Doctor Faustus Group at eNotes

In Dr. Faustus we find: Ambition extended to greed, sin extended to...

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 14:27:49 PST

In Dr. Faustus we find: Ambition extended to greed, sin extended to infernal and eternal damnation, and the wicked nature of man under the effects of power. His actions denote a man who is too big for himself but, at the same time, too small for the whole wide world. Although he is superbly intelligent, he cannot use common sense to fix his problems. Although he is a professor and an academic leader, he lacks the gumption and creativity to...

List three themes from Doctor Faustus. What do his actions reveal about...

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:48:01 PST

List three themes from Doctor Faustus. What do his actions reveal about his character?

As in Oedipus Rex, king Oedipus is in a state of choosing between fate...

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:10:23 PST

As in Oedipus Rex, king Oedipus is in a state of choosing between fate & freewill, in Doctor Faustus also, Faustus has his own choice. Though he is seemingly captivated by Lucifer, yet Mephistopheles many a times warns him against a sinful life by describing the terrible outcomes that Faustus has to face in Hell. He utters that where there is a sinful, devilish mind, there is Hell, meaning that Hell is an inner state. This statement of...

The Chorus in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, the inspiration for Goethe's Faust...

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:10:04 PST

The Chorus in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, the inspiration for Goethe's Faust Parts I & II, serves two purposes. First, it is transitional and, second, it is expository. The first purpose of the Chorus is to provide transitions into and/or out of elements of the play, reminiscent of Greek Choruses.The second purpose is to provide enlightenment into Dr. Faustus's behavior and character in addition to giving the audience information that Faustus...

What is the function of the chorus in in Doctor Faustus?

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:53:02 PST

What is the function of the chorus in in Doctor Faustus?

Christopher Marlowe's Faustus mirrors itself as a study of ambition and...

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:15:52 PST

Christopher Marlowe's Faustus mirrors itself as a study of ambition and despair. In the beginning of the story, Marlow presents his protagonist in all airs of sad self grandiosity. The story begins with Faustus expressing his huge ambitions, his vision of the present and future, and his plans to attempt a form of complete domination. Sadly, as the beginning Choir predicts, we already know that he is going to set himself for failure, but still...

In many ways, Faustus' overriding sense of ambition leads to his...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:29:34 PST

In many ways, Faustus' overriding sense of ambition leads to his despair. The idea of appropriating the world in accordance to one's own subjectivity creates an infinitely regressive cycle of subsuming vistas and horizons. This leads to despair as there is little in way of contentment, or the ability to simply "tarry for a moment." Faustus' pact with the devil that he would be able to represent the zenith of appropriation or control...

Discuss Dr. Faustus as a study of ambition and despair.

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:45:42 PST

Discuss Dr. Faustus as a study of ambition and despair.

In the ancient drama , pratogonist was presented at the beginning of...

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:34:45 PST

In the ancient drama , pratogonist was presented at the beginning of the play initially as noble and hero with high sipirit talents one is superior to society and in extraordinary unusual situations. So mediaval drama on the course of precedeing further, directly inherits many of this fundamental characteristics and therefore many parts are seem to be survived from greek tragedy on development. But Christopher Marlowe brings us a new...

One of the most important themes in Marlowe's play is based on an...

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 12:42:42 PST

One of the most important themes in Marlowe's play is based on an anonymous quote that I often use with my students. "One should never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate." Doctor Faustus like Tom Walker in Irving's short story and other "deal-with-the-devil" works sees only what is in front of him and the opportunity at hand. He knows that there will be long-term consequences, but he cannot get past what he will have...

What are the important themes?

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 11:51:29 PST

What are the important themes?

what is the importance of low comedy scenes in doctor faustus?

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 02:16:17 PST

what is the importance of low comedy scenes in doctor faustus?

As the Thomas Mann novel demonstrates Dr. Faust is but a name label. Is...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:23:23 PST

As the Thomas Mann novel demonstrates Dr. Faust is but a name label. Is not Faust more then a name? Is not a Faust, Faustian in this world whether called Adrian Leverkuhn or "by any other name"? What then are the most differentiating characteristics of this 'type' of person? From another angle, because Faust is an archetype more then a real and specific person why is Faust not 'Every man and woman' living in the 21st century?

One of the overriding themes of Marlowe's work is the inherent danger in...

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 07:12:47 PST

One of the overriding themes of Marlowe's work is the inherent danger in appropriating the world in accordance to one's own subjectivity. The element of Faustus making a pact with the devil in order to maximize his own sense of power on Earth heightens this. Faustus makes this agreement not out of a noble sensibility, or out of a mission driven by benevolence to others, but rather does so in the hopes of controlling more of the world in...

What is the theme of Dr. Faustus?

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 11:51:46 PST

What is the theme of Dr. Faustus?

Part of the reason that Marlowe's Faustus is tragic is due to our own...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 04:26:52 PST

Part of the reason that Marlowe's Faustus is tragic is due to our own susceptibilities and foibles that would compel us to do the same. This is to say that Faustuts' tragic flaw was his greed. Simply put, he believed that "greed is good." His faith in greed, and acquiring knowledge and power through science, is something that ends up moving him to sell his soul and causing eternal damnation. This is tragic because it represents the...

Critically examine how "Doctor Faustus" attempts to depart from a comedy...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:07:21 PST

Critically examine how "Doctor Faustus" attempts to depart from a comedy of evil to become a tragedy of human heroism.

The character of Doctor Faustus certainly coincides well with the tragic...

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:24:29 PST

The character of Doctor Faustus certainly coincides well with the tragic flaw theory of character development. From the opening lines, the reader already gets a sense that Faustus has an insatiable desire to attain knowledge which will confer power on him. His desire for this knowledge, particularly his view that he is entitled to it, is his tragic flaw. As his character develops, the reader is meant to understand the corruption that...

The dramatisation of the Faust story by Marlowe in Dr.Faustus is to show...

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 05:16:36 PST

The dramatisation of the Faust story by Marlowe in Dr.Faustus is to show man's inordinate craving for power & knowledge. Faustus, an exemplary scholar, strikes a deal with Devil for twenty-four years of all voluptuousness and supreme power, on termination of which his soul would be taken away to hell. Faustus embraces the study of necromancy to gather power through the conquest of the whole world of knowledge. All the major plays of...

If I were Dr. Faustus. Comment?

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 04:34:00 PST

why dr faustus neglect all other fields and chose magic?