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Dr Faustus A-level revision notes- themes, context, structure and language (A* grade) £8.99
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  2.  
  3. PEARSON (PEARSON)
  4.  
  5. English Literature 2015
  6.  
  7. Unit 1 - Drama

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Dr Faustus A-level revision notes- themes, context, structure and language (A* grade)

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Very helpful Dr Faustus revision notes covering different, themes, the context, structure and language of the play. These notes helped me to get an A* for English Literature A-level. Sourced from my class notes, English A-level textbooks and reliable websites online. Perfect for writing A* Dr Faust...

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  • July 27, 2020
  • August 28, 2022
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  • 2019/2020
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Dr Faustus- themes
Key:
o F = Faustus
o M = Mephistopheles
o OM = Old Man
o V = Valdes
o C = Cornelius

Morality
o Castle of Perseverance 15thC- mankind figure is sinful- debate between daughters of God.
 Mercy + forgiveness triumph- mankind’s soul goes to heaven.
 Insight into powers of God’s mercy.
o Didactic- aim = educate audience about God’s governance.
o Everyman figure- no distinguishing features.
o Catholicism- good works/choices.
o Old man figure.
 But presents unattractive message.

Tragedy
o First addition- ‘Tragical history of Dr Faustus’- presented as a tragedy.
o Aristotle’s definition:
 Describes downfall of a great man on account of his hamartia.
o Is F a great man?
 Ambiguity- claims exhausted every art- only magic will take him beyond human
abilities yet servants revealed to be able to perform magic.
 Play undermines his greatness- comical scenes.
 Everyman figure- parents of base stock.
 But encouraged to take interest into complex psychology of F- can’t fit in binary
good v evil.
o F’s downfall:
 Increasingly degraded state- slapstick comic scenes- morality plays- socially lower
characters.
 Fall from heights of imagination to mundane.
 Humbled e.g. Emperor scene ‘far inferior to the report men have published’.
 Newfound humility- ambitions haven’t come true.
 Yet chorus- Wagner describes F going to ‘Olympus’ (although- just to emphasises F’s
decline?).
 M’s role- steer F towards sin.
 Great chain of being- 16thC audience not see F as great but meddling with divine
order.
 Pity- epilogue ‘cut is the branch that might have grown full straight’-F’s potential.
o Hamartia
 Lucifer’s deadly sin- pride/hubris.
 But also loses his pride- becomes more humble.
o Can F feel faith?
 Calvinist point of view- F one of the reprobates.
 At times shows he wants to repent- leaves audience uncomfortable.
 Old man’s unattractive message- how difficult it is for sinner to confront full horror of
your sin.
o Hero of his own imaginations.
 ‘I will be Paris’- sees himself as a hero.
 Determined/resolute but play undermines his sense of heroism.
 ‘Hell’s just a fable’- can you be truly heroic if you don’t understand consequences of
your actions?
o Anagnorisis- recognition of some universal truth about humanity.
 ‘what art F but a man condemned to die’- contrast ambitions- come to terms with truth
of human condition.
 Towards end- repentance on his mind- ‘I do repent yet I do despair’- evokes sympathy.
 Keep ‘oath…made to Lucifer’- wanting to do right thing.

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