Doctor Faustus - Full Deck Flashcards
Drama Revision
What convention of Greek tragedy does the play open with?
A Chorus
The Chorus establishes Doctor Faustus as what type of figure?
An Everyman
Through his studies, Faustus has gained status and respect and become a respected _________.
Scholar
What technique is used in the following quotation: ‘Not [be found] marching in the fields of Trasimene…Nor sporting in the dalliance of love…Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds.’? (Chorus)
Repetition/Listing
‘base of _______’ (Chorus)
stock
What technique is used in the following quotations: ‘riper years of Wittenberg/fruitful plot of scholarism/sweet delight disputes’? (Chorus)
Semantic field
Which real life university did Faustus attend?
Wittenberg
What religious event is connected with Wittenberg University?
The Protestant Reformation of 1517. Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of a church in the city.
Which radical professor of moral theology is associated with Wittenberg University?
Martin Luther
What did Martin Luther criticise?
The corruption of the Catholic Church
What dramatical device is used by playwriters to convey a character’s thoughts on stage?
Soliloquy
Which four key academic disciplines does Faustus consider in Act 1: Scene 1?
Philosophy, Law, Medicine and Divinity
What does the term ‘finite’ mean?
Limited in size or extent
‘Is to dispute well, logic’s chiefest _____?’ (1.1)
End
‘thou hast attain’d that _______’ (1.1)
End
‘hast thou not attain’d that ______?’ (1.1)
End
‘When all is done, ________ is best.’ (1.1)
Divinity
‘The reward of sin is death. That’s _______.’ (1.1)
Hard
‘Che sera, sera/What shall be shall be? Divinity, _________!’ (1.1)
Adieu!
What does Renaissance mean?
Re-birth
The Renaissance questioned beliefs and disciplines from which time period?
Medieval
What does omnipotence mean?
All powerful
What does deity mean?
God
‘Necromantic books are _________’ (1.1)
Heavenly
In the quotation: ‘Necromantic books are heavenly’, what is that attracts Faustus to black-magic?
The ability to be as powerful as a God (Omnipotent)
‘O, what a world of __________ and delight’ (1.1)
Profit
‘Of power, of honour, of _______________’ (1.1)
Omnipotence
‘A sound magician is a mighty _______’ (1.1)
God
‘Here, Faustus, try thy brain to gain a ________’
Deity
Which historical figure of Elizabeth I’s court is the character of Faustus apparently somewhat based on?
Dr John Dee
‘heap God’s heavy ________ upon thy head!’ (1.1)
Wrath
Who is Jove?
The King of the Roman gods
The Good and Evil Angels are stock characters from what type of plays?
Morality
The Good and Evil Angels are what type of device typical of morality plays?
Stock characters
In the quotation: ‘I am glutted with conceit of this!’, why does Marlowe use the adjective ‘glutted’ in particular? (1.1)
To link Faustus’ temptation to the sin of gluttony.
What is suggested about Faustus’ ambitions by having him talk about ‘gold’, ‘pearl’ and ‘silk’ whilst contemplating black magic in 1:1?
Superficial
Which King wrote Daemonologie?
King James I
What does Faustus ask Mephistopheles to change to upon first seeing him?
An old Franciscan friar
Why did Mephistopheles appear to Faustus?
Because he heard him ‘abjure the scriptures’
‘How _________ is this Mephistopheles?’ (1.3)
Pliant
‘I see there’s virtue in my __________ words.’ (1.3)
Heavenly
‘I am ____________ to great Lucifer’ (1.3)
Servant
What does hubristic mean?
Arrogant or excessively proud
‘Four and twenty years…live in all _________________’ (1.3)
Voluptuousness
‘This word ________________ terrifies not him.’ (1.3)
Damnation
‘_____________ spirits that fell with Lucifer.’ (1.3)
Unhappy
‘And are forever __________ with Lucifer.’ (1.3)
Damned
‘who saw the face of God/And tasted the eternal joys of heaven/Am not ______________ by ten thousand hells’ (1.3)
Tormented
‘O Faustus, __________ these frivolous demands.’ (1.3)
Leave
‘Learn thou of Faustus __________ fortitude.’ (1.3)
Manly
What Catholic practice was outlawed in the 16th century?
Mass
What attitude of Protestant England does the quotation: ‘Go, and return an old Franciscan friar/That holy shape becomes a devil best’ indicate?
Anti-Catholic
What event occurred in 1588 that helped fuel Anti-Catholic sentiment?
The Spanish Armada
What language does Faustus use to summon Mephistopheles?
Latin
What are the minor characters of Wagner and Robin meant to embody?
Faustus’ flaws. Wagner represents Faustus’ longing for power and Robin symbolises the way that Faustus is driven by lust.
‘tickle the pretty _________/plackets’ (1.4)
wenches
‘Call me Master ___________’ (1.4)
Wagner
‘_________ yourself presently unto me/or I’ll turn all the lice about thee into familiars’ (1.4)
Bind
What type of minor stock character is Robin?
The clown
‘would you teach me to raise up Banios and __________’ (1.4)
Belcheos
How is Mephistopheles different in 2:1 to 1:3?
He urges Faustus to sign the contract rather than warning him.
‘Now Faustus, must thou needs be ___________’ (2.1)
Damned
‘And canst thou not be _________.’ (1.4)
Saved
‘The God thou servest is thine own ___________’ (2.1)
Appetite
‘To him I’ll build an alter and a ____________’ (2.1)
Church
‘My blood __________, and I can write no more.’ (2.1)
Congeals
What is the significance of the Latin phrase ‘Consummatum est’ (it is finished) that Faustus utters when he signs the contract? (2.1)
These are the last words of Christ on the cross.
What does the term ‘Homo Fuge’ mean?
Fly, man.
‘let me have the fairest _______ in Germany’ (2.1)
Maid
Which character does Faustus mirror through his request for ‘the fairest maid in Germany’?
Robin
What did Calvinists believe?
Predestination - God decides if you go to heaven or hell when you are born
What did Lutherans believe?
The fate of your soul was determined by your actions on earth.
In the quotation: ‘must thou needs be damned…canst thou not be saved,’ (2.1) which religious view does Faustus embody?
Lutheranism
In the quotation: ‘Whither should I fly? If unto God, he’ll throw me down to hell’ (2.1) which religious view does Faustus embody?
Calvinism
‘And I will be thy ___________ and wait on thee.’ (2.1)
Slave
‘And then be thou as great as __________’ (2.1)
Lucifer
‘(Aside) O, what will not I do to __________ his soul?’ (2.1)
Obtain
‘(Aside) I’ll fetch him somewhat to ___________ his mind’ (2.1)
Delight
‘I think hell’s a __________’ (2.1)
Fable
‘I’ll fetch thee a wife, in the ___________ name’ (2.1)
Devil’s
Define repentance
To feel remorse for your sins and seek forgiveness
‘When I behold the heavens, then I ___________ /And curse thee wicked Mephistopheles’ (2.3)
Repent
‘Ay, but Faustus shall never __________’ (2.3)
Repent
‘My heart’s so _____________ I cannot repent’.’ (2.3)
Hardened
‘And long ere this I should have slain myself/Had not sweet __________ conquered deep despair.’ (2.3)
Pleasure
‘I am resolved, Faustus shall ________ repent.’
Ne’er
‘Think thou on hell, Faustus, for thou art ____________.’ (2.3)
Damned
‘_________ too late, if Faustus can repent.’ (2.3)
Never
‘If thou repent, _________ shall tear thee in pieces.’ (2.3)
Devils
Why does Lucifer shows Faustus the Seven Deadly Sins?
To distract him from the thought of repentance.
‘O, this _______ my soul!’ (2.3)
Feeds
What biographical context might you link to Marlowe’s inclusion of so many figures from the classical world such as Homer and Alexander?
He would likely have attended grammar school.
Which sin does Mephistopheles remark that the cardinals and popes are engaging in?
Gluttony
Why does Marlowe connect the character of Faustus to Martin Luther?
To link Faustus to ideas of theology and present him as a radical figure.
In his opening soliloquy, Marlowe has Faustus repeat the word ‘end’ - why?
To convey how the title character believes he has reached the ‘end’ of what he can learn from the four medieval disciplines.
The play is set during the time of The Renaissance - this was a ‘re-birth’ of….?
Intellectual curiosity and questioning
In what way might Faustus have been influenced by the real life figure of Dr John Dee?
Dee, like Faustus, turned away from conventional knowledge as the court astronomer of Elizabeth I. Instead, he pursued other forms of darker, forbidden knowledge.
How does the play reflect societal attitudes towards witchcraft and the supernatural?
People were both fearful of, and fascinated by, witchcraft and the supernatural; this era was often known as the time of ‘satanic panic’
Faustus’ incantation in 1.3 to try and summon Mephistopheles is in Latin, why?
Latin was the language of Catholic mass. Marlowe therefore presents this ceremony as being like Faustus’ spells - foolish and unholy.
What is the significance of Mephistopheles speaking in asides in 2.1?
This presents Mephistopheles as a more deceitful character, contrasting his earlier openness and transparency.
In 2.3, Faustus says ‘when I behold the heavens then I repent and curse thee __________ Mephistopheles’
wicked
At the start of 2.3, Faustus calls Mephistopheles ‘wicked’ - how is this different to 2.1 (the last time we saw the two together)
He had previously called him ‘sweet Mephistopheles’, showing how their relationship has changed during this time.
What was the name of the Renaissance philosophy which placed ‘man as the measure of all things’?
Humanism
What was Humanism?
A philosophy of the Renaissance period which placed ‘man as the measure of all things’, rather than looking to God and religious scripture for moral guidance.
What technique is used here ‘necromantic books are heavenly’? (1.1)
Oxymoron/juxtaposition
What is the significance of Faustus declaring ‘necromantic books are heavenly’? (1.1)
Faustus seems to take delight in blaspheming, failing to understand the consequences of his profane attitude.
As 3.1 begins, we learn that Faustus has been realising his ambitions to gather knowledge of….
the universe
At the start of 3.1, Wagner (acting as the chorus) tells us Faustus has been using magic to gather knowledge of the universe. This, again, presents him as a symbol of….
The inquisitive Renaissance period
At the start of 3.1 we learn Faustus has been gathering knowledge of the universe; however, he is quickly tempted to have some wicked fun by…?
Mephistopheles
The play’s comic scenes generally serve two main purposes- what are they?
- To provide the audience with light comic relief from the play’s intense tragic scenes. 2. To parallel Faustus’ behaviour, presenting him as foolish and led by his sinful desires.
3.1 is generally used to mock and critique which group of people?
The Catholic church
What is the correct term for the court of the pope?
The papal court
What does the word ‘excommunicated’ mean?
to be cut-off or excluded (from a holy organisation)
In what year was Elizabeth I excommunicated from the Catholic church?
1570
What were ‘Indulgences’ ?
Indulgences were monetary gifts that were made in exchange for forgiveness from sin. Some saw these as a sign of the Catholic church’s corruption.
Faustus challenges the authority and truth of the church - how could this be linked to the the scientist Galileo?
Galileo questioned the idea of God as the centre of the universe by suggesting that the earth orbits the sun, and not the other way round.
'’bald pate friars/Whose ________ / ____________ is in belly cheer’ (3.1)
summun bonnum
What does ‘summun bonnum’ mean? (3.1)
greatest good
What does Mephistopheles mean when he says that the Catholic’s friar’s ‘summun bonnum is in belly cheer’ (3.1)
He is suggesting that their greatest good is in satisfying their own greedy appetites.
Why does Mephistopheles refer to the ‘bald pate’ friars? (3.1)
To mock their appearance and, by extension, their religious views.
What is the significance of the Pope being gifted fine delicacies - e.g. ‘here is a dainty dish was sent from the Bishop of Milan’
It conveys the corruption of the Catholic church, as the good favour of the Pope can seemingly be brought through bribery.
In 3.1, how is Faustus presented as a different character compared to the renowned scholar that was introduced in the prologue?
He is presented as little more than a court jester performing cheap tricks, e.g. Faustus hits him a box of the ear’. Marlowe therefore shows how he has been degraded by black magic.
‘Bell, book and candle, candle, book and bell’/Forward and backward to curse Faustus to __________’ (3.1)
hell
What is Faustus alluding to here: Bell, book and candle, candle, book and bell’/Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell’ (3.1)?
The ceremony of excommunication
How does Marlowe show Faustus’s attitude towards idea of excommunication: Bell, book and candle, candle, book and bell’/Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell’ (3.1)
The rhyming couplet creates creates a simple, upbeat tone suggesting Faustus doesn’t take the threat of excommunication seriously.
How are Faustus’ cheap tricks in 3.1 mirrored in the next scene?
Faustus’ attempts to trick the Pope in 3.1 are similar to how Robin and Rafe in the next scene try to trick the vintner so they don’t have to pay for the wine.
How might the numerous allusions to the classical world have been shaped by Marlowe’s education?
He attended grammar school, a new form of education at the time, where teaching was based on the classical world of ancient Greece and Rome.
Which character from Greek myth is Faustus compared to in the prologue?
Icarus
Why is Faustus compared to the character of Icarus in the prologue?
The prologue conveys that Faustus, like Icarus, will be undone by his desire to blur the line between mortals and Gods.
‘His waxen ___________ did mount above his reach’ (1.1)
wings
Faustus’ opening soliloquy in 1.1 is structured as…
iambic pentameter
Why does Marlowe structure Faustus’ first soliloquy in iambic pentameter?
This is used to present the protagonist as a measured and articulate intellectual.
Why is Faustus described as ‘Not marching in the fields of Trasimene…Nor sporting in the dalliance of love…Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds.’? (1.1)
To depict how Faustus is a different tragic hero - not a brave warrior, nor a great romantic figure, nor a noble or political figure.
Why does Marlowe introduce Faustus in the setting of his study?
To define him as an intellectual, educated figure.
In 1.3 what is the significance of Faustus telling Mephistopheles ‘thou art too ugly to attend on me’?
This conveys that Faustus is too arrogant to understand that Mephistopheles’ grotesque appearance is a warning about the evil he represents.
What does the term ‘anagnorisis’ mean?
The point in a play where the main protagonist discovers another character’s true identity.
Where do we see a point of anagnorisis in the play?
2.3 - where Faustus sees Mephistopheles not as ‘sweet’, but rather as ‘wicked’: ‘when I behold the heavens then I repent and curse thee, wicked Mephistopheles’ (2.3)
In Act 4, the title character mainly uses his magic to…
perform various tricks and illusions.
In Act 4, what does Faustus make appear on the Knight’s head
a pair of horns
In Act 4, why does Faustus make a pair of horns appear on the Knight’s head
Because the Knight has been mocking Faustus and doubting his magic.
What is the significance of Faustus making a pair of horns appear on the Knight’s head in Act 4?
It shows how the protagonist is using magic to for petty grudges, rather than to ‘resolve me of all ambiguities’ as he stated at the start of the play.
In Act 4, Faustus sells a horse to a horse-courser (a horse trader) - what happens to the horse?
It disappears when the horse-courser rides it into water.
What is the significance of the deal that Faustus makes with the horse-courser?
The bogus deal (the horse ultimately disappears when it is taken into water) parallels the foolish bargain that Faustus has struck with Lucifer.
Act 5 begins by Wagner informing the audience that Faustus has been behaving strangely by…
giving away all his possessions
How does the play’s final act return to the motif of food and gluttony?
Wagner explains how, despite Faustus’ impending doom, he continues to ‘banquet’ and indulge in ‘belly cheer’.
In Act 5, an Old Man appears to Faustus - what does he symbolise?
A final chance at repentance
What is the repeated structure that Marlowe uses in the play to show Faustus’ indecision between necromancy and repentance?
Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain
Where in the play do we see the ‘Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain’ structure being used by Marlowe?
This is most obviously shown in 2.1, 2.3 and 5.1
How does Marlowe use the ‘Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain’ structure in 5.1?
DOUBT - The Old Man pushes Faustus to repent PERSUASION - Faustus is threatened by Mephistopheles. RESOLUTION - Faustus reaffirms his vow to Lucifer in blood. GAIN - Faustus takes Helen of Troy as his lover.
How does Marlowe use the ‘Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain’ structure in 2.3
DOUBT - Faustus says, ‘When I behold the heavens, then I repent’. PERSUASION - Mephistopheles persuades Faustus that heaven is not as wonderous as human life. RESOLUTION - Faustus says, ‘I am resolv’d; GAIN - Faustus rewarded with knowledge of the universe. Faustus shall ne’er repent’.
In 5.1, who does Faustus ask to be his paramour?
Helen of Troy
How does the Old Man parallel Faustus?
The Old Man in some ways mirrors Faustus who, after 24 years, is himself an old man. This is because life expectancy at the time was was less than 40 years of age.
‘guide thy steps unto the way of _________’
life
Who tells Faustus he has come to ‘guide thy steps unto the way of life’?
The Old Man
What is the significance of the Old Man telling Faustus he has come to ‘guide thy steps unto the way of life’?
It suggests he can offer Faustus another path that will being him back to God
‘break heart, drop __________ , and mingle it with tears’
blood
What is the significance of the Old Man (in 1.5) telling Faustus that he must ‘break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears’
The triplet of verbs used shows how repentance must be defined by action, not just words.
How is the image of blood (in 5.1) significant?
The Christian audience would see blood as representing Christ’s love for humanity and the promise of eternal life.
In 5.1, rather than ‘drop[ping] blood’ as the Old Man instructs, what does Faustus do?
He reaffirms his contract to Lucifer in blood
What does Mephistopheles pass Faustus in 5.1?
a dagger
In 5.1, why does Mephistopheles pass Faustus a dagger?
Mephistopheles hopes Faustus will kill himself and therefore move beyond hope of salvation. The audience would have seen suicide as the ultimate sin, believing God decides when a life comes to an end
‘Revolt, or I’ll piecemeal tear thy ______________’
flesh
How is Mephistopheles different in 5.1, compared to earlier on in the play?
Mephistopheles threatens and manipulates Faustus to ensure is damnation, whereas previously he tried to warn him.
What connects the following quotations: ‘Fairer than the evening air’ ‘Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter’ ‘More lovely than the monarch of the sky’?
Marlowe uses a series of comparative adjectives to present Helen of Troy’s beauty as being beyond compare.
Marlowe presents Helen of Troy as having an incomparable beauty. However, he also links her to language of…
destruction
When describing Helen of Troy, Faustus refers to a ‘thousand ships’ and ‘the topless towers of Ilium’. How does this present her?
This links Helen to ideas of destruction - ‘thousand ships’ were Greek warships launched to destroy the city of Troy and ‘the topless towers of Ilium’ were burned because of Helen.
flaming Jupiter/when he appeared to hapless ________’
Semele
Who is ‘Semele’?
A figure from Greek myth who was destroyed when she asked to see Jupiter’s brilliance
‘her lips suck forth my ___________’
soul
Who is Faustus referring to when he says, ‘her lips suck forth my soul’
Helen of Troy
What is the significance of Faustus describing how ‘her [Helen’s] lips suck forth my soul’
Faustus seems to realise that Helen will cause his damnation, but he is so consumed by lustful desires he’s incapable of thinking about anything else.
How might Faustus’ blasphemy link to Marlowe himself?
Marlowe was accused by another playwright, Thomas Kyd, of expressing radical atheist views, such as declaring that ‘Christ was a bastard’
Which other scene does Act 5, Scene 2 mirror?
Act One, Scene 1
In what ways does the final scene (Act 5, Scene 2) mirror the play’s opening scene (Act 1, Scene 1)?
a. The setting is the same - Faustus’ study. b. Faustus speaks in soliolquy c. Faustus considers then rejects various options
Why does Marlowe mirror the final scene (Act 5, Scene 2) with the play’s opening scene (Act 1, Scene 1)?
To show Faustus’ tragic fall; he has gone from being an esteemed scholar at the start of the play, to a desperate and hopeless man by the end.
What connects the following quotations from the play’s final scene? - ‘Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven’ - ‘Mountains and hills, come, come and fall on me’ - ‘Now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist’
They are all imperatives
Why does Marlowe have Faustus use a range of imperatives (e.g. ‘Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven’) in the final scene?
To show Faustus’ helplessness as he can exert no control over the universe by this point.
How is Faustus presented in the final scene of the play?
As desperate and panicked
How does Marlowe break up the rhythm of Marlowe’s final soliloquy?
a. uneven line length b. uneven metre, e.g. lines with an extra syllable c. multiple mid-line pauses (caesuras)
How and why does Marlowe manipulate the passing of time in Faustus’ final soliloquy?
There are 30 lines up to the clock striking half-hour, but then only 19 lines until the hour begins to strike. This is to create the impression of time speeding up - presenting Faustus, again, as being powerless.
What is the final line of the play?
‘I’ll burn my books’
‘I’ll burn my ______________’
books
What is the significance of the play’s final line - ‘I’ll burn my books’
His books, representing the Renaissance search for knowledge, are ultimately shown to be incompatible with Medieval Christian values.
‘___________ his hellish fall’
Regard
What is the significance of the audience being instructed in the epilogue to ‘Regard his hellish fall’?
It conveys how the play is intended to be a cautionary tale
‘Cut is the ___________ that might have grown full straight’
branch
In the epilogue, why does Marlowe metaphorically compare Faustus to a tree - ‘Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight’
To show how Faustus’ desire for Godly power was unnatural and led to his vast potential being wasted.
What was The Bishop’s Ban?
An order signed in 1599 to band a number of literary works that were deemed unpatriotic or unholy.
What was the name of the legal order given in 1599 to ban a number of literary works that were seen as unpatriotic or unholy?
The Bishop’s Ban
Why might Marlowe have chosen to end the play on a cautionary note, warning about the dangers of overreaching?
Plays at the time were being censored or banned if they were seen as unholy or unpatriotic (The Bishop’s Ban - 1599)
What is an ‘Everyman’?
An Everyman is a stock character (often from morality plays) used to represent human society in general.
How is Faustus initially depicted as an Everyman?
He comes from humble beginnings, as his parents are described as ‘base of stock’; he is also described in the prologue as not being a great soldier, romantic or noble figure.
