Doctor Faustus, written by Christopher Marlowe
Short Plot
- Doctor John Faustus makes a deal with the devil (Lucifer) in which he exchanges his soul so that he can be a magician
- Faustus sometimes rethinks his decision to sell his soul for magic, but in the end his want for magical knowledge out weigh’s his “wisdom” to live his life normally.
- For twenty-four years all he does is play practical jokes on people, and rarely uses real magic.
- He conjures up the ghosts of Alexander the Great and Helen of Troy, as well as makes himself invisible for his jokes.
- In the end he tries to repent for his wrong doings, but discovers that it is too late.
Themes
Human limitation and potential
- Doctor Faustus sells his soul to the devil in order to broaden his basic limitations and potential as a human.
Pride and sin itself
- Pride is a lethal sin, the worst of them all.
Division between body and spirit
- Spirit = good; flesh/body = bad; your body is what keeps you separated from God.
Damnation
- Damnation is eternal, no one has a concept of what “eternal” is, because it changes from religion to religion, person to person.
Salvation, Mercy, and Redemption
- Through out the story, Faustus is having regrets but does not ask for mercy until it’s too late.
- In order to receive redemption you have to go to confession.
Knowledge vs. Wisdom
- Doctor Faustus like many people wanted the knowledge of the world, but that doesn’t make you wise.
Talk vs. Action
- Doctor Faustus made all these grand plans on what he was going to do with his new found power, but when it got down to using his powers he decided to use it on practical jokes rather than doing anything worth while in life.
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