Analysis Flashcards
what aspects of greek tragedy are in the play?
- Hamartia: a character’s fatal flaw
- Hubris: typically exhibited by the protagonist
- Tragic Hero: character who displays hamartia
- Chorus: vocalises the thoughts of the playwright. They often provide a description of the comin plot and set the scene, as well as shaping the opinions of the audience
what is hamartia?
a character’s fatal flaw
what is the purpose of the chorus?
vocalises the thoughts of the playwright. They often provide a description of the comin plot and set the scene, as well as shaping the opinions of the audience
how does Marlowe use the Chorus in the Prologue?
‘The Prologue’s Chorus is fundamentally opposed to Faustus’ philosophies and actions. Marlowe is expressing here […] one of the fundamental issues of his times: man’s new faith in his own intellectual resources against a deeply rooted Christian concept of the vanity of human endeavour’ [Hilary Gatti]
analyse the quote l ‘Not [be found] marching in the fields of Trasimene [..] Nor sporting in the dalliance of love […] Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds’
Marlowe uses anaphoric repetition of negators to suggest the protagonist is atypical because he does not match the description of a Greek tragic hero.
analyse the quote ‘base of stock’
Faustus’ parents are described as being ‘base of stock’ suggesting that Faustus is born to a family of low social rank, through which Marlowe firmly establishes him as an ‘Everyman,’ as he has to make his living from the ground up.
analyse the quotes ‘riper years to Wittenberg’ - ‘fruitful plot of scholarism’ - ‘sweet delight disputes’
- Religious knowledge sustains Faustus at this point, but Marlowe likewise foreshadows Faustus’ gluttony later in the play.
- Marlowe creates a semantic field of succulence to portray Faustus’ pursuit of religious knowledge as rewarding and enjoyable.
- The motif of food begins.
analyse the quote ‘his waxen wings did mount above his reach / and melting heavens’
- Marlowe references the Greek myth of Icarus, an overly ambitious youth who does not heed the warnings of his father, mirroring Faustus’ hubris.
- This classical image of the fall of Icarus reinforces the Christian images of the fall of Lucifer brought out in Scene 3
why does Marlowe choose to send Faustus to Wittenberg?
so the audience would associate him with Martin Luther.
why would Marlowe want the audience to associate Faustus with Martin Luther?
- The audience would begin to characterise Faustus as revolutionary and individual, which likewise demonstrates the shift from the Medieval to the Renaissance mindset.
- At this point in the play, Marlowe aligns Faustus with the Medieval mindset in his enjoyment of religious scholarism, but Marlowe’s decision to send Faustus to Wittenberg hints at Faustus’ shift from scholarism to individualism as he begins to adopt the Renaissance mindset.
what style of language does the chorus speak in?
The chorus speaks in very formal, rhetorical language
analyse the quotes ‘Is to dispute well, logic’s chiefest end?’ / ‘thou hast attain’d that end’ / ‘hast thou not attain’d that end?’
Marlowe uses epiphoric repetition of ‘end’ to emphasise Faustus’ belief that knowledge is limited, foreshadowing his attempts to break this limit due to his overambition and desire for unlimited knowledge.
For each of the four traditional disciplines, Faustus quotes a prominent figure from that field before dismissing their ideas. What does this suggest about his character and mindset?
Through this, Faustus also rejects the prominent figures themselves and, reflective of his transgressive character as he rejects the established Medieval mindset, dominated by the church and a religious worldview, in favour of the Renaissance, which was an era marked by individualism and intellectual discovery.
Why does Marlowe have Faustus misquote the bible?
to suggest, ironically, he is more foolish and uneducated than he believes. It also emphasises his hubristic endeavour for limitless knowledge, as he arrogantly twists the words of the bible to justify his transgressive actions.
faustus says ‘The reward of sin is death’ [1.1.41] but this really ends with ‘but the gift of god is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ and ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves’ [1.1.44-45] ends with ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’. What does this suggest for Faustus?
For Faustus, this appears to doom humans from the beginning. Disgusted with the hopelessness of theological study, he turns to the practice of magic. But Faustus’ reasoning is ironic, for he has read both passages out of context
analyse the quote ‘necromantic books are heavenly’ [1.1.52]
Marlowe uses antithesis in Faustus’ blasphemous dialogue to suggest that he perceives black magic as a kind of ultimate power, therefore foreshadowing Faustus’ corruption from early on in the play.
how would an elizabethan audience react to the line ‘necromantic books are heavenly’ [1.1.52]?
An Elizabethan audience would be shocked by this language and may consider this an actual sin - Faustus commits a sin both through his use of necromancy and his misuse of religious language
analyse the quote ‘what a world of profit and delight / Of power, of honour of omnipotence’
Marlowe uses a tricolon to emphasise Faustus’ desire for god-like power and to solidify his rapid shift from a desire for learning and knowledge to greed for omnipotence, through necromancy.
analyse the quote ‘a sound magician is a mighty god. / Here, Faustus, try thy brains to gain a deity’ [1.1.64-65]
Marlowe indicates the risk to Faustus’ soul, setting up the conflict between the limitation of human knowledge and the desire to go beyond their position in the universe.
what real-life figure may shares similarities to faustus in the line ‘a sound magician is a mighty god. / Here, Faustus, try thy brains to gain a deity’ [1.1.64-65]
Both Faustus and Dr Dee abandon their respected positions in the pursuit of unlimited knowledge and god-like power
Faustus shifts from a focus on learning to a desire for power in a small number of lines. what does this suggest?
he is impulsive and fickle
what purpose do the good and evil angel serve? what do they represent?
The Good and Evil Angel are stock characters of morality plays, so would be recognised by the audience; they aim to teach a Christian moral lesson. They also represent Faustus’ inner conflict between studying divinity and using necromancy for power.
analyse the quote ‘heap God’s heavy wrath upon thy head [1.1.74]’
Marlowe uses biblical imagery to show the importance of Faustus’ choice, as it will have serious consequences; the reference would convey this particularly well to an Elizabethan audience as they’d genuinely fear the wrath of God.
analyse the quote ‘be thou on Earth as Jove is in the sky [1.1.78]’
The Evil Angel compares Faustus to Jove, the king of Roman gods, to highlight Faustus’ desire for ultimate power and omnipotence, and convince him to practice necromancy.
