Marlowe - Dr Faustus
Christopher Marlowe and Elizabethan Drama
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was a pivotal figure in Elizabethan drama, a contemporary of William Shakespeare. His plays are known for their powerful blank verse, complex characters, and exploration of grand themes like ambition, power, and the human condition. Marlowe's work significantly influenced the development of English tragedy.
Doctor Faustus: Plot Summary
Doctor Faustus is a tragedy based on the German legend of Faust. The play tells the story of Dr. John Faustus, a brilliant but dissatisfied scholar who makes a pact with the devil, Lucifer, through the intermediary Mephistopheles. Faustus sells his soul for twenty-four years of unlimited knowledge, power, and magical ability. Initially, Faustus revels in his newfound powers, performing magical feats and engaging in worldly pleasures. However, as his time runs out, he becomes increasingly tormented by guilt and fear of damnation. Despite attempts to repent, his pact binds him, and he is ultimately dragged to hell by demons.
Key Characters
Dr. John Faustus: The protagonist, a scholar who seeks forbidden knowledge and power, leading to his damnation.
Mephistopheles: A demon who serves Faustus, acting as his servant and constant companion, but also a reminder of his doomed fate.
Lucifer: The prince of hell, to whom Faustus's soul is ultimately forfeit.
Good Angel and Evil Angel: Personifications of Faustus's conscience, representing the struggle between good and evil within him.
Themes in Doctor Faustus
Ambition and Overreaching: Faustus's insatiable desire for knowledge and power beyond human limits is the driving force of the tragedy. He desires to "scrape the heavens with thy pen" and "be a god."
The Nature of Sin and Damnation: The play deeply explores the concept of sin, free will, and the consequences of choosing evil. Faustus's inability to truly repent seals his fate.
Knowledge vs. Wisdom: Faustus seeks magical and arcane knowledge, but fails to gain true wisdom or spiritual understanding. His pursuit leads to destruction rather than enlightenment.
The Conflict Between Good and Evil: The presence of the Good and Evil Angels highlights the internal struggle within Faustus, a universal theme.
The Passage of Time: The limited twenty-four years of the pact create a sense of urgency and foreshadow the inevitable end, emphasizing the fleeting nature of earthly power.
Literary Significance and Style
Doctor Faustus is renowned for its powerful and eloquent blank verse, which elevated English drama. Marlowe's use of the tragic hero, a figure of great potential brought down by a fatal flaw, became a template for later playwrights, including Shakespeare. The play's exploration of profound philosophical and theological questions resonated deeply with its audience.
Exam Tip:
Remember the central conflict in Doctor Faustus: the struggle between intellectual curiosity that leads to forbidden knowledge and the spiritual consequences of such a pursuit. Faustus's famous line, "Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight, / And burned is Apollo's happened book," spoken by the Chorus at the end, encapsulates his tragic downfall.
Kyd - The Spanish Tragedy
Thomas Kyd and the Revenge Tragedy
Thomas Kyd (1558-1594) is considered one of the pioneers of the English revenge tragedy genre. The Spanish Tragedy (written around 1587-1592) is his most famous work and a highly influential play that set many conventions for the genre, which Shakespeare later adopted and refined.
The Spanish Tragedy: Plot Summary
The play begins with the Portuguese Viceroy visiting the court of Spain. His son, Balthazar, is brought to Spain as a prisoner of war, having killed Don Andrea, the favorite of the Spanish King. Don Andrea's ghost, accompanied by the personification of Revenge, appears to the audience. The main plot unfolds as Lorenzo, the brother of Andrea's beloved Bel-imperia, and Horatio, Bel-imperia's new lover, discover that Balthazar, along with Lorenzo's rival Jeronimo (who is also Andrea's father), murdered Don Andrea. Lorenzo orchestrates a series of intrigues and murders to cover up the crime and advance his own position, framing Horatio for the murder of Balthazar. The play culminates in a bloody revenge scene at a play-within-a-play, where Lorenzo, Balthazar, and Bel-imperia all meet their deaths, and Jeronimo achieves his revenge before taking his own life.
Key Characters
Don Andrea: The murdered nobleman whose ghost seeks revenge.
Revenge: A supernatural figure who accompanies Andrea's ghost and personifies the theme of vengeance.
Bel-imperia: Don Andrea's beloved, who becomes involved in the revenge plot.
Lorenzo: Bel-imperia's brother, a Machiavellian plotter who orchestrates much of the intrigue.
Horatio: Bel-imperia's lover and a friend of Don Andrea, who becomes a victim of Lorenzo's schemes.
Jeronimo: Don Andrea's father and the Marshal of Spain, who seeks justice for his son's murder.
Balthazar: Son of the Portuguese Viceroy, the primary murderer of Don Andrea.
Themes in The Spanish Tragedy
Revenge: The central theme, exploring the corrupting and destructive nature of vengeance. The play depicts multiple layers of revenge, from personal vendettas to political machinations.
Justice: The play questions the availability and nature of justice, both human and divine. Jeronimo's struggle to find justice through official channels drives the plot.
Madness: Jeronimo feigns madness to uncover the truth and exact his revenge, a common trope in revenge tragedies.
Deception and Intrigue: The intricate plot relies heavily on deception, manipulation, and secret plotting, particularly by Lorenzo.
The Supernatural: The presence of Don Andrea's ghost and the figure of Revenge introduces a supernatural element, common in early revenge tragedies.
Literary Significance and Style
The Spanish Tragedy is a landmark in the development of English drama. It popularized many conventions of the revenge tragedy, including the ghost of the murdered seeking vengeance, feigned madness, bloody climax, and the use of a play-within-a-play. Kyd's language, while not as consistently brilliant as Marlowe's or Shakespeare's, is often powerful and emotive, contributing to the play's dramatic impact. Its influence can be seen in works like Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Key Elements of Revenge Tragedy Popularized by Kyd:
- A ghost demanding vengeance.
- A protagonist driven by the need for revenge.
- Feigned or real madness as a plot device.
- Intrigue, plotting, and deception.
- A bloody and violent climax.
- A play-within-a-play to reveal truth or enact revenge.
Ben Jonson - The Alchemist
Ben Jonson and Jacobean Comedy
Ben Jonson (1572-1637) was a prominent playwright, poet, and literary figure of the Jacobean era, a contemporary and rival of Shakespeare. He is known for his intellectual comedies, which often satirize contemporary society, human folly, and pretension. Jonson's plays are characterized by their sharp wit, intricate plots, well-developed characters, and moralistic undertones. He championed classical dramatic principles and aimed for realism and accuracy in his portrayal of London life.
The Alchemist: Plot Summary
The Alchemist is a satirical comedy set in London during the plague. Three rogues—the master trickster Subtle (the alchemist), his sharp-witted associate Doll Common, and the financier Sir Epicure Mammon—set up a fraudulent alchemy business in a house vacated by its owner, Jeremy "Face" কীটপত (who is secretly involved). They prey on a parade of gullible clients, promising to turn base metals into gold, find lost items, and even procure supernatural powers. The clients include Sir Epicure Mammon, who dreams of wealth and power; Bartholomew (a Puritan preacher); Dapper (a lawyer's clerk seeking a familiar spirit); Drugger (a tobacconist seeking good fortune); and Kastril (a young bully). The intricate deceptions are constantly threatened by the potential return of the house's owner, Lovewit, and by the arrival of Surly, a skeptical associate of Mammon. The play culminates in a chaotic series of revelations and exposures, with Face, Doll, and Subtle ultimately outwitting everyone, including each other, just as Lovewit returns and reclaims his house, essentially taking over the operation for his own amusement.
Key Characters
Jeremy "Face" কীটপত: The cunning servant of Lovewit, who orchestrates the entire alchemical fraud.
Subtle: The self-proclaimed alchemist, a master deceiver who concocts the fantastical promises.
Doll Common: The female accomplice, who plays various roles, including the "goddess" Alchemy, to dupe the clients.
Sir Epicure Mammon: A wealthy knight obsessed with wealth and power, easily fooled by the alchemists.
Surly: A skeptical gambler who sees through the fraud but is himself duped.
Lovewit: The owner of the house, who returns at the end and is amused by the whole affair.
Themes in The Alchemist
Greed and Avarice: The play satirizes the insatiable greed of its characters, especially Sir Epicure Mammon and the alchemists themselves, who seek to profit from others' desires.
Gullibility and Human Folly: Jonson exposes the human tendency to believe in the impossible and to be easily deceived, especially when driven by desire or desperation.
Appearance vs. Reality: The entire premise of the play is built on deception. The alchemists create illusions of success and power, while the clients project their own desires onto the charade.
Social Satire: Jonson satirizes various social types and professions of his time, including ambitious knights, Puritan preachers, opportunistic lawyers, and credulous merchants.
The Nature of Science and Fraud: The play contrasts genuine scientific inquiry with fraudulent practices, highlighting how superstition and charlatanism can thrive.
Literary Significance and Style
The Alchemist is considered one of the greatest English comedies. Its brilliance lies in its intricate plotting, the vivid portrayal of its characters (who are driven by specific vices), and its sharp, witty dialogue. Jonson's moralistic intent is clear: to expose and ridicule human vices. The play is celebrated for its realism in depicting London life and its precise, often Latinate, prose and verse. It remains a masterclass in comedic structure and character development.
Exam Focus:
When studying The Alchemist for exams, focus on Jonson's satirical intent. Identify the specific vices he targets in each character and how the fraudulent alchemy scheme serves as a vehicle for this satire. Note the play's tight structure and how the plot unfolds with escalating deceptions.
Comparison of the Three Plays
While all three plays are significant works from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, they represent different genres and approaches:
- Doctor Faustus is a tragedy exploring profound philosophical and theological themes through a deal with the devil.
- The Spanish Tragedy is a revenge tragedy, establishing conventions for a popular genre and focusing on the destructive nature of vengeance.
- The Alchemist is a comedy of humours and satire, dissecting human folly and greed through intricate plotting and sharp wit.
Each play showcases the dramatic innovation of the period, pushing the boundaries of theatrical expression and engaging with complex aspects of the human experience.