“Dr Faustus Is a Sophisticated Play of Ideas” (J.L.Styan). How Does Marlowe Use or Adapt Tragic Form to Explore Contemporary Ideas?

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Christopher Marlowe, born in Canterbury in 1564, incidentally the same year as William Shakespeare, wrote Dr Faustus around 1592, although the exact date is unknown as it was not published until 1602. The context of Dr Faustus is indeed important to the plot of the story, as it was written in a time where religion was extremely important and highly regarded. Elizabeth 1 was on the throne, and whilst she was Protestant she didn’t repress the arts and was tolerant of Catholicism. Marlowe, who had sceptical views about religion, is able to convey his views on such matters during the crest of renaissance. The way that the Chorus introduces Faustus, the play’s protagonist, is significant, as it reveals a commitment to Renaissance values. Closely following Christian themes, Doctor Faustus touches on important Christian values in that during the 16th century when Doctor Faustus was written, questioning God was atheism, and the mere sight of a man playing the role of the devil would be shocking. Doctor Faustus has been described as a Christian play written by an atheist. The two versions of Doctor Faustus, text A and text B differ very slightly, noticeably in the name of the devil summoned by Faustus. Text A states the name is generally "Mephastophilis", while the version of text B commonly states "Mephostophilis".3 Christopher Marlowe based Doctor Faustus on the classic German legend of Faust; a highly successful academic and scholar who became discontented with his life and decided to trade his soul for unlimited knowledge, entering into a dangerous liaison with the Devil. Being the basis for Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, The meaning of the word and name has been reinterpreted through the ages. Faust, and the adjective faustian, are often used to describe an arrangement in which an ambitious person surrenders moral integrity in order to achieve power and

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