The Tragedy of Dr Faustus

Doctor Faustus is the most brilliant scholar of his day. He has studied hard and is now master of all areas of learning. However, he wants something more. So he enters into an agreement with the Devil. He agrees to sell his soul in return for twenty-four years of knowledge, power and riches, which only brings him despair and terror as he realizes the full implications of his impulsive action.

Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) was born in Canterbury, the son of a shoemaker. He was educated at King’s School, Canterbury and later attended Cambridge University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1584 and he obtained his Master of Arts degree three years later. The events of Marlowe’s life are not fully known. There are many legends and stories about his violence, his criminality, his interest in black magic and his secret work for the government as a spy. Official records show that Marlowe was involved in a street fight in 1589 in which a man was killed. They also show that he was deported from the Netherlands for his involvement in a conspiracy to produce counterfeit gold coins. Marlowe himself was killed in a knife fight at a tavern in 1593, while he was under investigation by the Privy Council.

After Marlowe’s death his one-time friend, the dramatist Thomas Kyd (1558-94), denounced him as atheist and blasphemer. The two men had shared lodgings in London. Kyd claimed that Marlowe ridiculed Christianity and was an active member of the ‘School of Night’, a group of intellectuals and poets who were interested in black magic. Modern scholars doubt the existence of this group, or argue that its activities were not as shocking as those described by Kyd.

They suggest that the group met to discuss the intellectual basis for Christianity rather than to carry out experiments in black magic.

Marlowe’s career as a dramatist was short but highly successful. In addition to plays, he also wrote poetry. His main works include:
Tamburlaine the Great, The Jew of Malta, Edward II, Doctor Faustus, Hero and Leander

The Life of Christopher Marlowe

Dramatis Personae

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Christopher Marlowe and Elizabethan Espionage

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

The Death of Christopher Marlowe

Part Eight

Part Nine

Playscript