Other editions of book The tragical history of Doctor Faustus / a play written by Christopher Marlowe ; edited with a preface, notes and glossary by Israel Gollancz

"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" book has a beautiful glossy cover and a blank page for the dedication. The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, commonly referred to simply as Doctor Faustus, is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe, based on German stories about the title character Faust, that was first performed sometime between 1588 and Marlowe's death in 1593. Two different versions of the play were published in the Jacobean era, several years later. The powerful effect of early productions of the play is indicated by the legends that quickly accrued around them - that actual devils once appeared on the stage during a performance, "to the great amazement of both the actors and spectators", a sight that was said to have driven some spectators mad.

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, commonly referred to simply as Doctor Faustus, is a play by Christopher Marlowe, based on the German story Faust, in which a man sells his soul to the devil for power, experience, pleasure and knowledge. Doctor Faustus was first published in 1604, eleven years after Marlowe's death and at least 10 years after the first performance of the play. It is the most controversial Elizabethan play outside of Shakespeare, with few critics coming to any agreement as to the date or the nature of the text. Using Mephistophilis as a messenger, Faustus strikes a deal with Lucifer: he is to be allotted twenty-four years of life on Earth, during which time he will have Mephistophilis as his personal servant. At the end he will give his soul over to Lucifer as payment and spend the rest of time as one damned to Hell. This deal is to be sealed in Faustus's own blood. After cutting his arm, the wound is divinely healed and the Latin words "Homo, fuge!" (Flee, man!) then appear upon it. Despite the dramatic nature of this divine intervention, Faustus disregards the inscription with the assertion that he is already damned by his actions thus far and therefore left with no place to which he could flee. Mephistophilis brings coals to break the wound open again, and thus Faustus is able to take his oath that was written in his own blood.

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, commonly referred to simply as Doctor Faustus, is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe, based on German stories about the title character Faust, that was first performed sometime between 1588 and Marlowe's death in 1593. Two different versions of the play were published in the Jacobean era, several years later. The powerful effect of early productions of the play is indicated by the legends that quickly accrued around them—that actual devils once appeared on the stage during a performance, "to the great amazement of both the actors and spectators", a sight that was said to have driven some spectators mad.

One of the most durable myths in Western culture, the story of Faust tells of a learned German doctor who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. Early enactments of Faust's damnation were often the raffish fare of clowns and low comedians. But the young Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) recognized in the story of Faust's temptation and fall the elements of tragedy.

Small Hardcover. Preface: Early Editions. The earliest extant edition of Marlowe's Doctor Faustus bears the following title - page:-'The / Tragicall History of D. Faustus. / As it hath bene Acted by the Right / Hono-rable the Earle of Nottingham his seruants. Written by Ch. Marl. / London. / Printed by V.S. for Thomas Bushell. 1604.' Preface is 10 pages long covering the various changes and editions over time. This version of the play is a combination of the 1604 and 1616 editions. Text from the 1616 version is in italics.

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus: Using Mephistophilis as a messenger, Faustus strikes a deal with Lucifer: he is to be allotted 24 years of life on Earth, during which time he will have Mephistophilis as his personal servant and the ability to use magic; however, at the end he will give his body and soul over to Lucifer as payment and spend the rest of time as one damned to Hell. This deal is to be sealed in the form of a contract written in Faustus' own blood. After cutting his arm, the wound is divinely healed and the Latin words Homo, fuge! ("Man, flee!") then appear upon it.[21] Despite the dramatic nature of this divine intervention, Faustus disregards the inscription with the assertion that he is already damned by his actions thus far and therefore left with no place to which he could flee. Mephistophilis brings coals to break the wound open again, and thus Faustus is able to take his oath written in his own blood. Faustus begins by asking Mephistophilis a series of science-related questions. However, the demon seems to be quite evasive…

Christopher Marlowe,[1] also known as Kit Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day.[2] He greatly influenced William Shakespeare, who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe's mysterious early death.

This short and compelling play written by Christopher Marlowe more than five centuries ago is a surprisingly readable and current tale about losing oneself in the pursuit of power and knowledge. Depicting the story of Doctor Faustus, a character who, like Goethe’s Faust, was based on the original “Faustbuch” - a collection of stories concerning the life of Jonathan Georg Faust and written by an anonymous German author.The play itself is written in blank first and prose, and structured in thirteen scenes. Faustus is an extremely intelligent scholar who claims to have reached the end of every subject he ever studied. Despite this fact, it seems that his value of logic and accumulation of knowledge serves him quite poorly, Faustus claiming he assigns no value to divinity because humans sin, and that medicine itself is worthless, unless it can lead to immortality.His fascination with reviving the dead brings him to the study of necromancy. This also leads him to summon the devil Lucifer and make a pact with him to receive 24 years on Earth and the devil Mephistopheles as his servant. In his haste and desperate pursuit of scientific knowledge, Faustus disregards the possibility of his salvation, believing he is already damned by his sins.Faustus’ story is deep and symbolic on many levels, and the message it seeks to convey is equally valid today as it was during Marlowe’s time, when it is thought that the playwright wrote The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus as a warning to John Dee – the aide of Queen Elizabeth I – to avoid dabbling in the dark arts. Today, the story is equally significant, warning that the end can never truly justify the means.Intriguing, highly entertaining deep and even educational in a number of ways, Marlowe’s play continues to stand as one of the most well-written productions in history, coming from the man who inspired William Shakespeare himself.

Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin To sound the depth of that thou wilt profess: Having commenc'd, be a divine in shew, Yet level at the end of every art, And live and die in Aristotle's works. Sweet Analytics, 'tis thou[8] hast ravish'd me! Bene disserere est finis logices. Is, to dispute well, logic's chiefest end? Affords this art no greater miracle? Then read no more; thou hast attain'd that[9] end: A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit: Bid Economy[10] farewell, and[11] Galen come, Seeing, Ubi desinit philosophus, ibi incipit medicus: Be a physician, Faustus; heap up gold, And be eterniz'd for some wondrous cure: Summum bonum medicinae sanitas, The end of physic is our body's health. Why, Faustus, hast thou not attain'd that end? Is not thy common talk found aphorisms? Are not thy bills hung up as monuments, Whereby whole cities have escap'd the plague, And thousand desperate maladies been eas'd? Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man. Couldst[12] thou make men[13] to live eternally, Or, being dead, raise them to life again, Then this profession were to be esteem'd. Physic, farewell! Where is Justinian?

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