The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus : From the Quarto of 1616

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marlowe, Christopher, 1564-1593

Contributor:

Dyce, Alexander, 1798-1869

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" by Christopher Marlowe is a play that delves into themes of ambition, knowledge, and the consequences of a pact with the devil, written in the late 16th century. The narrative centers around Dr. Faustus, a highly educated scholar who becomes disillusioned with the limitations of traditional forms of knowledge and ultimately decides to pursue necromancy, aiming to gain power and knowledge beyond human constraints. The opening of the play introduces Dr. Faustus, who is initially portrayed as an ambitious intellectual dissatisfied with the bounds of human knowledge. He weighs his options among various fields-ranging from medicine to theology-before ultimately succumbing to the allure of magic. Faustus seeks to summon Mephistophilis, a servant of the devil, to make a pact that could grant him immense power and earthly pleasures, disregarding the spiritual ramifications. This commentary on the human desire for greater understanding sets the stage for Faustus's tragic trajectory, as he navigates contrasts between good and evil influences, pondering the implications of his choices even as he moves closer to his fateful deal with Lucifer. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Gary R. L. Young, and David Widger

Notes:

See also PG#779 from the Quarto of 1604

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Faustus_(play)

Reading ease score: 84.3 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 1997-02-01