The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus (or Doctor Faustus) is a play written by Christopher Marlowe. First staged in 1592 (and written around that time), it recounts the tale of its titular Doctor giving his soul to the demon Mephistopheles.
Characters[]
- Doctor Faustus
- Mephistopheles
rest to be added
Publisher's summary[]
Faustus, a brilliant scholar, sells his soul to the devil in exchange for limitless knowledge and powerful black magic, yet remains unfulfilled. He considers repenting, but remains too proud to ask God for forgiveness. His indecision ultimately seals his fate.
Faustus' story serves as a warning to those who would sacrifice righteous living for earthly gain. But Marlowe's play is also a deeply symbolic analysis of the shift from the late medieval world to the early modern world—a time when the medieval view that the highest wisdom lay in the theologian's contemplations of God was yielding to the Renaissance view that the highest wisdom lay in the scientist's and statesman's rational analysis of the world around them. Caught between these ideals, Faustus is both a tragic fool destroyed by his own ambition and a hero at the forefront of a changing society. In Doctor Faustus, Marlowe thoughtfully examines faith and enlightenment, nature and science—and the terrible cost of the objects of our desire.
See also[]
| Title | Author | Release date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faust | Johann Wolfgang von Goethe | 1808-1832 | A duology of plays inspired by this play |
| The Alchemist | Ben Jonson | 1610 | A play released around the same time with similar themes |
| The Spanish Tragedy | Thomas Kyd | 1592 | A play released around the same time with similar themes |
| The Duchess of Malfi | John Webster | 1613-1614 | A play released around the same time with similar themes |
| Henry IV, Parts I and II | William Shakespeare | ~1597 | A duology of plays released around the same time with similar themes |
Sources[]
- Wikipedia
- Goodreads