" Tha Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus ", commonly known as " Doctor Faustus " is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe, which is based on German stories about the tittle character " Faust ". It has been written sometimes between 1589 to 1592.
About Author
Marlowe was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan Era. He was known as Shakespeare's most important predecessor in English drama. He was baptized on 26 Feb, 1564 in England and died on 30 May, 1593 in London. He was educated from Cambridge University. He was first to use blank verse, which became the standard for the Era. Marlowe wrote many great tragedies like " Tamburlaine, the Great ", " Doctor Faustus ", " The Jew of Malta ", " Edward the Second ". His first play " Tamburlaine " was among the first English plays written in blank verse. Marlowe's plays were very popular but his career was cut short by his death in 1593.
Plot Summary
The play, Doctor Faustus was written in blank verse and prose in thirteen scenes. The play begins with a " prologue " in which chorus introduces Doctor Faustus or his biography, including his humble origins, precociousness as a student, his intrest in necromancy and eventual fall from grace, comparing him to " Icarus ", whose " waxen wings " melted when he flew too close to the sun. The chorus assures the audience that the play will deal with neither epic nor heroic nor courtly matters but merely with " the form of Fautus' fortune ". Further, the play starts with the scenes.
In the play, Doctor Faustus is a respected German scholar who becomes bore with the traditional types of knowledge available to him. He wants more than logic, medicine, law and religion. He wants to learn magic. His friends, Valdes and Cornelius begin to teach him magic, which he uses to summon a devil named Mephistophilis. Faustus makes a deal with Mephistophilis' master Lucifer that he will give his soul to Lucifer after twenty - four years in exchange for twenty - four years of having Mephistophilis and all his knowledge of black magic.
After the contract signed by Faustus with his own blood, Mephistophilis becomes his servant for twenty four years and answers all Faustus' questions about the nature of the world and the universe but refuses to answer only one " " who created the world " this made a doubt in Faustus' mind about the deal but Lucifer quite those doubts by bringing in the seven deadly sins in the form of human to dance for Faustus.
Now, the chorus comes on the stage to tell the audience that Faustus will go for a long tour of the world with Mephistophilis in which he will learn about the stars and know the all secrets of astronomy. The chorus guesses that Faustus will go to Rome first. Faustus lands in Rome where he bothers Pope Adrian for his passing judgment on a rival Pope by making himself invisible. He becomes famous and invited by German Emperor, Charles 5th, who is the enemy of Pope Adrian. Faustus impresses the emperor by conjuring up an image of Alexander the Great. Faustus travels to England also, where he is invited by Duke of Vanholt and impresses him and his wife with his magic.
As the ending time of the contract, Faustus begins to dread his impending doom and tells Mephistophilis call up " Helen of Troy " so that he might impress a group of his colleagues. Time grows short, Faustus filled with dread, confesses his misdeeds to a group of his colleagues, who vow to pray for him.
On the final night of his life, Faustus is overcome by fear and remorse. He begs for mercy, but it is too late. The clock strikes midnight and a group of devils enter Faustus' room to claim his soul. The next morning, his colleagues find his body torn limb from limb and decide to give him a proper burial.
At last, the play ends with an Epilogue, in which the chorus announces that Faustus is gone and tells the audience to see his downfall as an example of why we should not try to learn unlawful things.
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