Act I Flashcards
1,1 summary
speaking in soliloquy, faustus weighs up the merits and limitations of the four key academic disciples
what are the four key academic disciples?
philosophy, law, medicine, and divinity
what does Faustus decide about the four academic disciples?
that they are flawed and that the power and knowledge they offer is limited
why does Marlowe have Faustus repeat the word ‘end’ when considering the traditional academic disciples? 1,1
to show how knowledge is finite. could link to the renaissance and the rebirth of intellectual discovery and curiosity and the rejection of medieval ideas
‘is to dispute well, logics chiefest ____’ 1,1
end
‘thou hast attainted that ___’ 1,1
end
‘and live and die in __________ works’ 1,1
Aristotle
‘tis thou has _______ me’ 1,1
ravished
why did Marlowe describe Faustus as being ‘ravished’ by Aristotles works? 1,1
Faustus casts himself as the subordinate and submissive, suggesting that magic and necromancy have taken him. sexual connotations may link to his base desires
‘what world of _______ and _______’ 1,1
profit, delight
‘of power, of honour, of ____________’ 1,1
omnipotence
by having Faustus finish the line on omnipotence, what does this suggest about his feelings towards necromancy? 1,1
he lusts for the power it will give him, he wants to be god-like
In 1,1 Marlowe reference prominent figures, e.g. Aristotle and Galen, before having Faustus reject their ideas. What does this create?
A sense of arrogance is established from the start, foreshadowing Faustus’ downfall. Faustus is resented as a radical, renaissance thinker.
Where does Faustus misquote the bible?
‘the reward of sin is death. that’s hard.’ 1,1
why does Faustus misquote the bible in 1,1?
mockery of the church. shows Faustus to be foolish and naive as he attempts to manipulate Gods word to suit his needs.
Context - the renaissance
rebirth of intellectual discovery. disciplines of the previous medieval period were questioned
‘necromantic books are _________’ 1,1
heavenly
what technique is used in ‘necromantic books are heavenly’? And what does it show about Faustus’ attitude to black magic? 1,1
antithesis. he worships it because of the power it could give. blasphemous and heretic language contrast with heavily religious ideas of a contemporary audience
what does the last two lines of Faustus’ soliloquy in 1,1 end in?
‘god’ and ‘deity’
why does Faustus’ soliloquy in 1,1 end in ‘god’ and ‘deity’?
shows how Faustus wants to use necromancy to gain power that is similar to God.
Context - Dr John Dee
well respected scholar who served as royal advisor and court astronomer to Elizabeth I. he left the queens service and went on a quest for more powerful knowledge in the realms of magic and the supernatural
what are the good and evil angels?
stop characters of morality plays
what does the good and evil angel represent?
Faustus’ inner conflict
‘heap Gods heavy ______ upon the head’ 1,1
wrath
Why do the Good and Evil angels compare Faustus to Jove?
further displays Faustus’ arrogance and his weakness to power as this fuels his path to hell as he is tempted by the image of power.
‘be thou on earth as _____ is in the sky’ 1,1
Jove
who was Jove?
king of the roman gods
‘how I am _______ with conceit of this’ 1,1
glutted
why does Marlowe use the specific word ‘glutted’ when Faustus contemplates black magic? 1,1
links to the semantic field of gluttony. biblical reference to the seven deadly sins reinforcing Faustus’ lack of connection to religion.
What superficial objects does Faustus
reference in 1,1?
‘pearl’ ‘gold’ and ‘silk’
when does Marlow use anaphoric repetition in 1,1
‘I’ll have them’
why does Marlowe repeat the lines ‘I’ll have them’? 1,1
shows Faustus preoccupation with power and authority
context - James I
King James was deeply concerned of necromancy which led him to publish ‘Daemonologie’. this era is sometimes referred to a time of ‘satanic panic’ and thousands of women were tried and executed for witchcraft.
1,3 summary
first entrance of mephistopheles and faustus agrees to sell his soul
‘the word _________ terrifies not him’ 1,3
damnation
‘__ ___ _________ I shall ask …. to tell me’ 1,3
to give whatsoever
‘by him ill be the greatest ________ of the world’ 1,3
emperor
‘how _____ is this mephistopheles’ 1,3
pliant
‘o Faustus, leave these ______ demands’ 1,3
frivolous
‘this is ____, nor am I out of it’ 1,3
hell
‘tasted the _______ ___ of heaven’ 1,3
eternal, joys
‘__________ with ten thousand hells, 1,3
tormented
what does Faustus ask Mephistopheles to change into coin first seeing him?
‘return an old Franciscan friar
context - anti catholic agenda
runs throughout the play which is a reflection of England and their strongly protestant nation, made stronger by the Spanish armada.
when was the Spanish armada?
1588
1,4 summary
Marlow uses this seen to mirror the previous one, as Wagner makes a deal for Robin
what does Faustus ask for in the deal? 1,3
‘four and twenty years… in all voloptuousness’
what do the characters of robin and Wagner do?
the clown characters act as a structural parallel to Faustus and embody his flaws.
‘Tickle the pretty ______ plackets’ 1,4
wenches
how does Marlowe present Robin as he comments about ‘she-devils’ having ‘cloven feet’ in 1,4
has a preoccupation with sex ; base desires
‘bind yourself presently unto me/ or I’ll turn all the ___ about thee into _______’ 1,4
lice, familiars
How does Marlowe present Robin through him confusing ‘guilders’ with ‘gridirons’ 1,4
stock character = lack of intelligence. lock of power
