Christopher Marlowe

Synopsis of Dr. Faustus

The textual history of the play is long and complex. The text itself has survived in two forms referred to by scholars as the "A-text" and the "B-text." The following synopsis follows the A text in Roma Gill’s New Mermaid edition. The play is organized with alternating "serious" and "comic" scenes. The comic scenes serve to undercut the overreaching attitudes and ambitious presumption of Faustus that is presented in the serious episodes. Scholars have long noted that the quality of the comic sections differs greatly from the tragic portions. Because of the "mediocrity "of these passages, some speculate that these sections were not written by Marlowe at all. These sections are slapstick and disjointed, with much of the humor stemming from "sight gags" that might be difficult for a modern student to understand. The teacher might choose to summarize the comic scenes for students and concentrate on a close reading of the tragic sections of the text.

An interesting and easily accessible version of the play can be found in the Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor video.(Columbia Tri-Star Home Video, 93 minutes, 1967 ) Students can appreciate both the comic and tragic sections in this fascinating performance.

Prologue: The Chorus enters and promises to reveal "the form of Faustus’ fortunes good or bad."

 

Scene 1: Faustus rejects the significance of his scholarly achievements and yearns to learn the secrets of black magic.

 

Scene 2: (comic) Faustus’ servant, Wagner, engages in a mock scholarly dispute.

 

Scene 3: Faustus’ attempts conjuring. Mephastophilis appears bringing Faustus visions of necromantic power.

 

Scene 4: (comic) Faustus’ servant parodies his master’s devil-dealing.

Scene 5: Faustus contemplates the necromantic arts. The Good Angel and the Evil angel appear to play a tug-of-war with Faustus’ conscience. Mephastophilis appears and Faustus signs his soul to Lucifer for what he thinks will be 24 years of power and delight. Despite the advent of two miracles -- the staying of Faustus’ blood and the appearance on his arm of the words Homo, fuge! (Man, flee!) -- Faustus seals the bargain. Faustus then discusses astronomy with Mephastophilis. He then requests a wife. Unable to provide a "church-sanctioned" wife, Mephastophilis returns with a devilish spirit. Faustus begins to wonder if he has made the correct decision. Sensing that Faustus might be wavering towards repentance, Mephastophilis fetches spirits to delight Faustus’ mind. A dumb show of the Seven Deadly Sins diverts Faustus’ attention back to the devil.

Scene 6: (comic) Two clowns, Rafe and Robin, introduce Faustus’ upcoming actions.

 

Scene 7: (comic) Faustus appears at the Papal Court and uses his new-found power to play practical jokes!

 

Scene 8: (comic) The joking continues with Rafe and Robin.

 

Scene 9: (comic) Faustus now appears at the Emperor Charles V’s court and raises the spirit of Alexander the Great and his paramour.

 

Scene10: (comic) Faustus plays practical jokes on a horse-courser.

 

Scene 11: (comic) Faustus uses his grand powers to procure out-of-season grapes for the pregnant Empress.

 

Scene 12: Wagner enters and laments his master’s illness. Faustus has been dining with his students, discussing the question: "Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?" The answer is Helen of Troy. The students convince Faustus to make the spirit of Helen appear before them. Helen passes across the stage and so inspires Faustus to speak the famous lines: Was this the face that launched a thousand ships/And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?

 

The Old Man enters and warns Faustus to leave off his sinful ways. Faustus is not convinced and seals his fate by kissing the demonic spirit of Helen.

 

Scene 13: The end is near for Faustus. He struggles with his conscience and his fate. He meets his end as the mouth of hell opens to swallow him.

Introduction  •  Instructional Goals & Handouts  •   TeachersFirst Literature

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

Copyright 1998 by the Network for Instructional TV, Inc.
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