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Matt's 2024 B Block > Doctor Faustus - Full Deck Flashcards > Flashcards

Doctor Faustus - Full Deck Flashcards

Drama Revision

1
Q

What convention of Greek tragedy does the play open with?

A

A Chorus

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2
Q

The Chorus establishes Doctor Faustus as what type of figure?

A

An Everyman

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3
Q

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)

A

Repetition/Listing

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4
Q

What is the significance of Faustus being described as ‘base of stock’ in the prologue?

A

It introduces him as an Everyman, a stock character of morality plays.

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5
Q

How is conventional theological knowledge presented through these quotations - ‘fruitful plot of scholarism’…‘sweet delight disputes’?

A

Conventional knowledge is presented as nourishing and enriching.

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6
Q

Which real life university did Faustus attend?

A

Wittenberg

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7
Q

What religious event is connected with Wittenberg University?

A

The Protestant Reformation of 1517. Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of a church in the city.

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8
Q

Which radical professor of moral theology is associated with Wittenberg University?

A

Martin Luther

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9
Q

What did Martin Luther criticise?

A

The corruption of the Catholic Church

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10
Q

What dramatical device is used by playwriters to convey a character’s thoughts on stage?

A

Soliloquy

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11
Q

Why does Marlowe have Faustus repeat the word end (‘Is to dispute well, logic’s chiefest end’…’ thou hast attain’d that end’) when contemplating traditional knowledge?

A

To convey that he sees traditional Medieval disciplines as finite.

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12
Q

What does Renaissance mean?

A

Re-birth

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13
Q

The Renaissance questioned beliefs and disciplines from which time period?

A

Medieval

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14
Q

What does omnipotence mean?

A

All powerful

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15
Q

‘Necromantic books are _________’ (1.1)

A

Heavenly

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16
Q

What technique is used in the line ‘Necromantic books are heavenly’

A

Oxymoron - this conveys how Faustus sees necromancy as a path to gaining God-like power.

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17
Q

‘O, what a world of __________ and delight’ (1.1)

A

Profit

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18
Q

What is the effect of the listing: ‘what a world of profit and delight, of power, of honour, of omnipotence’?

A

This conveys how Faustus sees necromancy, unlike traditional knowledge, as being infinite and full of possibilities.

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19
Q

‘A sound magician is a mighty _______’ (1.1)

A

God

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20
Q

‘Here, Faustus, try thy brain to gain a ________’

A

Deity

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21
Q

Which historical figure of Elizabeth I’s court is the character of Faustus apparently somewhat based on?

A

Dr John Dee

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22
Q

How does the good angel present God when he warns Faustus to not ‘heap God’s heavy wrath upon thy head!’ (1.1)

A

Marlowe uses personification to present God’s judgement as a real and weighty force.

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23
Q

How does the evil angel try to persuade Faustus when he promises that he can ‘be thou on earth as Jove is in the sky’

A

The evil angel tries to tempt Faustus with the promised of God like power (Jove was the king of the Gods))

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24
Q

The Good and Evil Angels are stock characters from what type of plays?

A

Morality

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25
Q

Who wrote the pamphlet ‘Daemonologie’ and what was it about?

A

King James I - the pamphlet was a warning about the dangers of black magic.

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26
Q

What does Faustus ask Mephistopheles to change to upon first seeing him?

A

An old Franciscan friar

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27
Q

Although Faustus thinks he has summoned him, what is the real reason Mephistopheles appears?

A

Mephistopheles says he has appeared simply because he has heard Faustus ‘rack the name of God’ and ‘abjure the scriptures’. This shows Faustus is not as powerful as he believes.

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28
Q

What is the significance of Faustus calling Mephistopheles ‘pliant’ (1.3)

A

Faustus mocks Mephistopheles as being easily manipulated, conveying the title character’s hubris.

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29
Q

‘I see there’s virtue in my __________ words.’ (1.3)

A

Heavenly

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30
Q

What does hubristic mean?

A

Arrogant or excessively proud

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31
Q

‘Four and twenty years…live in all _________________’ (1.3)

A

Voluptuousness

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32
Q

‘And are forever __________ with Lucifer.’ (1.3)

A

Damned

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33
Q

What is significant about Mephistopheles telling Faustus - ‘leave these frivolous demands.’ (1.3)

A

Mephistopheles, a spirit working for Lucifer, seems to better understand the sacred nature of a soul than Faustus.

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34
Q

Faustus says to Mephistopheles ‘thou art too ugly to attend on thee’…but what is the symbolic importance of Mephistopheles’ grotesque appearance?

A

Mephistopheles’ grotesque appearance is used by Marlowe to symbolise the evil he represents - a warning that hubristic Faustus doesn’t heed.

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35
Q

What is significant about Faustus telling Mephistopheles: ‘Go, and return an old Franciscan friar/That holy shape becomes a devil best’ indicate?

A

This shows both Faustus’ hubris, failing to understand the gravity of his situation, as well as underling the play’s anti-Catholic agenda.

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36
Q

What event occurred in 1588 that helped fuel Anti-Catholic sentiment?

A

The Spanish Armada

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37
Q

What are the minor characters of Wagner and Robin meant to embody?

A

Faustus’ flaws. Wagner represents Faustus’ longing for power and Robin symbolises the way that Faustus is driven by lust.

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38
Q

Robin says that he wants to use magic to ‘tickle the pretty wenches’ plackets’ (1.4) - how does this mirror Faustus’ sinful desires?

A

As soon as he signs the blood pact, Faustus asks for ‘ the fairest maid in Germany’ (2.1)

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39
Q

How does Wagner telling Robin ‘Call me Master Wagner’ (1.4), mirror aspects of Faustus’ hubris?

A

Wagner’s hubris and desire for power mirrors Faustus referring to himself as ‘conjurer laureate’ in 1.3 when Mephistopheles appears.

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40
Q

How is Mephistopheles different in 2:1 to 1:3?

A

He tries to trick and deceive Faustus into signing the contract, rather than warning him.

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41
Q

‘My blood __________, and I can write no more.’ (2.1)

A

Congeals

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42
Q

What is the significance of the Latin phrase ‘Consummatum est’ (it is finished) that Faustus utters when he signs the contract? (2.1)

A

These are the last words of Christ on the cross. Faustus quoting this conveys his easy blasphemy.

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43
Q

Which character does Faustus mirror through his request for ‘the fairest maid in Germany’?

A

Robin - who wants to use magic to satisfy his base desires - ‘tickle the pretty wenches’ plackets’ (1.4)

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44
Q

What did Calvinists believe?

A

Predestination - God decides if you go to heaven or hell when you are born

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45
Q

What did Lutherans believe?

A

The fate of your soul was determined by your actions on earth.

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46
Q

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?

A

Calvinism

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47
Q

In 2.1, Mephistopheles promises Faustus that he will be as great as Lucifer’ - how does this contrast earlier in the play?

A

In 1.3, Mephistopheles tells Faustus that he will only gain the power that Lucifer allows - ‘No more than he commands must we perform’.

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48
Q

‘(Aside) O, what will not I do to __________ his soul?’ (2.1)

A

Obtain

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49
Q

‘(Aside) I’ll fetch him somewhat to ___________ his mind’ (2.1)

A

Delight

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50
Q

‘When I behold the heavens, then I ___________ /And curse thee wicked Mephistopheles’ (2.3)

A

Repent

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51
Q

‘Ay, but Faustus shall never __________’ (2.3)

A

Repent

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52
Q

What is significant about Faustus saying in 2.3 ‘My heart’s so hardened I cannot repent’.’ (2.3)

A

Marlowe uses this metaphor to convey how Faustus feels his very soul has become corrupted, meaning he is incapable of gaining forgiveness.

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53
Q

‘I am resolved, Faustus shall ________ repent.’

A

Ne’er

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54
Q

‘Think thou on hell, Faustus, for thou art ____________.’ (2.3)

A

Damned

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55
Q

‘_________ too late, if Faustus can repent.’ (2.3)

A

Never

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56
Q

‘If thou repent, _________ shall tear thee in pieces.’ (2.3)

A

Devils

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57
Q

Why does Lucifer shows Faustus the Seven Deadly Sins?

A

To distract him from the thought of repentance.

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58
Q

What does Faustus say at the end of 2.3 that links to the motif of food and gluttony?

A

After watching the performance of the seven deadly sins, Faustus says ‘O, this feeds my soul!’ Marlowe conveys how Faustus’s appetite for pleasure can only be satisfied by sin.

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59
Q

What biographical context might you link to Marlowe’s inclusion of so many figures from the classical world such as Homer and Alexander?

A

He would likely have attended grammar school.

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60
Q

Why does Marlowe connect the character of Faustus to Martin Luther?

A

To link Faustus to ideas of theology and present him as a radical figure.

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61
Q

In his opening soliloquy, Marlowe has Faustus repeat the word ‘end’ - why?

A

To convey how the title character believes he has reached the ‘end’ of what he can learn from the four medieval disciplines.

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62
Q

The play is set during the time of The Renaissance - this was a ‘re-birth’ of….?

A

Intellectual curiosity and questioning

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63
Q

In what way might Faustus have been influenced by the real life figure of Dr John Dee?

A

Dee, like Faustus, turned away from conventional knowledge as the court astronomer of Elizabeth I. Instead, he pursued other forms of darker, forbidden knowledge.

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64
Q

How does the play reflect societal attitudes towards witchcraft and the supernatural?

A

People were both fearful of, and fascinated by, witchcraft and the supernatural; this era was often known as the time of ‘satanic panic’

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65
Q

Faustus’ incantation in 1.3 to try and summon Mephistopheles is in Latin, why?

A

Latin was the language of Catholic mass. Marlowe therefore presents this ceremony as being like Faustus’ spells - foolish and unholy.

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66
Q

What is the significance of Mephistopheles speaking in asides in 2.1?

A

This presents Mephistopheles as a more deceitful character, contrasting his earlier openness and transparency.

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67
Q

In 2.3, Faustus says ‘when I behold the heavens then I repent and curse thee __________ Mephistopheles’

A

wicked

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68
Q

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)

A

He had previously called him ‘sweet Mephistopheles’, showing how their relationship has changed during this time.

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69
Q

What was the name of the Renaissance philosophy which placed ‘man as the measure of all things’?

A

Humanism

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70
Q

What was Humanism?

A

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.

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71
Q

What technique is used here ‘necromantic books are heavenly’? (1.1)

A

Oxymoron/juxtaposition

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72
Q

What is the significance of Faustus declaring ‘necromantic books are heavenly’? (1.1)

A

Faustus seems to take delight in blaspheming, failing to understand the consequences of his profane attitude.

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73
Q

As 3.1 begins, we learn that Faustus has been realising his ambitions to gather knowledge of….

A

the universe

74
Q

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….

A

The inquisitive Renaissance period

75
Q

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…?

A

Mephistopheles

76
Q

The play’s comic scenes generally serve two main purposes- what are they?

A
  1. 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.
77
Q

3.1 is generally used to mock and critique which group of people?

A

The Catholic church

78
Q

What is the correct term for the court of the pope?

A

The papal court

79
Q

What does the word ‘excommunicated’ mean?

A

To be cut-off or excluded (from a holy organisation)

80
Q

In what year was Elizabeth I excommunicated from the Catholic church?

A

1570

81
Q

What were ‘Indulgences’ ?

A

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.

82
Q

Faustus challenges the authority and truth of the church - how could this be linked to the the scientist Galileo?

A

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.

83
Q

'’bald pate friars/Whose ________ / ____________ is in belly cheer’ (3.1)

A

summun bonnum

84
Q

What does ‘summun bonnum’ mean? (3.1)

A

greatest good

85
Q

What does Mephistopheles mean when he says that the Catholic’s friar’s ‘summun bonnum is in belly cheer’ (3.1)

A

He is suggesting that their greatest good is in satisfying their own greedy appetites.

86
Q

Why does Mephistopheles refer to the ‘bald pate’ friars? (3.1)

A

To mock their appearance and, by extension, their religious views.

87
Q

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’

A

It conveys the corruption of the Catholic church, as the good favour of the Pope can seemingly be brought through bribery.

88
Q

In 3.1, how is Faustus presented as a different character compared to the renowned scholar that was introduced in the prologue?

A

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.

89
Q

‘Bell, book and candle, candle, book and bell’/Forward and backward to curse Faustus to __________’ (3.1)

A

hell

90
Q

What is Faustus alluding to here: Bell, book and candle, candle, book and bell’/Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell’ (3.1)?

A

The ceremony of excommunication

91
Q

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)

A

The rhyming couplet creates creates a simple, upbeat tone suggesting Faustus doesn’t take the threat of excommunication seriously.

92
Q

How are Faustus’ cheap tricks in 3.1 mirrored in the next scene?

A

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.

93
Q

How might the numerous allusions to the classical world have been shaped by Marlowe’s education?

A

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.

94
Q

Which character from Greek myth is Faustus compared to in the prologue?

A

Icarus

95
Q

Why is Faustus compared to the character of Icarus in the prologue?

A

The prologue conveys that Faustus, like Icarus, will be undone by his desire to blur the line between mortals and Gods.

96
Q

‘His waxen ___________ did mount above his reach’ (1.1)

A

wings

97
Q

Faustus’ opening soliloquy in 1.1 is structured as…

A

iambic pentameter

98
Q

Why does Marlowe structure Faustus’ first soliloquy in iambic pentameter?

A

This is used to present the protagonist as a measured and articulate intellectual.

99
Q

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)

A

To depict how Faustus is a different tragic hero - not a brave warrior, nor a great romantic figure, nor a noble or political figure.

100
Q

Why does Marlowe introduce Faustus in the setting of his study?

A

To define him as an intellectual, educated figure.

101
Q

In 1.3 what is the significance of Faustus telling Mephistopheles ‘thou art too ugly to attend on me’?

A

This conveys that Faustus is too arrogant to understand that Mephistopheles’ grotesque appearance is a warning about the evil he represents.

102
Q

What does the term ‘anagnorisis’ mean?

A

The point in a play where the main protagonist discovers another character’s true identity.

103
Q

Where do we see a point of anagnorisis in the play?

A

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)

104
Q

In Act 4, the title character mainly uses his magic to…

A

perform various tricks and illusions.

105
Q

In Act 4, what does Faustus make appear on the Knight’s head

A

a pair of horns

106
Q

In Act 4, why does Faustus make a pair of horns appear on the Knight’s head

A

Because the Knight has been mocking Faustus and doubting his magic.

107
Q

What is the significance of Faustus making a pair of horns appear on the Knight’s head in Act 4?

A

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.

108
Q

In Act 4, Faustus sells a horse to a horse-courser (a horse trader) - what happens to the horse?

A

It disappears when the horse-courser rides it into water.

109
Q

What is the significance of the deal that Faustus makes with the horse-courser?

A

The bogus deal (the horse ultimately disappears when it is taken into water) parallels the foolish bargain that Faustus has struck with Lucifer.

110
Q

Act 5 begins by Wagner informing the audience that Faustus has been behaving strangely by…

A

giving away all his possessions

111
Q

How does the play’s final act return to the motif of food and gluttony?

A

Wagner explains how, despite Faustus’ impending doom, he continues to ‘banquet’ and indulge in ‘belly cheer’.

112
Q

In Act 5, an Old Man appears to Faustus - what does he symbolise?

A

A final chance at repentance

113
Q

What is the repeated structure that Marlowe uses in the play to show Faustus’ indecision between necromancy and repentance?

A

Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain

114
Q

Where in the play do we see the ‘Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain’ structure being used by Marlowe?

A

This is most obviously shown in 2.3 (twice) and 5.1

115
Q

How does Marlowe use the ‘Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain’ structure in 5.1?

A

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.

116
Q

How does Marlowe use the ‘Doubt - Persuasion - Resolution - Gain’ structure in 2.3

A

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’.

117
Q

In 5.1, who does Faustus ask to be his paramour?

A

Helen of Troy

118
Q

How does the Old Man parallel Faustus?

A

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.

119
Q

‘guide thy steps unto the way of _________’

A

life

120
Q

Who tells Faustus he has come to ‘guide thy steps unto the way of life’?

A

The Old Man

121
Q

What is the significance of the Old Man telling Faustus he has come to ‘guide thy steps unto the way of life’?

A

It suggests he can offer Faustus another path that will being him back to God

122
Q

‘break heart, drop __________ , and mingle it with tears’

A

blood

123
Q

What is the significance of the Old Man (in 5.1) telling Faustus that he must ‘break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears’

A

The triplet of verbs used shows how repentance must be defined by action, not just words.

124
Q

How is the image of blood (in 5.1) significant?

A

The Christian audience would see blood as representing Christ’s love for humanity and the promise of eternal life.

125
Q

In 5.1, rather than ‘drop[ping] blood’ as the Old Man instructs, what does Faustus do?

A

He reaffirms his contract to Lucifer in blood

126
Q

What does Mephistopheles pass Faustus in 5.1?

A

a dagger

127
Q

In 5.1, why does Mephistopheles pass Faustus a dagger?

A

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

128
Q

‘Revolt, or I’ll piecemeal tear thy ______________’

A

flesh

129
Q

How is Mephistopheles different in 5.1, compared to earlier on in the play?

A

Mephistopheles threatens and manipulates Faustus to ensure is damnation, whereas previously he tried to warn him.

130
Q

What connects the following quotations: ‘Fairer than the evening air’ ‘Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter’ ‘More lovely than the monarch of the sky’?

A

Marlowe uses a series of comparative adjectives to present Helen of Troy’s beauty as being beyond compare.

131
Q

Marlowe presents Helen of Troy as having an incomparable beauty. However, he also links her to language of…

A

destruction

132
Q

When describing Helen of Troy, Faustus refers to a ‘thousand ships’ and ‘the topless towers of Ilium’. How does this present her?

A

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.

133
Q

flaming Jupiter/when he appeared to hapless ________’

A

Semele

134
Q

Who is ‘Semele’?

A

A figure from Greek myth who was destroyed when she asked to see Jupiter’s brilliance

135
Q

‘her lips suck forth my ___________’

A

soul

136
Q

Who is Faustus referring to when he says, ‘her lips suck forth my soul’

A

Helen of Troy

137
Q

What is the significance of Faustus describing how ‘her [Helen’s] lips suck forth my soul’

A

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.

138
Q

How might Faustus’ blasphemy link to Marlowe himself?

A

Marlowe was accused by another playwright, Thomas Kyd, of expressing radical atheist views, such as declaring that ‘Christ was a bastard’

139
Q

Which other scene does Act 5, Scene 2 mirror?

A

Act One, Scene 1

140
Q

In what ways does the final scene (Act 5, Scene 2) mirror the play’s opening scene (Act 1, Scene 1)?

A

a. The setting is the same - Faustus’ study. b. Faustus speaks in soliolquy c. Faustus considers then rejects various options

141
Q

Why does Marlowe mirror the final scene (Act 5, Scene 2) with the play’s opening scene (Act 1, Scene 1)?

A

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.

142
Q

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’

A

They are all imperatives

143
Q

Why does Marlowe have Faustus use a range of imperatives (e.g. ‘Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven’) in the final scene?

A

To show Faustus’ helplessness as he can exert no control over the universe by this point.

144
Q

How is Faustus presented in the final scene of the play?

A

As desperate and panicked

145
Q

How does Marlowe break up the rhythm of Marlowe’s final soliloquy?

A

a. uneven line length b. uneven metre, e.g. lines with an extra syllable c. multiple mid-line pauses (caesuras)

146
Q

How and why does Marlowe manipulate the passing of time in Faustus’ final soliloquy?

A

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.

147
Q

What is the final line of the play?

A

‘I’ll burn my books’

148
Q

‘I’ll burn my ______________’

A

books

149
Q

What is the significance of the play’s final line - ‘I’ll burn my books’

A

His books, representing the Renaissance search for knowledge, are ultimately shown to be incompatible with Medieval Christian values.

150
Q

‘___________ his hellish fall’

A

Regard

151
Q

What is the significance of the audience being instructed in the epilogue to ‘Regard his hellish fall’?

A

It conveys how the play is intended to be a cautionary tale

152
Q

‘Cut is the ___________ that might have grown full straight’

A

branch

153
Q

In the epilogue, why does Marlowe metaphorically compare Faustus to a tree - ‘Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight’

A

To show how Faustus’ desire for Godly power was unnatural and led to his vast potential being wasted.

154
Q

What was The Bishop’s Ban?

A

An order signed in 1599 to band a number of literary works that were deemed unpatriotic or unholy.

155
Q

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?

A

The Bishop’s Ban

156
Q

Why might Marlowe have chosen to end the play on a cautionary note, warning about the dangers of overreaching?

A

Plays at the time were being censored or banned if they were seen as unholy or unpatriotic (The Bishop’s Ban - 1599)

157
Q

What is an ‘Everyman’?

A

An Everyman is a stock character (often from morality plays) used to represent human society in general.

158
Q

How is Faustus initially depicted as an Everyman?

A

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.

159
Q

What is significant about the Chorus describing Faustus as ‘excelling all’ and profiting in divinity ‘so soon’?

A

This underlines his status as a prodigious scholar.

160
Q

In 1.4, Wagner jokes that Robin (the clown) would ‘give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton’ - how does this mirror the deal Faustus makes?

A

In the previous scene, Faustus makes a similarly foolish deal, selling his soul for ‘four-and-twenty years [to] live in all voluptuousness’.

161
Q

‘four-and-twenty years [to] live in all ________’

A

voluptuousness

162
Q

What does ‘voluptuousness’ mean, and how is this word significant?

A

voluptuousness = a life dedicated to satisfying the senses. Faustus says in 1.3 that this is how he wants to spend his ‘four-and-twenty years’.

163
Q

In 1.1, Faustus ambitions seem vaguely admirable as he says that he will use magic to ‘resolve me of all ___________’

A

ambiguities

164
Q

How does Mephistopheles try to flatter Faustus in 2.1 - ‘then stab thine arm _________’

A

courageously

165
Q

What is the significance of Mephistopheles telling Faustus to ‘stab thine arm courageously’ (2.1)

A

Mephistopheles tries to flatter Faustus by suggesting that signing the blood pact is a daring and rebellious act.

166
Q

Why does Marlowe choose to introduce Faustus in his study?

A

This is intended to foreground the title character as a learned scholar.

167
Q

Why does Marlowe place one of the main comic scenes (1.4) in the middle of Faustus negotiating the terms of the deal (1.3) and then signing the blood pact (2.1)?

A

The comic scene is intended to structurally parallel the serious action, presenting Faustus as a clownish and foolish character.

168
Q

How are Mephistopheles’ answers to Faustus questions in 2.1 different to those he gives the title character when they first meet in 1.3?

A

Mephistopheles is more evasive in his responses - e.g. his use of a Latin proverb, ‘Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris’ (it is comfort to the wreteched to have companions in misery)

169
Q

What is the significance of the good angel in 1.1 telling Faustus to ‘read, read the scriptures’

A

The good angel urges Faustus to turn back towards God’s teachings and away from the ‘damned book’ of necromancy.

170
Q

How does Faustus respond to the evil angel when he tells the title character, ‘think of honour and wealth’. (2.1)

A

He repeats the evil angel’s words (‘Of wealth’), conveying Faustus’ choice to pursue necromancy.

171
Q

What are the names of the two dominant strands of the Protestant faith that Faustus waivers between in the play?

A

Calvinism and Lutheranism,

172
Q

‘_______under cursed necromancy’

A

surfeits

173
Q

What does the word ‘surfeits’ mean, and where does it appear in the play?

A

‘surfeits’ means to over-indulge. This comes from the prologue (‘surfeits upon cursed necromancy’) and is used to immediately present black magic as sinful and greedy.

174
Q

When initially contemplating necromancy, Faustus says ‘how am I glutted with conceit of this’ - how is this significant?

A

Marlowe’s use of the word ‘glutted’ is intended to convey the idea that Faustus’ necromantic thoughts are greedy and sinful.

175
Q

When the motif of food is first introduced it is connected to traditional knowledge, which is presented as positive and nourishing. What quotations show this?

A

‘fruitful plot of scholarism’

‘sweet delight disputes’

176
Q

How is the motif of food introduced in the prologue, when the chorus refer to ‘the fruitful plot of scholarism’.

A

Initially, the motif of food is connected to traditional knowledge, which is presented as nourishing and enriching.

177
Q

How and why does Marlowe return to the motif of food and gluttony in the play’s penultimate scene?

A

Wagner describes how Faustus continues to ‘banquet and carouse and swill’, even as he reaches the end of his 24 years.

178
Q

Why does Marlowe return to the motif of food and gluttony in 5.1?

A

Wagner describes how Faustus continues to banquet and carouse and swill’ in the penultimate scene,. This suggests the title character has not changed or learnt from his sinful behaviour.

179
Q

How is Robin connected to the motif of food and gluttony?

A

In 1.4, Wagner says that Robin ‘would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton’.

180
Q

What do the good and evil angels represent?

A

They are an external manifestation of Faustus’ inner conflict between redemption and sin.

181
Q
A

Matt's 2024 B Block (5 decks)

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