Excerpt

Excerpt from The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe

 CHORUS. Not marching now in fields of Thrasymene,<br />
 Where Mars did mate[1] the Carthaginians;<br />
 Nor sporting in the dalliance of love,<br />
 In courts of kings where state is overturn'd;<br />
 Nor in the pomp of proud audacious deeds,<br />
 Intends our Muse to vaunt[2] her[3] heavenly verse:<br />
 Only this, gentlemen,--we must perform<br />
 The form of Faustus' fortunes, good or bad:<br />
 To patient judgments we appeal our plaud,<br />
 And speak for Faustus in his infancy.<br />
 Now is he born, his parents base of stock,<br />
 In Germany, within a town call'd Rhodes:<br />
 Of riper years, to Wertenberg he went,<br />
 Whereas[4] his kinsmen chiefly brought him up.<br />
 So soon he profits in divinity,<br />
 The fruitful plot of scholarism grac'd,<br />
 That shortly he was grac'd with doctor's name,<br />
 Excelling all whose sweet delight disputes<br />
 In heavenly matters of theology;<br />
 Till swoln with cunning,[5] of a self-conceit,<br />
 His waxen wings did mount above his reach,<br />
 And, melting, heavens conspir'd his overthrow;<br />
 For, falling to a devilish exercise,<br />
 And glutted now[6] with learning's golden gifts,<br />
 He surfeits upon cursed necromancy;<br />
 Nothing so sweet as magic is to him,<br />
 Which he prefers before his chiefest bliss:<br />
 And this the man that in his study sits.<br />
      [Exit.]

      FAUSTUS discovered in his study.[7]

 FAUSTUS. Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin<br />
 To sound the depth of that thou wilt profess:<br />
 Having commenc'd, be a divine in shew,<br />
 Yet level at the end of every art,<br />
 And live and die in Aristotle's works.<br />
 Sweet Analytics, 'tis thou[8] hast ravish'd me!<br />
 Bene disserere est finis logices.<br />
 Is, to dispute well, logic's chiefest end?<br />
 Affords this art no greater miracle?<br />
 Then read no more; thou hast attain'd that[9] end:<br />
 A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit:<br />
 Bid Economy[10] farewell, and[11] Galen come,<br />
 Seeing, Ubi desinit philosophus, ibi incipit medicus:<br />
 Be a physician, Faustus; heap up gold,<br />
 And be eterniz'd for some wondrous cure:<br />
 Summum bonum medicinae sanitas,<br />
 The end of physic is our body's health.<br />
 Why, Faustus, hast thou not attain'd that end?<br />
 Is not thy common talk found aphorisms?<br />
 Are not thy bills hung up as monuments,<br />
 Whereby whole cities have escap'd the plague,<br />
 And thousand desperate maladies been eas'd?<br />
 Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man.<br />
 Couldst[12] thou make men[13] to live eternally,<br />
 Or, being dead, raise them to life again,<br />
 Then this profession were to be esteem'd.<br />
 Physic, farewell!  Where is Justinian?

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

1. Context of the Play

Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus (c. 1592) is a Renaissance tragedy based on the German legend of Faustus, a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for forbidden knowledge and power. The play reflects humanist ideals (the pursuit of knowledge, individualism, and ambition) while also critiquing overreaching ambition and the dangers of rejecting divine wisdom.

The Chorus (a classical Greek theatrical device) introduces the story, framing Faustus’s life as a tragic fall—similar to Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with waxen wings and fell. The opening soliloquy reveals Faustus’s intellectual restlessness and his rejection of traditional scholarship in favor of magic (necromancy).

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2. Breakdown of the Excerpt

A. The Chorus’s Introduction (Lines 1–20)

The Chorus sets the stage by contrasting Faustus’s story with epic or romantic themes (war, love, royal intrigue) and instead focuses on his intellectual and moral downfall.

• "Not marching now in fields of Thrasymene…" → Rejects epic warfare (Thrasymene refers to Hannibal’s defeat of the Romans in 217 BC).
• "Nor sporting in the dalliance of love…" → Rejects romantic or courtly drama.
• "Only this, gentlemen… we must perform / The form of Faustus' fortunes, good or bad" → The play will be a tragedy of intellect, not action or passion.
• "To patient judgments we appeal our plaud" → Asks the audience to judge Faustus’s choices (a key theme: free will vs. divine judgment).
• "Now is he born, his parents base of stock" → Faustus is not noble by birth, but his intellect elevates him (a Renaissance humanist ideal).
• "So soon he profits in divinity… / Till swoln with cunning, of a self-conceit, / His waxen wings did mount above his reach" → Icarus allusion:
  • Faustus’s pride (hubris) leads him to overreach (like Icarus flying too high).
  • "Melting, heavens conspir’d his overthrow" → His fall is inevitable, foreshadowing his damnation.
• "Glutted now with learning’s golden gifts, / He surfeits upon cursed necromancy" → His insatiable hunger for knowledge leads him to black magic, rejecting God’s wisdom.

Key Themes Here:

• Intellectual Pride (Hubris) – Faustus’s ambition exceeds human limits.
• The Danger of Forbidden Knowledge – Magic is framed as a corruption of divine learning.
• Tragic Inevitability – The Chorus presents his fall as preordained, yet Faustus still has free will (a central tension in the play).

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B. Faustus’s Soliloquy (Lines 21–End)

Faustus, alone in his study, debates his scholarly pursuits, rejecting each in favor of magic.

1. Rejection of Logic (Aristotelian Philosophy)

   • "Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin / To sound the depth of that thou wilt profess" → He seeks mastery of a field.
   • "Sweet Analytics, ’tis thou hast ravish’d me!" → He is enchanted by logic (Aristotle’s Analytics).
   • "Is, to dispute well, logic’s chiefest end?" → He finds logic limited—it only teaches argumentation, not power or transcendence.
   • "Then read no more; thou hast attain’d that end" → He abandons logic as insufficient.

2. Rejection of Medicine (Galenic Tradition)

   • "Bid Economy farewell, and Galen come" → Economy (household management) is dismissed; Galen (ancient physician) represents medicine.
   • "Be a physician, Faustus; heap up gold" → Medicine offers wealth and fame, but…
   • "Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man" → Even as a great doctor, he remains mortal and limited.
   • "Couldst thou make men to live eternally… / Then this profession were to be esteem’d" → He wants godlike power (immortality, resurrection), which medicine cannot provide.

3. Implied Rejection of Law (Next in the Full Text)

   • The soliloquy continues (not fully shown here) with Faustus dismissing law (Justinian’s codes) as "a petty case of paltry legacies"—too mundane for his ambitions.

4. Turn to Magic (Necromancy)

   • The full soliloquy (not fully quoted here) ends with Faustus declaring:

     "Philosophy is odious and obscure, / Both law and physic are for petty wits; / Divinity is basest of the three… / A sound magician is a mighty god!"

   • He rejects all traditional learning in favor of magic, which promises omnipotence.

Key Themes Here:

• The Limits of Human Knowledge – Faustus finds philosophy, medicine, and law insufficient because they do not grant divine power.
• The Allure of Forbidden Power – Magic is tempting because it offers what God alone should possess (immortality, control over nature).
• Intellectual Restlessness – Faustus is never satisfied, always seeking the next, greater knowledge—a Renaissance version of the Faustian bargain.

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3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Features

Device	Example	Effect
Allusion	"His waxen wings did mount above his reach" (Icarus)	Foreshadows Faustus’s tragic fall due to hubris.
Metaphor	"Swoln with cunning"	His pride is a disease, inflating him beyond human limits.
Rhetorical Questions	"Is, to dispute well, logic’s chiefest end?"	Shows Faustus’s dissatisfaction with conventional learning.
Latin Quotations	"Bene disserere est finis logices" ("To dispute well is the end of logic")	Reinforces scholarly tone while highlighting intellectual limitations.
Anaphora	"Physic, farewell! Where is Justinian?" (repetition of farewell)	Emphasizes rejection of each field in sequence.
Dramatic Irony	Chorus calls his fall inevitable, but Faustus chooses magic.	Audience knows his doom, but he proceeds anyway.
Soliloquy	Faustus’s internal debate	Reveals his ambition, dissatisfaction, and moral conflict.

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4. Significance of the Passage

1. Faustus as the Renaissance "Overreacher"

   • Represents the Renaissance humanist ideal (man as the center of knowledge) taken to an extreme.
   • His desire for godlike power reflects scientific and philosophical ambitions of the era (e.g., Copernicus, Paracelsus).

2. The Conflict Between Faith and Reason

   • Faustus rejects divinity (theology) in favor of magic, symbolizing the tension between medieval faith and Renaissance secularism.
   • His pride leads him to defy God’s order, a moral warning against intellectual arrogance.

3. Tragic Structure & Free Will

   • The Chorus frames his fate as inevitable, but Faustus actively chooses damnation—raising questions about predestination vs. free will (a major theological debate in Marlowe’s time).

4. Magic as a Metaphor for Forbidden Knowledge

   • Magic stands for any knowledge that challenges divine authority—whether science, heresy, or radical philosophy.
   • Marlowe’s play can be read as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition.

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5. Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This opening establishes Faustus’s tragic flaw—his insatiable ambition and rejection of divine limits. The Chorus’s mythic framing (Icarus) and Faustus’s soliloquy (intellectual restlessness) set up the central conflict: Can human knowledge transcend mortal bounds, or is such ambition inherently damnable?

Marlowe’s play remains relevant because it explores the ethical limits of ambition, a theme that resonates in modern scientific, technological, and philosophical pursuits. Faustus is both a hero of intellectual daring and a warning against overreach—a duality that makes Doctor Faustus enduringly powerful.

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Key Takeaways:

• Faustus’s tragedy is one of intellect, not fate—he chooses damnation.
• Magic symbolizes the ultimate rebellion against divine and natural order.
• Marlowe blends Renaissance humanism with medieval morality, creating a tension between ambition and damnation.
• The Chorus and soliloquy work together to show both destiny and free will in Faustus’s fall.

Would you like a deeper analysis of any specific aspect (e.g., historical context, comparisons to Goethe’s Faust, or religious themes)?