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MARLOWE’S
It is after all, a story about the struggle between good and evil. As for the comparison to Macbeth's

witches, they too have been portrayed as dark and light in different representations of the play. John

D Jump. This rides, it seems on the character of Mephistopheles, whom, as we have seen here, can

decide the fate of the tone of any production of Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. That night is when

Faustus conjures the devil Mephistopheles to serve him. As such, we will first quickly overview the

plot of the play Doctor Faustus. Then, with that basis in mind, we will discuss the modern renderings

of the play as well as some critical interpretation of Marlowe's symbolism. Bloom's Major

Dramatists: Christopher Marlowe. The problem with this production, it seems, is that none of these

elements were really in place. He tries to repent, and begs God for forgiveness, but it is too late.

There is yet another treatment of the play-that is with a religious bent. In this play, however, it seems

that Marlowe has not followed the traditional formula for morality plays such as Everyman. 348-

352.Bloom, Harold. The Plot The play begins with a rather long philosophical soliloquy from

Faustus, who is considering all the different forms of knowledge as he sees them. There was no set

tone for the production, and thus it fell flat. "Doctor Faustus." Variety 386:7 (April 1, 2 2). After

Mephistopheles leaves him, Faustus begins contemplating God, and wondering if it is in fact, too

late for him to repent, but as he begins to beg God for forgiveness, Mephistopheles returns with

Beelzebub and Lucifer in tow, and they present a show for him on the seven deadly sins. The

Interpretations Many interpretations of Marlowe's character, Mephistopheles, have been attempted

and succeeded. These include, but are not limited to, the modern renderings of Romeo and Juliet,

Hamlet, and Othello. While he is there, a knight named Benvolio, and his friends, attempt to kill

Faustus, but they don’t succeed because Faustus cannot be killed except by Mephistopheles. They

run away, and begin growing horns from their heads. Rather, we could almost envision this as a

cartoon, much in the same vein as a Disney version of "Aladdin". The horseman tries to wake him

by pulling his leg, and it falls off. 16-49.Bartels, Emily C. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania
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Press, 1993. Faustus then leaves to go see the Duke. Marlowe's Mephistopheles We know that

classic plays are reinterpreted multiple times throughout history. While he awaits his friends, he is

visited by an angel and a devil who try to make him realize that what he is doing will either be a

great thing (the devil does this), or a terrible mistake (thus spoke the angel). Then, Faustus and

Mephistopheles enter, talking about the same travels. Cambridge: Harvard University Press,

1962.Wolf, Matt. In recent years, we have seen modern interpretations of number of Shakespearean

dramas on stage and film. Wagner catches the audience up with the story to this point, then Faustus

enters with some scholars for whom he conjures Helen of Troy. Certainly, we can see the argument

for a highly religious slant on the play. At the dukes court, he conjures for the duke and the duchess,

and they promise to reward him. In Marlowe's depiction, essentially evil has won out over good in

the end. Because Faustus wants power and money, he listens to the devil, and plans to heed his

command. Ed. Faustus conjures Helen of Troy again, and kisses her. The horseman runs away

carrying the bloody leg, and Faustus begins laughing, and restores his leg to its original shape. The

final scene of the play is the night of Faustus' death. Thus, he decides that he would like to become a

magician, believing that this will make him godlike. Of course, the horseman does, and it turns into

straw. London, Faber & Faber, 1954.Marlowe, Christopher. Demons come and take his body away

to hell. 111-142.Berkowitz, Gerald M. Works CitedAxline, Kim. It seems that the tone of individual

productions is dependent to a great extent up to the portrayal of this character. Though he goes on to

describe other aspects of the production as "silly," it seems apparent that a less obedient, and more

manipulative Mephistopheles would certainly alter the tone of the play as a whole. Doctor Faustus.

In a review, Matt Wolf describes the production as a "metaphysical inquiry into devilish pacts that

feels pretentious and emotionally inert,"(Wolf, 42). The play ends with a warning from the chorus

not to sell their souls to the devil. The2 2 production was directed by David Lan, and effectively

panned by critics. Bartels has explained that "In an important treatment of [DoctorFaustus], Jonathan

Dollimore has argued that Faustus is finally bound by the limiting structures of Protestantism,"
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(Bartels, 126). While they are there, two scholars enter to meet with Faustus, but when they see

Valdes and Cornelius there, they begin to realize that Faustus may be studying magic-of which they

seem to disapprove. Harry Levin argues that Mephistopheles does nothing to lure Faustus on; he

suffers for him, he sympathizes with him, above all he understands him; and Faustus persists in

regarding his fiendish attendant as a sort of oriental slave of the lamp, and Mephistopheles ironically

promises more than his temporary master has wit to ask (Levin, 58). 42-43. Axline explains that

Houseman claimed that the production held "overly personal and tortuous associations for Welles,"

who "conceived and executed the production in terms of a 'magic show'," drawing upon the

"supernatural elements" of the production. Certainly, this "torture" or absolute fear that Welles felt in

light of this production must have translated into fearfully supernatural undertones in the play,

coursing throughout the production, and altered, irrevocably, by the sheer size of Mephistopheles.

"A 'New Deal' and a New Direction: Welles' and Houseman's Depression-Era Productions of

Macbeth, Doctor Faustus, and Julius Caesar." Theatre Studies 45 (2 1). Faustus accepts the offer and

signs the deed to his soul in blood. After Faustus is done contemplating, his servant, Wagner enters.

Faustus tells him to ask his friends Valdes and Cornelius to come teach him how to perform magic.

At the beginning of scene 9, the audience is brought up to date by the chorus, who tells us that

Faustus has returned home to Germany. 312-315.Levin, Harry. Broomall: Chelsea House, 2

2.Kirschbaum, Leo. The devil convinces him to go through with it, and so he recalls Mephistopheles,

who brings with him the news that Lucifer has agreed to his deal. When the horseman comes back to

get hismoney6 back from Faustus, however, Faustus is asleep. At the beginning of scene 8, Wagner

enters, filling the audience in on part of the story, recounting Faustus' travels. Mephistopheles then

begins his service to Faustus by offering him a wife, and imparting knowledge to him. After the

scholars leave, an old man enters, and tries to convince Faustus to repent again, but Mephistopheles

threatens him, and he ends up reconfirming his vow to Lucifer instead. No matter the version of the

play that we see however, the story remains the same. The Over reacher: A study of Christopher
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Marlowe. Faustus decides that he wants to see Hell, and Lucifer promises to take him there that

night, then gives him a book that will teach him how to change his shape. There was no element of

fear, or religion, or light heartedness, or darkness. "Demonizing Magic: Patterns of Power in Doctor

Faustus." Spectacles of Strangeness. He sells him his horse, telling him not to let it get wet. Then, we

follow Faustus to his meeting with the emperor, where he conjures the image of Alexander the Great

for the emperor's court. They agree to play pranks on the pope. Mephistopheles comes, hoping to

capture Faustus' soul, as he has heard him denounce God, and pledge his obedience to Lucifer. A

much more recent production of the play included Hollywood actor Jude Law in the role of Faustus,

and Richard McCabe as Mephistopheles. Faustus is about to die, and has given Wagner all his

money. Berkowitz paints a strikingly different image of the play, however, as it was performed at the

1993 Edinburgh festival by the company,"Theatrestorm 6 /4 ," citing a "resemblance between the

witches' treatment of [Shakespeare's] Macbeth, and Mephistopheles' manipulation of

Faustus,"(Berkowitz, 351-2). Faustus begins to have second thoughts about selling his soul

toLucifer, and the angel and devil reappear to help him consider the consequences and alternatives to

his actions. Afterward the audience sees another scene between Rafe and Robin, which seems to be

thrown in for comedic relief. This of course paints a portrait of a somewhat light hearted

Mephistopheles, who wishes nothing but to serve his temporary master, going above and beyond the

call of duty, so to speak. The tone of a play with this sort of Mephistopheles would most certainly

not be quite as dark as some. After this, Faustus' friends enter and promise to teach him magic.

Meanwhile, Faustus' servant, Wagner, creates his own servant-a clownwho agrees to obey Wagner

in exchange for learning how to turn himself into any kind of animal on earth. As a physician,

Faustus has already achieved a great deal, but no amount of worldly knowledge seems to be good

enough for him. "Edinburgh Festival 1993." Shakespeare Quarterly 45:3 (Autumn 1994).

Mephistopheles takes this offer back to Lucifer, leaving Faustus alone with his dreams of power. All

of this, with special regard to the character Mephistopheles, as he seems to be the character upon
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which all versions of the production tend to pivot. Certainly, we can agree that Marlowe's Doctor

Faustus is a classic in its own rite, and thereby worthy of such reinterpretation. To Mephistopheles,

Faustus announces that he will offer his soul to Lucifer in exchange for twenty-four years of

Mephistopheles' service. It offers the audience, rather than an example of repentance, a cautionary

tale upon the wages of sin. Kim Axline speaks of a 1937 production of Doctor Faustus where

Mephistopheles was played by an actor named Jack Carter, "the original’ Voodoo Macbeth,' whose

six-foot four imposing stature was an ideal foil,"for Orson Welles, who played the title character

himself (Axline, 3 ).Having a man of such large stature playing Mephistopheles, adds another

interesting element to the play-fear. 1624. "Mephistopheles and the Lost Dragon." Review of

English Studies 18:71 (1942). In the next scene, Faustus plays a mean joke ofn a horseman.

Meanwhile, a stable hand named Robin finds another of Faustus' magic books, and tries to learn it as

well, promising Rafe, an innkeeper that he can conjure different kinds of wine.