"There is no better introduction to the ambitions and contradictions of the English Renaissance than Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe's remarkable tragedy of intellectual overreaching. Marlowe's play tells the story of Faustus, a famous medieval German scholar. Bored by all the disciplines he has mastered, he turns to magic, ultimately summoning the demon Mephistopheles, who arranges for Faustus to make a deal with the Devil: Faustus's soul in...

"Doctor Faustus is a classic; its imaginative boldness and vertiginous ironies have fascinated readers and playgoers alike. But the fact that this play exists in two early versions, printed in 1604 and 1616, has posed formidable problems for critics. How much of either version was written by Marlowe, and which is the more authentic? Is the play orthodox or radically interrogative?" "Michael Keefer's early work helped to establish the current consensus...

Dr. Faustus is one of the jewels of early modern English drama, and is still widely performed today. Interestingly, the play has come down to the contemporary audience in two distinct versions that have become known as the "A" and the "B" texts. David Bevington and Eric Rasmussen, who edited the original Revels edition over twenty years ago, have hit upon the fascinating idea of presenting both texts on facing pages. This allows readers to compare...

Features analysis of the plays most frequently studied in literature classes. Entries include: introduction providing overview of play; brief biography of playwright; plot summary; discussion of play's principal themes; essays on play's construction; and excerpted critical commentary.

Driven by an insatiable thirst for power, Doctor Faustus chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice to become an all-knowing practitioner of traditional and supernatural arts. He enters an agreement with Lucifer, trading his soul for unbridled access to a catalog of mystical spells. Doctor Faustus signs a contract ensuring 24 years of service from the demon Mephastophilis. In exchange, Lucifer will own his soul for all of eternity. Faustus immediately...