•Christopher Marlowe •1564-1593; Cambridge student, spy • poet, influential playwright • language, stage craft • Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta, Edward 2, “Hero and Leander” • Atheism accusations • Dr. Faustus = morality play reworked • Middle ages vs. early modern • Old story; Wittenberg; Icarus • Tragedy • Greek origins • Roman tradition: Seneca (3BC-65AD) • 5 acts, ghosts, revenge • Boccaccio’s De casibus (1360) • Medieval • Early modern / Elizabethan = combination classical, medieval • = chorus content • Add: new freedoms & ambitions • Opening scene: • study • books • Third person • Opening soliloquy: rejection of classical knowledge • philosophy • medicine • law • And Christian: divinity • Selective reading of scripture • Existential decision • Good & bad angels: • psychomachia • 80ff aspirations • Books and technique 118ff • 1.3 conjuring – serious, frightening • Anti-Catholic?? • Friar disguise • Mephostophilis’ answers • Faustus undercut • Ubiquity of hell • Poena sensus vs. poena damni • Faustus’ deal 1.3.90ff • 1.5 theological despair • Portents of blood • Blasphemy • Wife • 2.1: despair, failure of knowledge • Seven deadly sins • medieval tradition • So early modern aspirations vs. medieval mindset • Winner? • Existential problem: • Dr. F defining himself trivially • Can’t escape medievalism • Highpoint = chorus act 3 • Heavenly spheres and primum mobile • Travel descriptions • Pope & Bruno • Invisibility charm: blessing? • England vs. Rome: • Lollards • Power over monarch • Slapstick? • 4.2 emperor’s court • magic tricks • horns • 4.3.70ff body as prison • 4.5 trick with horse courser • 4.7 duke’s palace • Silencing of enemies • 5.1 Helen of Troy vs. Old Man • Despair vs. redemption • Helen 95ff

• Problems of transvestite theatre • 5.2.40ff pride and despair • 85ff Meph. on bible • Good and bad angels return • Hell mouth • Final speech • collapsed time • classical quotation and ideas • Christ’s blood • final words • Chorus • Books through play • “subplot” • parody • Overview of play • As tragedy • narrative of fall • flawed character (hamartia) • catharsis (pity and fear) • anagnorisis • pathos (violence) • As morality play • Dr. F as Everyman? • warning against aspiration? • Christian orthodoxy? • As early modern manifesto • risk damnation for self-actualization