Dr Faustus quotes

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  • Created by: Jess
  • Created on: 28-03-13 19:37

"His waxen wings did mount above his reach,"

  • Chorus 1, Line 21
  • Foreshaddowing
  • Dramatic irony
  • tragedy play
  • Stories within stories - Icarus
1 of 16

"The reward of sin is death?"

  • Scene 1, line 40
  • Psychologically complex
  • Devilish/hellish threat - might convince modern audience - make them think
  • Religious attitudes in 16th century England
  • Psychological style - deep effect
  • Foreshadowing 
2 of 16

"Within this circle is Jehovah's name, / ...

  • ...Forward and backward annagrammatized;..."
  • Scene 3, Line 8-9
  • Religious attitudes in 16th Century England to be in crisis.
  • Blasphemous
  • Shocks the audience - warns them that if you play around with black magic you will get bad results. 
  • Sets the scene for disaster.
  • Dramatic irony
  • This is the first point of corruption for Faustus. First bit of black magic he ever does.
  • Melodramatic = circle on stage, mixing God's name and latin - visuals and sound on stage
3 of 16

"No more than he commands must we perform."

  • Scene 3, line 42
  • Lucifer is more important than Faustus
  • Mephastophilis more intriguing than Faustus
  • Foreshaddowing and dramatic irony
4 of 16

"For when we hear one rack the name of God, / ..."

  • "Abjure the Scriptures, and his saviour Christ, / We fly in hope to get his glorious soul"
  • Scene 3, line 46 - 48
  • Mephastophilis is dominant and powerful
  • Mephastophilis a  more intriging character than Faustus
5 of 16

"This word damnation terrifies not him,"

  • Line 57, Scene 3
  • Faustus trying to brave, ironic considering the end.
  • In third person - he adapts his voice depending on who he is talking to. Suggests self importance.
6 of 16

"Why this is hell, nor am I out of it."

  • Scene 3, Line 76
  • Mephastophilis more interesting than Faustus - more dimensions to him than typical devil
  • Morality and tragedy play; teach lesson to audience & Faustus through Mephastophilis' story.
  • Devilish/hellish threat - different reaction from audience NOW as religion isn't as prominent.
  • Mephastophilis a tragic figure
7 of 16

"Hell hath no limits"

  • Scene 5, line 20
  • Mephastophilis more interesting than Faustus
  • Devilish/hellish threat
8 of 16

"Come, I think hell's a fable."

  • Scene 5, line 127
  • Dramatic foreshaddowing
  • anticipation
  • Religious attitudes in 16th century England to be in crisis
  • Devilish/hellish threat 
  • Dramatic irony
  • Juxtaposition of sensuous and metaphysical/ceberal
9 of 16

"[Enter (again) with a DEVIL dressed like a woman,

  • "With fireworks"
  • Scene 5, Line 143-144
  • Shocking
  • Theatrical
  • Satire
  • Comedy element
10 of 16

"[Cross again, and FAUSTUS hits him..."

  • "... a box of the ear, and they all run away"
  • Scene 8, line 76
  • Serious/Comedy scene overlap
  • Audience find it funny because they are mostly Protestant
  • Ironic that Faustus mocks the pope but in final scene asks for purgatory.
  • Theatrical and psychological - Faustus has the chance to repent, could have asked pope for help but doesn't.
  • Dramatic: break from serious stuff
  • Spiritual aspects - especially if Catholic
  • BATHOS: take something Catholic Church respects and mocks it.
11 of 16

"What art thou, Faustus, but a man condemned to

  • Die?"
  • Scene 10, Line 117
  • Psychological style
  • tragedy
  • Foreshaddowing
  • Dramatic Irony
  • Faustus is psychologically complex
  • cerebral
  • Realisation of his error is too late
12 of 16

"But mercy, Faustus, of thy saviour sweet, ..."

  • ".../ Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt"
  • Scene 12, line 44-45
  • Another chance for Faustus to repent, but he doesn't take it!
  • Frustrating for the audience
  • Minor characters ARE important 
13 of 16

"[MEPHASTOPHILIS gives him a dagger]"

  • Scene 12, line 49
  • Mephastophilis more intreeging than Faustus.
  • Mephastophilis always there to stop Faustus.
  • Loses control = tragedy
  • Mental or spiritual disorder? Mordern more likely to see this as metaphorical, but audeince take it literally
  • No point in asking for salvation, because he's going to die anyway
14 of 16

"But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned!"

  • Scene 13, Line 13
  • Faustus' realisation of his error/s is too little too late
  • Audience know whats going to happen, because he knows what is going to happen
  • Links to Othello's end - remember the good things I have done - "remember that I have been a student here these thirty years" (line 16)
15 of 16

"Ah my God, I would weep, but the devil draws/..

  • "... in my tears!"
  • Scene 13, Line 25-26
  • Soul is so corrupt that he cannot cry or reach for heaven
  • Sensous AND cerebral
  • Tragedy play
  • Realisation of error
  • devilish/hellish threat
  • Psychological
16 of 16

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