Doctor Faustus follows a brilliant scholar in Wittenberg who finds traditional academic disciplines like medicine, law, and theology insufficient for his ambition. He turns to necromancy, summoning the demon Mephistophilis to broker a deal with Lucifer. Faustus signs a contract in his own blood, granting him twenty-four years of absolute knowledge and magical power in exchange for his eternal soul. Throughout the play, he travels the world performing illusions and taunting religious figures, while ignore the warnings of a Good Angel. As his time expires, Faustus experiences intense psychological dread before being dragged to hell.
Students of Renaissance literature and those interested in the morality play tradition read this work to examine the tension between secular humanism and religious orthodoxy. The text provides a technical look at blank verse and the shift from medieval allegory to early modern tragedy. Readers walk away with a clear understanding of the intellectual pride that characterized the Elizabethan era and the specific dramatic techniques Marlowe used to portray mental anguish and spiritual despair.
- Published
- 1662
- Language
- EN
