Doctor Faustus and Other Plays

by Christopher Marlowe, David Bevington (Editor), Eric Rasmussen (Editor)

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), a man of extreme passions and a playwright of immense talent, is the most important of Shakespeare's contempories. This edition offers his five major plays, which show the radicalism and vitality of his writing in the few years before his violent death. Tamburlaine Part One and Part Two deal with the rise to world prominence of the great Scythian shepherd-robber; The Jew of Malta is a drama of villainy and revenge; Edward II was to influence Shakespeare's Richard II. Doctor Faustus, perhaps the first drama taken from the medieval legend of a man who sells his soul to the devil, is here in both its A and its B text, showing the enormous and fascinating differences between the two. Under the General Editorship of Dr Michael Cordner of the University of York, the texts of the plays have been newly edited and are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation. In addition, there is a scholarly introduction and detailed annotation.

Genres: Plays, Classics, Drama, Fiction, Theatre, Literature, School

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1589

About the author

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564) was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. The foremost Elizabethan tragedian next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his magnificent blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his own mysterious and untimely death.

The author's Wikipedia page.

Reviews

[sologdin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to see a well-edited compact yet complete Marlowe. This one lacks Dido and Massacre, as well as the poetry. It does have both the A and B texts of Faustus, which is cool, though they have been edited in a way that de-emphasizes their differences, which is odd.

We can appreciate the meritocratic implications in Tamburlaine, who proclaims "I am a lord, for so my deeds shall prove, / And yet a shepherd by my parentage" (Part I, I.ii.34-35). Perhaps this is why he is 'terror to the world' (I: I.ii.38) and 'scourge of god' (I: III.iii.44) for nothing horrifies power like egalitarianism. We might track this refrain throughout the plays.

A similar repetitive thematic is how Tamburlaine is "gross and like the massy earth" (I: II.vii.31). The proto-materialism of that figure should not be diminished by the inconsistent references to Fortune's Wheel, the gods, and other immaterialisms. We might, were we so inclined, likewise follow this idea from the beginning.

Another noteworthy marlovian notion is 'resolve,' especially in being "resolute." Tamburlaine's "resolution far exceedeth all" (I: IV.i.47) to the extent that he will execute every motherfucking last one of you. Being resolute means taking decisions after due deliberation and then abiding by them. Again, this is a thread throughout the oeuvre.

One aspect that is interesting, which I didn't appreciate when first reading Marlowe decades ago, is how much the content of the texts inhabits the state of exception. Readers of Agamben should find much for excogitation here.

[John Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

All who read Shakespeare should read Marlowe - in a sense more biting, with a darker interpretation of the human condition. He is the birth of Elizabethan theatre, and hence a man more enveloped by lingering medievalism than his more famous counterpart.

From Tamburlaine’s unconquerable appetite for conquering, to a Dr Faustus dismissive of hell being hence dismissed by heaven, to King Edward II’s infamous demise, Marlowe finds a fitting and tragic fate for his protagonists who are the beaters for their own ruinous. Marlowe’s tales and characters stand out. They erupt from page to stage with incredible energy.

An Ovidian scholar whose place in the great achievements of English stagecraft should not be forgotten. He burnt life’s candle at both ends, and his short career is fitting for the man who wrote the following lines:

“Now, Mephistopheles, the restless course
That time doth run with calm and silent foot,
Short’ning my days and thread of vital life,
Calls for payment of my latest years”
-Faustus, Dr Faustus, Act 4 Scene I

[maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've only read Doctor Faustus from Marlowe but aside from a stupid essay I had to write I quite enjoyed it.

[Caroline]

I started the new year vowing to read more from Philip Ward’s list of 500 books, and with Marlowe and Ariosto I'm off to a great start. (The three political philosophy classics that I chose are going a lot more slowly.)

Powerful writing. I would love to see some of these staged. Right away you are hurled into Tambulaine’s ‘mighty lines’ vaunting his power in phenomenal language.

(Tamburlaine has been offered a ransom for the captured princess Zenocrate, who begs to be let go to marry her betrothed. He, smitten, replies:)

Disdains Zenocrate to live with me?
Or you, my lords, to be my followers?
Think you I weigh this treasure more than you?
Not all the gold in India's wealthy arms
Shall buy the meanest soldier in my train.
Zenocrate, lovelier than the love of Jove,
Brighter than is the silver Rhodope,
Fairer than whitest snow on Scythian hills,
Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine
Than the possession of the Persian crown,
Which gracious stars have promis'd at my birth.
A hundred Tartars shall attend on thee,
Mounted on steeds swifter than Pegasus;
Thy garments shall be made of Median silk,
Enchas'd with precious jewels of mine own,
More rich and valurous than Zenocrate's;
With milk-white harts upon an ivory sled
Thou shalt be drawn amidst the frozen pools,
And scale the icy mountains' lofty tops,
Which with thy beauty will be soon resolv'd:
My martial prizes, with five hundred men,
Won on the fifty-headed Volga's waves,
Shall we all offer to Zenocrate,
And then myself to fair Zenocrate.

That’s the loving side of Tamburlaine. Here’s the tyrant headed off to war

Now will we banquet on these plains a while,
And after march to Turkey with our camp,
In number more than are the drops that fall
When Boreas rents a thousand swelling clouds;
And proud Orcanes of Natolia
With all his viceroys shall be so afraid,
That, though the stones, as at Deucalion's flood,
Were turn'd to men, he should be overcome.
Such lavish will I make of Turkish blood,
That Jove shall send his winged messenger
To bid me sheathe my sword and leave the field;
The sun, unable to sustain the sight,
Shall hide his head in Thetis' watery lap,
And leave his steeds to fair Bootes' charge;
For half the world shall perish in this fight.

And condemning the city where his beloved died:

So burn the turrets of this cursed town,
Flame to the highest region of the air,
And kindle heaps of exhalations,
That, being fiery meteors, may presage
Death and destruction to the inhabitants!
Over my zenith hang a blazing star,
That may endure till heaven be dissolv'd,
Fed with the fresh supply of earthly dregs,
Threatening a dearth and famine to this land!
Flying dragons, lightning, fearful thunder-claps,
Singe these fair plains, and make them seem as black
As is the island where the Furies mask,
Compass'd with Lethe, Styx, and Phlegethon,
Because my dear Zenocrate is dead!

I also enjoyed seeing the variety of his subjects in these plays, amidst the common theme of treating taboo subjects in unconventional ways. I also liked seeing the growth of the playwright over five years. Reading the plays together emphasizes the progression from marching speakers off and on the stage to deliver great speeches in Tamburlaine, to the development of relationships and characters that permeate Edward II. (Admittedly, the dating of the later plays is apparently in question, but the difference is perceptible.) I was reading Shakespeare’s history plays last fall and the influence seems clear not only in subject (e.g. Richard II) but very much in structure and content. Amazing that they were born in the same year.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

no one:
absolutely no one at all:
doctor faustus: *sells soul to get laid (and then doesn't) and trivial party tricks*

note: this rating is only for doctor faustus as that was the only one required for uni reading

[paula.]

read doctor faustus which i really enjoyed.
started and dnfed tamburlaine the great because it was so boring it was painful.

book [insert number i have no idea haha] for my drama and transgression: from prometheus to faust module

[Stephen Heiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marlowe very much deserves to be read on his own merits, but today it's very hard for readers to come to his plays while ignoring that he was a contemporary of Shakespeare. In the case of the Jew of Malta, one of the plays in this collection, the overlaps with The Merchant of Venice are powerful and worth examining: the other living in a foreign land with those who hold him to a standard they don't keep themselves.

Marlowe's characters don't develop. They simply arc across a trajectory, and the plays capture this trajectory for us with scenes and stage direction that surely must have thrilled in its time. One way to think about Marlowe? Long speeches punctuated by dialogues and action, whereas in Shakespeare long speeches tend to punctuate fast-moving scenes and snappy dialogue. There is humor here and there in Marlowe, but it is often dark.

This edition comes with a helpful introduction and almost a hundred pages of endnotes, which are very useful for helping digest the highly allusive speeches of Marlowe's characters.

Doctor Faustus - the A-text: I am surprised that this play still has resonance in a secularist, materialist world. Paved the way for the much better Goethe version (at least Part I of Goethe's version, anyway). How very banal human beings are when given "unlimited power."

"Think'st thou that I, who saw the face of God
And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells
In being deprived of everlasting bliss?"
1.3.78-81

"Why waverst thou? O, something soundeth in mine ears:
'Abjure this magic, turn to God again!'"
2.1.7-8

"All places shall be hell that is not heaven."
2.1.126


Tamburlaine the Great, Parts I and II: similar to Othello in his warlike manner, but unlike Othello in his world-vaunting ambition.

"Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous architecture of the world
And measure every wand'ring planet's course,
Still climbing after knowledge infinite
And always moving as the restless spheres,
Wills us to wear ourselves and never rest
Until we reach the ripest fruit of all,
That perfect bliss and sole felicity,
The sweet fruition of an earthly crown."
2.7.20-29 (p. 28)

"I fare, my lord, as other empresses,
that, when this frail and transitory flesh
Hath sucked the measure of that vital air
That feeds the body with his dated health,
Wanes with enforced and necessary change."
2.4.42-46 (p. 91)

"Blood is the gore of war's rich livery." 3.2.116 (p. 99)

The Jew of Malta: Barabas is Shylock's older, meaner, more spiteful brother. He is, in a certain way, evil personified, much like Iago in Othello.

"We'll send thee bullets wrapped in smoke and fire.
Claim tribute where thou wilt, we are resolved;
Honour is bought with blood and not with gold."
2.3.54-56 (p. 273)

"As for myself, I walk abroad a-nights
And kill sick people groaning under walls;
Sometimes I go about and poison wells;"
2.3.175-177 (p. 278)

"Are there not Jews enough in Malta
But thou must dote upon a Christian?"
2.3.361-362 (p. 283)

Edward II - Sometimes (justly) called a "poor man's Richard II" this is probably my favorite Marlowe play, as its entirely stripped of bombast and artifice.

"You must be proud, bold, pleasant, resolute,
And now and then stab as occasion serves."
2.1.42-43

"This tattered ensign of my ancestors,
Which swept the desert shore of that Dead Sea
Whereof we got the name of Mortimer,"
2.4.21-23

"'Must'! 'Tis somewhat hard when kings 'must' go.'"
4.7.82

"But when I call to mind I am a king,
Methinks I should revenge me of the wrongs
That Mortimer and Isabel have done."
5.1.23-25

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
only read doctor faustus and didn’t enjoy it that much

[Gerasimos Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read Edward II. It wasn't the best play I have ever read but it's certainly not the worst either. I guess it's a bit difficult to get excited about medieval plays.

[cool breeze · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because Marlowe was recommended in The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature, and he was one that I had not read.

I was looking for a modern edition of Marlowe that updated the Elizabethan words and spelling enough that trying to understand them did not get in the way of appreciating the work. This 2008 Oxford edition does not go far enough and the choices of what was revised and what was not seem quite arbitrary. It is clearly not a matter of trying to preserve the rhythm or meter, since in many cases a confusing phrase has an endnote to a modern alternative that would have kept the flow.

I was also looking for an edition with useful notes on the text to better understand the references and context. This edition also fell short on that score. Although the notes are helpful, they are formatted as endnotes rather than footnotes, so consulting them requires constantly flipping back and forth between the text and the back of the book, which also greatly disrupts the flow.

I think Marlowe is probably at least a 4-star playwright, but the editors of this edition only deserve 2 stars for this version of his work, which does a poor job of making it accessible to the modern reader.

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a highly regarded classic, I found Doctor Faustus tedious and tiring to read. It took me several reads to fully comprehend each scene, trying to fully concentrate on what they were saying. Although I can see how it ties in to my course "The Tragedy of Knowledge", Doctor Faustus has to do too much with religion for my liking - in a sense, as if it is vilifying true knowledge, or rather knowledge against the doctrines of the Church. I would like to think he's just taking the piss on the whole "you will be punished blah blah blah knowledge is the Devil's temptation and it is forbidden because it will condemn your immortal soul blah blah blah". Not to say that religion and faith is something bad, but the authority of the Church, or any power that, in a sense, controls religion is oftentimes corrupt. Just to think of how many books were "banned", how much knowledge has been denied to people because the Church decided it was a threat to their power makes me shudder.

[Clare Baeckeroot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic read. Obviously Marlowe's plays are spectacular. This is not a particularly great edition for scholarly study, though, because all of the critical notes are in the back and there is no textual apparatus to speak of. Also, this edition is missing two of his plays (Massacre at Paris and Dido Queen of Carthage) which is a bummer because those are cool and I had to find them separately!

[elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Plutoboy Foundastar · Rating 4 out of 5]

funky beat

[Anton Løkke Laursen]

The Jew of Malta

[Sara Shemes · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
على الرغم من الاسلوب المباشر المميز للفترة الزمنية
التى كُتبت فيها المسرحية إلا أن
صوت زوز نبيل يشفع لها ويجعل الأستماع لها متعة فريدة

[Hannah Polley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really not the most exciting collection of plays.

Tamburlaine the Great, Part 1 - this is a play basically about war with racist overtones. Tamburlaine goes around invading everyone and winning. Not really my thing.

Tamburlaine the Great, Part II - apparently Part 1 was so well received that they made a Part 2. In this, Tamburlaine's wife dies and then eventually so does Tamburlaine. He also murders his son.

Doctor Faustus, A & B texts - two different versions of this play are included but they are very similar so I read the A text and skimmed the B text. Doctor Faustus is studying necromancy and he makes a deal with the devil to get what he wants now but has to trade his soul in the afterlife.

The Jew of Malta - a rich Jew has to give up his wealth and then gets his revenge by plotting to murder two people. His daughter converts to Christianity so he murders her and all the nuns as well. He also murders his servant who betrays him and plots with the Turks to overthrow the current government.

Edward II - this is definitely the most interesting of all the plays and is basically a historical fiction play. The play is based on Edward's relationship with his favourite male companion and his gruesome end. Would have definitely liked to have seen this portrayed at the time. It is a shame this play is at the back of the collection!

[Cherise Aquilina · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Now, sweet God of heaven,
Make me despise this transitory pomp
And sit for aye enthronizèd in heaven!
Come Death, and with thy fingers close my eyes,
Or if I live, let me forget myself."

2/ 5 stars

I would've probably never picked this up if it wasn't in one of my university study units.
From all four plays, my favourite one is Doctor Faustus. However, I would still give it about 3 stars since I didn't love it.

Although I'm glad that I've read from the well-known playwright Christopher Marlowe, I doubt that I'll look into more works by him (at least for now).

[Diem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read Doctor Faustus, A Text.

Intriguing. But I had just finished Julius Caesar and my actual impression after reading this was, "Very nice. But, ain't no Shakespeare." And I'm only a recent inductee to the world of Shakespeare fandom . Still, "as good as Shakespeare" is a pretty high bar, so squeaking in just under it still finds you well-ranked on the list of the Western Canon. I'd like to give the other plays a go someday.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm about to do this book for Eng lit and i have to say i'm definately looking forward to it. I really enjoyed this story and the moral dilemma it proposed. what i liked the best is that Faustus didn't get away with it and went to hell - there's too many happy endings these days.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a classic, right? Something you should read if you’re intending to study the trope of making deals with the devil.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

very enjoyable play!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read Doctor Faustus’ B-text.

[Jareen Binte Asad · Rating 3 out of 5]

🔷🔷🔷 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus 🔷🔷🔷


“ডক্টর ফস্টাস” ক্রিস্টোফার মার্লোর একটি ক্লাসিক ট্র্যাজেডি, যেখানে উচ্চাকাঙ্ক্ষা, জ্ঞানপিপাসা এবং অতিরিক্ত চাওয়ার পরিণতি তুলে ধরা হয়েছে। প্রধান চরিত্র ডক্টর ফস্টাস, একজন বিদ্বান ব্যক্তি, যিনি অপরিসীম ক্ষমতার আকাঙ্ক্ষার ফলে নিজের পতনের দিকে ধাবিত হন। এই নাটকটি মানুষের সীমাবদ্ধতাকে অতিক্রম করার ইচ্ছা এবং এর ফলস্বরূপ অনিবার্য পরিণতি সম্পর্কে গভীর দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি প্রদান করে।


চরিত্রসমূহ:

★ডক্টর ফস্টাস: একজন মেধাবী ব্যক্তি, যিনি প্রাকৃতিক জ্ঞানের চরম সীমায় পৌঁছানোর চেষ্টা করেন।

★মেফিস্টোফিলিস: শয়তানের প্রতিনিধি এবং ফস্টাসের অনুগত দাস।

★ওয়াগনার: ফস্টাসের চাকর।

★গুড অ্যাঞ্জেল এবং ব্যাড অ্যাঞ্জেল

★ভালদেস এবং কর্নেলিয়াস: ফস্টাসের বন্ধু।

★লুসিফার: শয়তানের নেতা এবং ফস্টাসের আত্মার চূড়ান্ত দাবীদার।

★বেলজেবাব: লুসিফারের একজন কর্মকর্তা।

★সম্রাট চার্লস পঞ্চম: জার্মানির পবিত্র রোমান সম্রাট।

★ডিউক এবং ডাচেস অব ভ্যানহোল্ট: জার্মানির ডিউক এবং ডাচেস

★হেলেন অফ ট্রয়: গ্রিক পুরাণের বিখ্যাত সুন্দরী।

★পোপ: রোমান ক্যাথলিক চার্চের নেতা।

★ওল্ড ম্যান: একজন বৃদ্ধ ব্যক্তি, যিনি ফস্টাসকে পাপ থেকে ফিরে আসার জন্য অনুরোধ করেন।

★হর্স-কোর্সার: একজন প্রতারক ঘোড়া ব্যবসায়ী।

★ভিনটর: একজন ওয়াইন ব্যবসায়ী।

★শিক্ষকগণ (স্কলার্স): ফস্টাসের সহকর্মী পণ্ডিত, যারা ফস্টাসের পথভ্রষ্টতা এবং তার শেষ পরিণতির বিষয়ে উদ্বিগ্ন।


কাহিনি সংক্ষেপ:

ডক্টর ফস্টাস জার্মানির একজন উচ্চ শিক্ষিত এবং সম্মানিত ব্যক্তি। তিনি জ্ঞানের প্রতি প্রচণ্ড আগ্রহী। নাটকের শুরুতেই দেখা যায়, তিনি যুক্তি, চিকিৎসাবিদ্যা, আইন, এবং ধর্মতত্ত্ব সহ জাগতিক প্রায় সব বিষয়ে জ্ঞান অর্জন করেছেন। তবুও তার জ্ঞান-পিপাসা নিবারণ হচ্ছিল না। তিনি আরও উচ্চতর কিছু শেখার ইচ্ছা পোষণ করেন, যা তাকে জাদুবিদ্যার দিকে আকৃষ্ট করে।

এই সময়ে, তার দুই বন্ধু ভ্যালদেস এবং কর্নেলিয়াস তাকে জাদুবিদ্যা শেখার পরামর্শ দেন। ফস্টাস গুড অ্যাঞ্জেল এবং ব্যাড অ্যাঞ্জেল থেকে পরামর্শ পায়। গুড অ্যাঞ্জেল তাকে ধর্মীয় পুস্তক পড়তে বলে, কিন্তু ব্যাড অ্যাঞ্জেল তাকে জাদুবিদ্যা শেখার ইচ্ছা পূরণের কথা বলে। ফস্টাস শেষ পর্যন্ত ব্যাড অ্যাঞ্জেলের পরামর্শ অনুসরণ করেন।

ফস্টাস মেফিস্টোফিলিসকে হাজির করে এবং তার আত্মা��ে শয়তানের কাছে বিক্রি করার শর্তে ২৪ বছর মেফিস্টোফিলিসের সেবা গ্রহণ করেন। তবে, এই চুক্তি শেষ হলে, ফস্টাসকে ভয়াবহ পরিণতির সম্মুখীন হতে হবে।

ফস্টাস জাদুবিদ্যার অপপ্রয়োগ করা শুরু করেন। মেফিস্টোফিলিসের সঙ্গে তিনি রোম, ইউরোপের বিভিন্ন রাজসভায় ভ্রমণ করেন এবং বিভিন্ন জায়গায় তার যাদু প্রদর্শন করেন। উদাহরণস্বরূপ, তিনি আলেকজান্ডারের প্রতিচ্ছবি প্রদর্শন করেন, এক ব্যবসায়ীর সাথে প্রতারণা করেন, এবং ভ্যানহল্টের রাজসভায় যাদু দেখান। এক পর্যায়ে, ফস্টাস মেফিস্টোফিলিসের সাহায্যে পৃথিবীর সবচেয়ে সুন্দরী নারী হেলেনের প্রতিচ্ছবি আনে এবং তাকে চুম্বন করে।

ফস্টাসের চুক্তির ২৪ বছর শেষ হয়ে আসে। এই সময়ে, একজন বৃদ্ধ ফস্টাসকে অভিশাপ দেন এবং তাকে তার পাপের জন্য যিশুর অনুগ্রহ না পাওয়ার বিষয়ে সতর্ক করেন। ফস্টাসের মধ্যে অনুশোচনা দেখা দেয়, কিন্তু মেফিস্টোফিলিস তাকে খারাপ কাজের আনন্দ সম্পর্কে বোঝাতে থাকে। ফস্টাস বুঝতে পারেন যে তিনি কত বড় ভুল করেছেন, কিন্তু তখন আর সময় নেই।
মৃত্যুর ভয় তাকে গ্রাস করে। তিনি শেষ মুহূর্তে স্রষ্টার কাছে ক্ষমা প্রার্থনা করতে চান, কিন্তু শয়তানের অনুসারীরা এসে তার আত্মা শরীর থেকে বের করে জাহান্নামে নিয়ে যায়। এভাবেই ডক্টর ফস্টাসের অভিশপ্ত জীবনের করুণ সমাপ্তি ঘটে।

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe



Not so much as a spoiler alert, since I do not divulge…indeed-anything, but a kind of friendly invitation to read on, but only if you are interested not in what someone has to say about the play, but just starting from it.

The idea is very thought provoking and challenging. About a year ago, I would have said that I would take the deal with Mephistopheles or another negative character.

It is not moral, but joking about it- he is not real either. Then, why not have a contract that provides you with positive results, in spite of or because it originates in the negative realm.

Why not turn something bad into something good?

Because it is immoral?

This is why I said a year ago I would have no qualms about it: who, the Devil is asking me for an arrangement? Go for it! And run with the excellent results.

After all, there are all kinds of crazy people who beg for the devil to come, invoke and worship him: from the stupid coach of the national football team to a neighbor I have who choose the plates with 666…

For myself, I am so sure anymore.

Reading positive psychology for the past year has changed my perspective:

It is one thing to doubt what is good and is it better to be evil and ruthless, to give your family a head start or sometimes just bread on the table? After all, most of the successful people, at least where I come from, have made their fortune stepping over bodies…literally. They line up in jail nowadays- which is a good start (what do you call –in America- 1,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? – a good start).

But when you have proof that doing good helps you feel much better, you get to see things differently.

Not only that, but in a test that Martin Seligman did, it was proved that the amount of happiness gained from pleasures like: eating good food, doing fun things is way smaller than the enduring happiness obtained from doing Acts of Kindness.

Why do a pact with the devil then?

Just be good, kind to other people, socialize, take care of your spiritual life and your body, be grateful for what you have, be optimistic about the future, do not compare yourself with those who have more (material) things, forgive and learn how to cope with trauma, enjoy the flowers, the momentary pleasure life gives you in abundance and live in a state of Flow as much as possible…

You won’t need a deal with any demon then.

You would shun not just a (illusory) devil, but evil thoughts and Crimes and Misdemeaneors…





www.realini.blogspot.ro

[Alexandru Cuibus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my most enhancing read, but a pleseant experience nonetheless. "Know your enemy", as the old axiom goes: this is the reason why most people are so drawn to the caricature of the devil, in art. The devil, closer to mankind through a shared destiny of the fall, represents the link to our darkest fates, our most secluded thoughts, and in the same heartbeat the most seductive ones. Seductive, because why would you choose a fate you know was wrong, if you did not see a worthy value there? What strenght needs be the power that may summon you into the pits of hell, when you are wholly innocent, and seemingly protected by God? To get to the answer, you must take the journey yourself: or else to never know.
But beware: the answer may certainly not be worth the struggle.
The devil... the figure which knows and governs, in an absolute way, our path to temptation. He works tirelessly while the others rest, and has, mayhaps, powers similar to a God, if not atleast a large array of knowledge as Mephistopholes suggests. A cultivated beeing, hellbent on destruction. Who would not feel fear and curiosity on such a blame? And then, everyone has their own devil, which they need to understand and clarify in their lives.
That is why the adversary is so intriguing. A pact with the devil happens everyday: the small pleasures, the feelings of boredom dissipated into the little tortures we inflict on others and ourselves, there are all "necessary" evils we are often too dulled to notice, and which define us, often times much more than the larger-than-life events, even more than the people we are around. And people wish to control the devil, in order to control their own selves. That is why these plays are so beloved. They give a face to an unknown entity, letting us, in fact, struggle against it. The Enemy is us, in the torn reflection of our fate.

[MD RIZWAN PARVEZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe typically focuses on the themes, character development, and moral implications presented in the play.

One key aspect often highlighted is the character of Doctor Faustus himself. Faustus is portrayed as a highly ambitious scholar who, dissatisfied with the limitations of traditional knowledge, turns to necromancy and makes a pact with the devil, seeking ultimate power and knowledge. His tragic flaw is his inability to repent, despite numerous opportunities, leading to his damnation. This exploration of human ambition, hubris, and the consequences of overreaching is a central theme of the play.

Marlowe's portrayal of the conflict between medieval and Renaissance values is also frequently discussed. Faustus is torn between his desire for worldly power and the remnants of his Christian conscience, symbolizing the tension between the old and new ways of thinking during the Renaissance.

The play's use of supernatural elements, such as the appearance of Mephistopheles and the signing of the pact with Lucifer, serves not only as a dramatic spectacle but also as a vehicle for deeper moral questions about salvation, free will, and damnation. The use of comic scenes featuring characters like the Clown and Robin provides a contrast to the serious and tragic elements of the play, highlighting the consequences of Faustus's choices.

Reviewers often note Marlowe's poetic language, with his use of soliloquies and vivid imagery contributing to the dramatic and philosophical intensity of the play.

In conclusion, Doctor Faustus is a profound tragedy that examines human ambition, the pursuit of knowledge, and the moral and existential dilemmas tied to those pursuits. Its themes of sin, repentance, and damnation continue to resonate, making it a powerful work in both literary and philosophical terms.

[Matt McCormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sound the alarum! I very much enjoyed reading the three Marlowe plays presented in the Oxford edition. I could easily imagine the English audiences of the late Elizabethan, early Jacobean period watching as we might a phycological thriller or action movie. Marlowe's characters are complex, and, well, dramatic. Some (Barabas, Mortimer) are constantly scheming, others crazed for power ( Tamburlaine) and others (Edward II) naive to the point of their death. And each play, like a modern movie, is chocked full of violence and sexuality.

His use of blank verse (unrhymed Iambic Pentameter) gives the dialogue an elevated, epic quality, yet its directness is what makes it so readable. For example, in Tamburlaine, "Is it not passing brave to be a King, And ride in triumph through Persepolis?" And, "A petty king, most falsely flatterèd, That with his spearmen guards him to the wall, And with his gold begins to look upon The splendid triumph of Tamburlaine, That rules the heavens with his imperious looks, And with his sword the world at his command." Of course some of his most famous lines were put in the mouth of Faustus when he marvels at "the face that launched a thousand ships and burnt the topless towers of Ilium."

A modern reader might be surprised by how easy it is to read Marlowe. I struggle with Shakespeare but Marlowe required much less reference to explanatory notes. It may also surprise how directly Marlowe was willing to address homosexuality, the hypocrisy of religion and the failure of those in power to think of anyone but themselves.

[Ashraf Uz Zaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus is a great study of enlightened perspectives on religion, morality, and social structure, all wrapped up in a compelling supernatural story. In return for knowledge and power, Doctor Faustus strikes a deal with the Devil, but as a consequence, he is at war with himself all the time. On the one hand, Faustus desires to atone for his wrongdoing and escape damnation, but he is also driven by greed and conceit to continue pursuing his dark arts and gratifying his desires. He frequents locations like the Papal and Imperial courts and only leaves once his mischief has been accomplished. The book's enlightenment philosophy and religious teachings are evident throughout, comparing the Old Testament's beliefs on damnation and repentance against the New Testament's more merciful viewpoints. The story is astonishing when seen within the historical context of its production. To anybody interested in learning more about the Enlightenment and 16th-century society, I would heartily recommend reading Doctor Faustus.

[eleanor grey ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆

‘Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscrib'd. / In one self place; for where we are is hell, / And where hell is, there must we ever be.’

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my review:

This was incredibly interesting as such an old text with both an A text and a B text to consider how much shifted post-Reformation with the presentation of religion and moral messages in literature. Dr Faustus is obviously an iconic character and text that greatly influenced writers even like Shakespeare, so I’m looking forward to studying this further.

🤎🏹
quotes:
↳ ‘Had I as many souls as there be stars, I'd give them all for Mephistophilis.’

‘Fools that will laugh on earth, most weep in hell.’

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