Excerpt

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

 CHORUS. Not marching in the fields of Thrasymene,<br />
 Where Mars did mate the warlike Carthagens; [1]<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 her [2] heavenly verse:<br />
 Only this, gentles,--we must now perform<br />
 The form of Faustus' fortunes, good or bad:<br />
 And now to patient judgments we appeal,<br />
 And speak for Faustus in his infancy.<br />
 Now is he born of parents base of stock,<br />
 In Germany, within a town call'd Rhodes:<br />
 At riper years, to Wittenberg he went,<br />
 Whereas his kinsmen chiefly brought him up.<br />
 So much he profits in divinity,<br />
 That shortly he was grac'd with doctor's name,<br />
 Excelling all, and sweetly can dispute<br />
 In th' heavenly matters of theology;<br />
 Till swoln with cunning, of [3] 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 with learning's golden gifts,<br />
 He surfeits upon [4] 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.

 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 show,<br />
 Yet level at the end of every art,<br />
 And live and die in Aristotle's works.<br />
 Sweet Analytics, 'tis thou 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 end:<br />
 A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit:<br />
 Bid Economy farewell, and Galen come:<br />
 Be a physician, Faustus; heap up gold,<br />
 And be eterniz'd for some wondrous cure:<br />
 Summum bonum medicinoe sanitas,<br />
 The end of physic is our body's health.<br />
 Why, Faustus, hast thou not attain'd that end?<br />
 Are not thy bills hung up as monuments,<br />
 Whereby whole cities have escap'd the plague,<br />
 And thousand [5] desperate maladies been cur'd?<br />
 Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man.<br />
 Couldst thou make men to live eternally,<br />
 Or, being dead, raise them [6] 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

Context of the Source

Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (c. 1592) is a Renaissance tragedy based on the German legend of Faustus, a scholar who sells his soul to the devil (Mephistopheles) in exchange for forbidden knowledge and power. The play explores themes of ambition, hubris, damnation, and the limits of human intellect, reflecting Renaissance anxieties about the dangers of overreaching intellectual and spiritual boundaries.

The excerpt consists of two parts:

1. The Chorus’s prologue – Introduces Faustus’s origins, rise, and fall.
2. Faustus’s opening soliloquy – Reveals his intellectual dissatisfaction and his turn toward magic.

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Analysis of the Text

1. The Chorus’s Prologue (Lines 1–20)

The Chorus (a common device in Greek and Renaissance drama) sets the stage by rejecting traditional epic themes (war, love, courtly intrigue) in favor of Faustus’s tragic story.

• "Not marching in the fields of Thrasymene…" (Line 1)

  • Allusion to classical history: Thrasymene refers to the Battle of Lake Trasimene (217 BCE), where Hannibal defeated the Romans. The Chorus dismisses war epics (like Virgil’s Aeneid) as unworthy of their "heavenly verse."
  • Purpose: Establishes that Faustus’s story is not about external glory but internal corruption.

• "Nor sporting in the dalliance of love…" (Line 3)

  • Rejects romantic or courtly themes (e.g., Shakespeare’s comedies, Petrarchan love poetry).
  • "Where state is overturn’d": Suggests political intrigue (like Machiavellian schemes), but again, the focus is on Faustus’s personal downfall.

• "Only this, gentles—we must now perform / The form of Faustus' fortunes, good or bad…" (Lines 7–8)

  • Directly addresses the audience ("gentles"), inviting them to judge Faustus’s choices.
  • "Form of Faustus' fortunes": His life’s trajectory, from humble birth to damnation.

• "Now is he born of parents base of stock…" (Line 11)

  • Faustus’s humble origins: Born in Rhodes (Germany), not nobility. His rise is self-made, emphasizing merit over birthright—a Renaissance ideal.
  • "At riper years, to Wittenberg he went": Wittenberg was the university where Martin Luther taught, symbolizing Protestant intellectualism. Faustus’s education is theological, setting up his later rejection of God.

• "So much he profits in divinity…" (Line 15)

  • He excels in theology, the "queen of sciences" in the medieval/Renaissance world.
  • "Sweetly can dispute / In th' heavenly matters of theology": His skill in scholastic debate (like Aquinas or Duns Scotus) is praised—but it is empty rhetoric.

• "Till swoln with cunning, of a self-conceit, / His waxen wings did mount above his reach…" (Lines 19–20)

  • Allusion to Icarus (Greek myth): Icarus flew too close to the sun with wax wings, which melted, causing his fall.
    • Symbolism: Faustus’s intellectual pride (hubris) leads to his downfall.
  • "Devilish exercise" / "cursed necromancy": His turn to black magic (forbidden knowledge) replaces divine study.
  • "He surfeits upon cursed necromancy": "Surfeits" = overindulges; he is gluttonous for power, rejecting God’s limits.

• "And this the man that in his study sits." (Line 20)

  • Dramatic transition: The Chorus exits, and we see Faustus alone, reinforcing his isolation—both physically and spiritually.

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2. Faustus’s Soliloquy (Lines 21–End)

Faustus’s monologue reveals his dissatisfaction with conventional learning and his desire for godlike power.

• "Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin / To sound the depth of that thou wilt profess…" (Lines 21–22)

  • He commands himself, showing self-division (a trait of tragic heroes).
  • "Sound the depth": Explore thoroughly, but also plumb dangerous waters (foreshadowing his damnation).

• "Having commenc’d, be a divine in show, / Yet level at the end of every art…" (Lines 23–24)

  • "Divine in show": Outwardly a theologian, but secretly ambitious for more.
  • "Level at the end of every art": He wants to master all knowledge, not just theology.

• "Sweet Analytics, 'tis thou hast ravish’d me!…" (Line 25)

  • "Analytics": Refers to Aristotle’s logic (part of the medieval trivium: grammar, logic, rhetoric).
  • "Ravish’d": Enthralled, but also violently seized—his passion is uncontrollable.
  • "Bene disserere est finis logices" (Latin: "To dispute well is the end of logic"):
    • He quotes a medieval scholastic maxim, but rejects it—logic is not enough.

• "Affords this art no greater miracle? / Then read no more…" (Lines 27–28)

  • Dissatisfaction: Logic only teaches argumentation, not real power.
  • "A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit": His intellect demands more—foreshadowing his turn to magic.

• "Bid Economy farewell, and Galen come…" (Line 29)

  • "Economy": Household management (part of medieval education).
  • "Galen": Ancient Greek physician—Faustus now considers medicine.
  • "Heap up gold": Medicine was a lucrative profession in the Renaissance.

• "Summum bonum medicinoe sanitas…" (Line 31)

  • Latin: "The highest good of medicine is health."
  • He quotes a medical maxim, but again finds it lacking—he wants immortality, not just healing.

• "Why, Faustus, hast thou not attain’d that end?…" (Line 32)

  • Rhetorical question: He has achieved fame ("bills hung up as monuments"), but it’s not enough.
  • "Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man.": Human limits frustrate him—he wants divine power.

• "Couldst thou make men to live eternally, / Or, being dead, raise them to life again…" (Lines 35–36)

  • Desire for godlike power: He wants to cheat death, a blasphemous ambition (only God can grant immortality).
  • "Then this profession were to be esteem’d.": Medicine is worthless if it cannot make him a god.

• "Physic, farewell! Where is Justinian?" (Line 38)

  • Rejects medicine, now turns to law (Justinian = Roman emperor who codified law).
  • Pattern: He cycles through disciplines (theology → logic → medicine → law), finding each insufficient.

(Note: The excerpt cuts off here, but Faustus will soon reject law as well, finally turning to magic—the "forbidden" knowledge that damns him.)

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Key Themes in the Excerpt

1. The Limits of Human Knowledge

   • Faustus rejects all conventional learning (theology, logic, medicine, law) because none grant him godlike power.
   • Reflects Renaissance humanism’s tension: While celebrating human potential, it also fears overreaching (hubris).

2. Hubris and the Fall of Man

   • Icarus allusion: Faustus’s intellectual pride leads to his downfall.
   • Original Sin parallel: Like Adam, he seeks forbidden knowledge and rejects divine order.

3. The Corruption of Ambition

   • His dissatisfaction is not just intellectual but moral—he wants power, not wisdom.
   • "Swoln with cunning, of a self-conceit": His ego blinds him to the danger of damnation.

4. Isolation and Existential Despair

   • Faustus is alone in his study, cut off from God, society, and even his own conscience.
   • His soliloquy reveals a restless, unfulfilled soul.

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Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Allusion	Icarus, Thrasymene	Connects Faustus to mythic patterns of fall; elevates his story to universal tragedy.
Apostrophe	"Sweet Analytics, 'tis thou hast ravish’d me!"	Direct address to abstract ideas, showing his obsessive passion.
Rhetorical Question	"Affords this art no greater miracle?"	Highlights his dissatisfaction and search for meaning.
Latin Quotations	"Bene disserere…", "Summum bonum…"	Emphasizes his scholarly background while undermining traditional learning.
Imagery	"Waxen wings did mount above his reach"	Visualizes his hubris and inevitable fall.
Foreshadowing	"Heavens conspir’d his overthrow"	Hints at his divine punishment before he even turns to magic.

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Significance of the Excerpt

1. Faustus as the Renaissance Overreacher

   • Represents the danger of unchecked ambition in an era of scientific and intellectual expansion.
   • Marlowe critiques humanism: While celebrating learning, he warns against rejecting moral limits.

2. The Tragic Flaw (Hamartia)

   • Faustus’s pride and dissatisfaction are his tragic flaws, leading to his damnation.
   • Unlike Greek tragedies (where fate dominates), Faustus chooses his doom—a Renaissance twist on free will.

3. The Faustian Bargain

   • This scene sets up his pact with Mephistopheles: His rejection of all earthly knowledge leaves only dark magic as an option.
   • Symbolizes the danger of selling one’s soul for temporary power.

4. Religious and Philosophical Conflict

   • Protestant vs. Catholic tensions: Wittenberg (Luther’s university) vs. medieval scholasticism (Faustus rejects both).
   • Calvinist predestination: Is Faustus doomed from the start, or does he choose damnation?

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Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This opening establishes Faustus as a tragic hero of intellect, whose insatiable ambition leads him to reject God, morality, and human limits. Marlowe uses classical allusions, rhetorical devices, and psychological depth to craft a warning about the dangers of unchecked desire.

Faustus’s soliloquy is not just about learning—it’s about the human condition: the search for meaning, the fear of mortality, and the temptation to become more than human. His turn to magic is not just a plot device but a metaphor for the Renaissance struggle between faith and reason, tradition and innovation.

Ultimately, this excerpt sets the stage for one of the most famous tragedies in English literature—a story about what happens when a man dares to know too much.