Faustus

Question 1

the phrase carnival popped up a few times whilst looking up critics, basically it’s just a technique of the theatre which is used to make fun of authorities and satirises them. In addition, apparently, Faustus’ “carnivalesque” behaviour goes beyond the theologically licensed bounds, however this is down to the performance given by the actors. To be honest I had no idea what this meant but I suppose you could whack it in an essay to look like you know what you doing!

Answer 1

Performance critics

Question 2

analyses Doctor Faustus with its relations to the power structures and cultural anxieties of the period in mind. There is consistently connections between the play and subversive political thought. Link to New Historicism here.

Answer 2

Shepherd

Question 3

believed there was a sense of individual responsibility and consequences woven into the structure of the play. And that the conflict between Elizabethan, Medieval and Renaissance was ever present and forced individuals to take full responsibility.

Answer 3

Geckle

Question 4

the play refuses a single point of view and makes us think about the spectrum of religion and good and evil. Link to Deconstructionism.

Answer 4

Belsey