Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (Questions & Answers)

 

Doctor Faustus

by Christopher Marlowe

(Questions & Answers)

 

1.               Why does Dr. Faustus decide in favour of necromancy than any other field of knowledge?

-    According to Dr. Faustus divinity cannot save us from being sinners & death. Similarly other branches of knowledge are rejected by Faustus as they cannot make him immortal & powerful. In magic he finds the world of profit, delight, power, honour and omnipotence. A sound magician can be a powerful god. Due to all these reasons Faustus decides to study magic.

 

2.               Describe the role played by Good Angel & Evil Angel.

-    Good Angel and Evil Angel are symbolic representation of good and evil in this world. They are very much inside the mind and soul of Faustus himself. The two types of contrary voices cause conflict in the mind of the hero.

 

3.               What does Dr. Faustus intend to do with the help of spirits?

-    By raising spirits with the help of magic, Faustus wants to perform certain hard tasks. He will get all his ambiguities resolved, get gold from India and pearl from ocean and delicacies from America. He will get all the secrets of the foreign kings & wall Germany with brass. He will divert the course of the river Rhine. He will have enough silk clothes for the students. With the wealth he will raise armies and chase away the Prince of Parma from Germany & become the sole king. He will make the spirits invent new war weapons. All these are meant for making him a mighty god.

 

4.               Name the two friends of Dr. Faustus. What is their role?

-    German Valdes and Cornelius are his two friends. They are also learned in black art. They advise and inspire Faustus to study magic. Faustus discusses his problems with them.

 

5.               Describe hell as depicted by Mephistopheles.

-    Hell is not a fixed place. It is a state of tormenting mind & soul. Wherever the fallen angels, Lucifer and his followers go, hell is there. They cannot be out of it. They are forever deprived of the everlasting bliss of heaven.

 

6.               When & why does Mephistopheles appear?

-    Mephistopheles is a servant to his master Lucifer. He performs all the commands of Lucifer. He does not do anything without his permission. Like other followers of Lucifer, he appears when anybody abjures the Trinity, abuses God, Scriptures and Christ. Like other fallen angels he flies to get Faustus’ glorious soul.

 

7.               Describe Lucifer.

-    Lucifer is the leader of the fallen angels. He conspired against God. He along with his followers was thrown out of heaven by God with the help of thunderbolts. He and his followers are perpetual unhappy spirits as they are damned in hell.

 

8.               What led to the fall of Lucifer and his followers?

-    Lucifer used to be angel and most dearly loved of God. Because of his aspiring pride and insolence, he revolted against God and that led to his fall from heaven.

 

9.               Write the manner in which Faustus has to pledge his soul to Lucifer.

-    Faustus has to stab his arm and write the deed with the help of his blood. He writes all the conditions to give away his soul, body and other possessions after 24 years of pleasure life.

10.        What happens when Faustus stabs his arm?

-    Blood congeals which indicates that Faustus should not pledge his soul with his blood. It reflects the contrary feeling before signing the bond. But Mephistopheles brings burning coals to make the blood flow so that he may get the deed pledged.

 

11.        What happens when the document or the will to give the soul to Lucifer is executed?

-    An inscription “Homo, fuge” appears on his arm. It means “man, fly”. Faustus is puzzled. He feels that his senses are deceived. But this is a warning which tells him not to be lured or tempted by devilish spirits.

 

12.        What is done by Mephistopheles to delight Faustus’ mind?

-    Mephistopheles brings devils, who give crowns and rich clothes to Faustus. They perform dance to delight Faustus’ mind.

 

13.        For what does Dr. Faustus sign the bond?

-    Faustus gives his soul to Lucifer and his followers for 24 years of pleasure life. His voluptuousness and craving for power to be a mighty god led him to give his body, soul and other belongings to Lucifer.

 

14.        What are the main conditions of the bond?

-    Faustus signs the bond of giving his soul to Lucifer on certain conditions. The main conditions are described in the agreement as under:

a)              Faustus may be a spirit in form or substance.

b)             Mephistopheles shall be his servant.

c)              Mephistopheles shall fulfill all the desires and demands of Faustus.

d)             Mephistopheles shall remain invisible in the chamber or house of Faustus.

e)              Mephistopheles shall appear to Dr. Faustus in the shape or form desired by Faustus.

 

15.        What are the things given by Dr. Faustus to Lucifer after the expiry of 24 years of bond?

-    After the expiry of 24 years of bond, Faustus is ready to give to Lucifer or his followers his body, soul, flesh, blood or goods.

 

16.        What does Dr. Faustus perform to know the secrets of astronomy?

-    For eight days Dr. Faustus remained away from his home in order to see the clouds, the planets, the stars, tropics and other divisions of the sky. He went into the higher regions of the universe, mounted on chariot dragged by the dragon.

 

17.        What is Faustus’ new enterprise after knowing the secrets of astronomy?

-    He does not want to take rest even after eight days of toil. He mounts on the back of a dragon in order to investigate or examine cosmography which measures coast and kingdoms of the earth.

 

18.        Why has Faustus gone to Rome?

-    He was gone to Rome in order to take part in holy Peter’s feast that is observed with all festivity and dignity on June 29.

 

19.        Describe the reason why Faustus can sleep even when he is tense.

-    Faustus thinks that he is condemned and the hour of his death is drawing near. He is tense and despaired. But he is reminded of the story of the thief on the Cross who was pardoned by Christ. This gives relief to Faustus. He thinks that Christ may be merciful to him also and thus he can sleep.

 

20.        Comment on the language used by the horse dealer.

-    The horse dealer is illiterate. He mispronounces certain names for example Fustian for Faustus or Lopus for Lopez.

 

21.        What happened to the horse purchased by the horse dealer from Faustus?

-    The horse dealer purchased a horse from Faustus by paying forty dollars. He rode on the horse into water against the instructions given to him. The horse disappeared in the middle of the pond & the horse dealer found himself sitting on a bottle of hay.

 

22.        What happened when the horse dealer pulled Faustus by the leg?

-    When the horse dealer pulled Faustus by the leg, the leg came off in his hands.

 

23.        What is the role of Old Man?

-    Old Man advises Faustus to shun the path of evil. He guides Faustus to achieve his goal of heavenly peace. Faustus should beg mercy of Christ so that His sacrifice might save Faustus.

 

24.        What penalty does Mephistopheles impose on Faustus for turning a traitor to Lucifer?

-    He has to confirm his former promise to Lucifer with his blood again.

 

25.        Describe beauty of Helen.

-    Faustus considers that heaven lies in the lips of Helen. Helen is so beautiful as everything else seems useless to Faustus. Faustus is ready to ruin his own Troy i.e., Wittenberg for her love. Helen is fairer than the evening air, brighter than Jupiter, lovelier than sun-God, Apollo.

 

26.        Describe the Trojan War.

-    The Trojan war was fought between the warriors of Greek and Troy. Wife of Menelaus, Helen, was taken away by Paris of Troy. Paris killed Achilles the Greek hero by shooting at his heel, the only weak point of his body. In this war many topless buildings of Troy were burnt by the invading Greek forces.

 

27.        What is the appeal of Dr. Faustus to God at 11.30 during night?

-    Faustus appeals to God to have mercy upon him. If He cannot have mercy due to any reason, God is appealed to fix some date for the end of constant torture to which Faustus is subjected. If Faustus can come out of hell, he is ready to live in hell for a hundred thousand years.

 

28.        Why does Faustus think that beasts are happy?

-    According to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, when a human being dies, soul transmigrates into the body of some beast. The beasts die and their souls are dissolved into elements. Their souls cannot be damned forever like the souls of human beings. Therefore, Faustus thinks that all beasts are happy.

 

29.        What is the advice of Chorus?

-    Chorus advises that we should take some lesson from Faustus’ fall. Intellectual people should not get tempted to unlawful things & practice black art. They should not practice more than is permitted by God as is clear from Faustus’ case.