MA English Part.1 Paper.2 Classic Drama
Dr. Faustus
Characters of the Play
1.Dr.Faustus: A famous scholar who lives at Wittenberg, Germany
2.Wagner: A servant of Dr.Faustus
3.Valdes and Cornelius: The masters of Black Magic, they
teach black art to Faustus
4.Good Angel and Bad Angel: These are two heavenly bodies, Good
Angel is not in favour of Black Magic ,while Bad Angel Urges Faustus to learn
Black Art
5.Mephistopheles: A devil in hell
6.Lucifer: A devil in hell whom Faustus sells his soul
Summary of the Play
It is a play by a famous writer Christopher Marlowe, a writer
of Elizabethan Age. Dr. Faustus lives at Wittenberg Germany. He is a learned fellow
who reads each and every book of the world. He thinks that there is nothing to
read now. Now he is in a fix that what he should read further. In this connection,
he calls for his servant Wagner to ask him whether he knows anyone who could
teach him black magic.
Wagner makes him meet with two fellows Valdes and Cornelius
who are the masters of black magic. They start teaching black magic to
Dr.Faustus. Two angels appear before Dr.Faustus: One is good angel and other is
bad angel. The good angel discourages Faustus not to learn this art while bad
angel encourages him to learn this art of black magic.
Valdes and Cornelius gives more books of black magic to
Dr.Faustus for further learning. Two friends of Faustus come to meet him. His servant
tells them that Faustus is with Valdes and Cornelius to learn black magic.
Knowing this the two scholars get angry with Faustus as they are not in favour
of learning black magic.
By the use of black magic, Faustus calls a devil Mephistopheles.
Faustus asks him to obey his commands. Mephistopheles says that he only obeys
Lucifer. Faustus asks him that what the difference between heaven and hell is. Mephistopheles
replies this question of Faustus. Then Faustus asks him that he has an offer
for his master Lucifer. The offer is that Faustus would give his soul to
Lucifer but he has one condition that Lucifer would give him unlimited power
and knowledge for twenty four years and Mephistopheles would be Faustus servant.
Mephistopheles goes back to Lucifer. Faustus thinks that he has made a good
deal with the devil.
One day Faustus says to himself that whether he is doing well
by learning black magic. He thinks that he is not doing well and he should beg
pardon from God. Then again appear the good angel and the bad angel. Good angel
makes him understand that he should avoid such knowledge. Faustus says that he
has made an agreement with Lucifer and he also decides that he would give his
soul to Lucifer.
There comes Mephistopheles that Faustus should sign the
agreement with his own blood. If he signs the agreement with his blood, in
return he would get unlimited power and knowledge for twenty four years. As soon
as Faustus signs on the agreement, his blood freezes. It is a sign that Faustus
is doing something wrong here. Mephistopheles brings some coals to melt his
blood and Faustus signs the agreement.
Now Mephistopheles is his slave. Faustus questions about the
nature of the world, Mephistopheles replies but when Faustus questions that who
the creator of this universe is, Mephistopheles becomes silent. The devil gives
him some books of astronomy. There again appear the good and bad souls before
him. Faustus again thinks whether he should ask for pardon from God or not,
then he decides that he would not beg pardon from God. He asks the Mephistopheles
that who was the creator of this universe but Mephistopheles could not reply.
Again
a question arises in Faustus whether he should beg pardon from God or not.
There again appear the good angel and bad angel. At this time Faustus decides
that he would beg pardon from God. At the same moment Lucifer comes there and
reminds him that he has made an agreement with him, now he needs not take help
from God and Christ. Faustus agrees to it and promises that he would never seek
help from God and the Christ.
Lucifer gives one more book to entertain him and shows him the
pageant of seven deadly sins. Mephistopheles takes him on a world trip sitting
in a buggie. At the last of world tour they visit Rome. In Rome Faustus desires
to see all the monuments of Rome.
In Rome, after teasing and making some jokes with Pope,
Faustus again comes back at Germany. Knowing the fame, German emperor Charles
–v invites Faustus in his royal court. Faustus shows his all skills in the
court but there a man does not like his all skills saying that Faustus has
learnt all these skills with the help of black magic.
Faustus gets angry and turns him into a man with horns on his
head. Then Faustus meets with a horse trader and makes fun of him. Wagner the servant
of Dr. Faustus tells him that Duke of Venholt has called Faustus in his court. When
Faustus goes to his court, he entertains well the Duke and Duchess with his
magic skills. On the demand of Duke, Faustus brings grapes for him though there
was no season of grapes.
Faustus forgets that his tenure of 24 years with Lucifer is
about to end and he transfers all his property to his servant Wagner. Faustus
goes on entertaining the people with his magic skills. On the demand of his scholar
fellows, he enlivens the spirit of Helen who was the most beautiful woman of Greece.
Then an old man says to Faustus that he should ask for forgiveness from God. Faustus
agrees to it, at the same time Mephistopheles comes there and says that if he
does so, he should be ready for consequences. To kill his time, he falls in
love with Helen.
But Faustus is worried about his approaching death. His
scholar friends ask the reason of his tension. He tells them that he has made a
deal with Lucifer and there remains only one in the completion of agreement.
With a sadden heart, he goes to God asks for his help to save him from devil. He
says that Christ s’ one drop of blood can save him. He starts bargaining with
God.
At midnight
the agreement comes to an end and devil takes his soul by dragging him to hell.
While going that requests that all the books of black magic should be burnt. In
the morning, the scholars find Dr. Faustus’ limbs and decides to hold his
funeral of him. In this way Faustus meets his tragic end.
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