Marlowe - Chain of Being

Christopher Marlowe

Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus and The Great Chain of Being

Background: The Elizabethan belief in a hierarchy of life -- what scholars term "The Great Chain of Being" -- is crucial to understanding the literature of the times. Use the visual below to help you understand this "organization of life" that was so important to the people in the age of Shakespeare and Marlowe.

Element	Attribute
God	"Everything and more"
Angels	Intuition
Mankind	Existence, Growth, Passion, Reason
Animals	Existence, Growth, Passion
Plants	Existence, Growth
Minerals	Existence

Assignment: In an essay of significant length, discuss the following:

In what way does the Elizabethan philosophy of the Great Chain of Being illuminate the play Dr. Faustus?

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TeachersFirst Literature

Author: Brenda Walton, Ed.D.
Orlando, Florida