable of fear and pain. But he is gleefully evil, participating at
every level in Faustus' destruction. Not only does Mephostophilis get Faustus to sell his soul;
he also encourages Faustus to waste his twenty-four years of power.

Wagner
Servant to Faustus. He steals Faustus' books and learns how to summon demons. At the end of
the play, he seems concerned about his master's fate.

Good Angel and Evil Angel

Personifications of Faustus' inner turmoil, who give differing advice to him at key points.
Their characters also reflect Christian belief that humans are assigned guardian angels, and
that devils can influence human thoughts.

Valdes
Friend to Faustus, who teaches him the dark arts. He appears only in Act One.

Cornelius
Friend to Faustus, who teaches him the dark arts. He appears only in Act One.

Lucifer
Satan. "Lucifer" original meant Venus, referring to the planet's brilliance. In Christian lore,
Lucifer is sometimes thought to be another name of Satan. Some traditions say that Lucifer
was Satan's name before the fall, while the Fathers of the Catholic Church held that Lucifer
was not Satan's proper name but a word showing the brilliance and beauty of his station
before the fall. He appears at a few choice moments in Doctor Faustus, and Marlowe uses
"Lucifer" as Satan's proper name.

Belzebub
One of Lucifer's officers. A powerful demon.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins, not acts but impulses or motivations that lead men
to sinful actions. They array themselves in a pageant before Faustus, although scholars think
now that this section was not written by Marlowe.

Clown / Robin
Robin learns demon summoning by stealing one of Faustus' books. He is the chief character in
a number of scenes that provide comic relief from the main story.

Dick
A friend of Robin's. He is one of the characters peopling the few comic relief scenes.

Rafe
A horse ostler, or groomer, and friend to Robin. With the Clown, he summons Mephostophilis,
who is none too pleased to be called.

Vintner
A wine merchant or a wine maker. This Vintner chases down Robin and Rafe after they steal a
silver goblet from him.

Carter
A man who meets Faustus while carting hay to town. Faustus swindles him.

Horse-Courser
A man who buys Faustus' horse. Faustus swindles him.

Hostess
An ale wench. She treats Robin and his friends kindly.

The Pope
Yeah, that Pope. In a move that would have pleases his Protestant audience, Marlowe depicts
him as cruel, power-mad, and far from holy. Faustus plays some cheap tricks on him.
Bruno
A man who would be Pope, selected by the German emperor and representing the conflicts
between Church and state authority.

Raymond
King of Hungary. He serves the Pope.

Charles
The German Emperor. Faustus performs at his court.

Martino
Knight in the court of the German Emperor. Friend to Benvolio and Frederick. When Benvolio
seeks revenge against Faustus, Martino decides to help out of loyalty.

Frederick
Knight in the court of the German Emperor. Friend to Martino and Benvolio. When Benvolio
seeks revenge against Faustus, Frederick decides to help out of loyalty.

Benvolio
Knight in the court of the German Emperor. Friend to Martino and Frederick. When Faustus
humiliates him, he seeks revenge.

Saxony
A man attending at the court of the German Emperor.

Duke of Vanholt
A nobleman. Faustus performs illusions at his court.

Duchess of Vanholt
A noblewoman. Faustus fetches her grapes in January.

Spirits in the shapes of Alexander the Great, Darius,

Paramour, and Helen
Faustus' illusions.

An Old Man
A holy old man. He tries to save Faustus by getting him to repent, and for his good deed,
Faustus initially thanks him. But later, Faustus sends devils to harm the Old Man.
Doctor Faustus (Marlowe) Symbols, Allegory and
Motifs
Seven Deadly Sins
Doctor Faustus features a rather famous allegory of the Seven Deadly Sins, which appear
as actual figures that Mephistopheles and his companions conjure up. Each of these sins –
Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, and Lust – become embodied on the stage,
explaining their origins as a metaphor for how they take over the soul. This allegory had
historical precedent even in the early modern era; it was common Medieval practice to
personify the seven deadly sins on stage, and Renaissance audiences would have likely
recognized these figures as soon as they appeared. Furthermore, Faustus's reaction to the Sins
– he simply laughs them off – suggests that he does not take them seriously as threats,
aligning his character with the Devil rather than God.

Good and Bad Angels

In another example of allegory, the Good and Bad angels appear throughout the play, typically
in moments when Faustus has to make a difficult decision. These angels represent the two
paths that Faustus can take, with the Good Angel signifying Faustus's desire for redemption
from God and the Bad Angel signifying Faustus's attraction to sin. A modern recapitulation of
this allegory often appears as two figures – one usually red, one usually white – on the
shoulders of a character facing a difficult choice.

Old Man
The Old Man is another allegorical figure in the play. His words to Faustus are significant
because they address concepts like mercy, grace, kindness, and redemption; the Old Man
encourages Faustus to repent and assures him that he sees an angel hovering above Faustus's
head. These attributes of the Old Man's character likely make him an allegory for Christ – the
central figure of mercy in the Christian Bible – or faith in God more generally.

Blood
Blood is an important symbol in the play. When Faustus signs his contract with the Devil, for
example, he signs in blood, symbolizing the permanence of the agreement. However the fact
that his blood immediately congeals on the face suggests that his choice was the wrong one,
and that even his body is rejecting the deal he has made. Blood is also a symbol of sacrifice,
appearing most clearly in relation to Jesus Christ – whose blood Faustus claims to see across
the sky on his last night – who gave his life for humanity's sins.

Rejection of Authority
Early on in the play, Faustus lists the authority figures associated with major fields of human
knowledge – logic, medicine, law, and theology – and rejects them all in favor of magic. This
rejection symbolizes his abandonment of traditional modes of knowledge usually found in
antiquity or the Christian Bible. Instead, Faustus adopts a freer and more modern notion of
inquiry, breaking with the traditions of the Medieval world. In many ways, Faustus's choice
represents the dilemma of modernity, which strove to find new ways of thinking while
simultaneously remaining faithful to God.

Doctor Faustus (Marlowe) Quotes and Analysis

"What doctrine call you this? Che serà, serà?What will be, shall be? Divinity,
adieu!"

Faustus, 1.1
At the beginning of the play, Faustus rejects the study of theology by scoffing at the notion of
predestination – the Protestant idea that all people are destined for Heaven or Hell regardless
of how their lives are spent on earth. For Faustus, he interprets this to mean that no matter
how he behaves, he is destined for damnation. When he repeats the popular French aphorism
"What will be, shall be," he mocks the concept of predestination and chooses what he
perceives as his own path.

"Come, Mephistopheles, let us dispute again

And reason of divine astrology.
Speak; are there many spheres above the moon?
Are all celestial bodies but one globe,
As is the substance of this centric earth?"
Faustus, 2.3
At this point in the play, Faustus has fully embraced his rejection of God and the hope of
eternal salvation. Here, he showcases his pursuit of knowledge as he inquires about the
existence of a universe beyond earth. This quotation suggests that, for Faustus, the pursuit of
knowledge has replaced the role of God and religious inquiry in his life.

"But new exploits do hale him out again,

And, mounted then upon a dragon's back,
That with his wings did part the subtle air,
He now is gone to prove cosmography,
That measures coasts and kingdoms of the earth."
Chorus, 3
As the Chorus narrates Faustus's ascent, they compare him to a flying creature who surveys
the earth. In the Christian Bible, this task of surveying creation is attributed to God. Thus, in
this quotation, the Chorus implies that Faustus – in his endless pursuit of knowledge and
power – has assumed the role of God on earth. This quotation also foreshadows Faustus's
eventual fall, as it subtly alludes to the ancient Greek myth of Icarus who flew too close to the
sun and burned to death.
"Know you not, traitors, I was limitedFor four-and-twenty years to breathe on
earth?"
Faustus, 4.3
Here, Faustus recalls the time he had on earth – twenty-four years. However, it is important to
note that he describes this time as "limited," suggesting that he has started to realize the true
cost of his pact with Satan and how it cut his life short.

"Was this the face that launched a thousand ships,

And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss:
Her lips sucks forth my soul, see where it flies!
Come Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven be in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena!"
Faustus, 5.1
This is one of the most famous quotations from Doctor Faustus, and perhaps from all of
early modern English drama. Here, Faustus encounters Helen of Troy, the beautiful woman
whose abduction by the Prince of Troy inspired the Trojan War. When he asks this conjured
figure to make him "immortal," Faustus foolishly searches for a form of eternal grace in a
mere apparition – albeit one that he enjoys bringing into existence. This encounter showcases
his desperation as he nears the end of his life and realizes his mistake in bargaining with the
Devil.

………………………………………………………………HAPPY LEARNING……………………………………………….