Where I Share an Uninformed Opinion on Marlowe's Dr. Faustus

Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, this is kinda cool. Marlowe's Dr. Faustus turns out to be quite readable and entertaining, with a straightforward story and not too many characters, though it helps to have notes to explain the more obscure bits. I like the pdf version available at ElizabethanDrama.org. Tell them I sent you. (They won't care. Don't bother.)

I can see, as I read this play, why it would appeal to an audience of his time. There is a lot of spectacle possible here that would surprise and entertain, a lot of magic and shocking detail. To a modern audience--me, in this case--there's a lack of conflict that makes it feel like a story without a plot. Sure, Faustus has internal conflict, arguing with himself about continuing down the path to hell, but the play is only partly about that; his internal debate is not central to the action. Seeing all the cool sights and pulling up spirits of the dead (like Helen of Troy) is really what the play is about.

IMO--this is more pageant than play, but fun for all that, and remarkable for Marlowe's language. I wanted to read it just for the "Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships, / And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?" line. It was fun finding it in its natural habitat. Others might have better reasons.

Anyway, this is surely worth spending an hour or two on, particularly if you are interested in Elizabethan drama. :)

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