Doctor Faustus
Act 1
· Prologue
The Chorus, a single actor, enters and introduces the plot of the play. It will involve neither lovenor
war, he tells us, but instead will trace the ``form of Faustus fortunes´´ (Prologue 8). The Chorus
chronicles how Faustus was born to lowy parents in the small town of Rhode, how he came to the
town of Wittenberg to live with his kinsmen and how he was educated at Wittenberg, a famous
german university. After earning the title of divinity, Faustus became famous for his ability to
discuss theolical matters. The Chorus adds that Faustus is``swollen with cunning´´ and has begun to
practice necromancy or black magic (Prologue 20). The prologue concludes by stating that Faustus
is seated in his study.
The Chorus’s introduction to the play links Doctor Faustus to the tradition of Greek tragedy,
in which a chorus traditionally comments on the action. Although we tend to think of a chorus as a
group of people singers, it can also be composed of only one character. Here, the Chorus not only
gives us background information about Faustus’s life and education, but also explicity tells us that
his swelling pride will lead to his downfall. The story that we are about to see is compared to the
Greek myth of Icarus, a boy whose father, Daedalus, gave him wings made out of feathers and
beeswax. Icarus did not heed his father’s warning and flew too close the sun, causing his wings to
melt and sending him plunging to his death. In the same way, the Chorus tells us, Faustus will
mount above his reach and suffer the consequences (Prologue 21).
The way that the Chorus introduces Faustus is significant, since it reflects a commitment to
Renaissance values. The European Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries witnessed a
rebirth of interest in classical learning and inaugurated a new emphasis on the individual in painting
and literature. In the medieval era that preceded Renaissance, the focus of scolarship was on God
and theology; in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the focus turned toward the study of
humankind and the natural world, culminating in the birth of modern science in the work of men
like Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton.
The Prologue locates its drama squarely in the Renaissance world, where humanistic values
hold sway. Classical and medieval literature typically focuses on the lives of the great and famous-
saints or kings or ancient heroes-, but this play, the Chorus insists, will focus not on ancient battles
between Rome and Carthage, or no the courts of kings, or the pomp of proud audacious deeds.
Instead, we are to witness the life of an ordinary man, born to humble parents. The message is
clear: in the new world of the Renaissance, an ordinary man like Faustus, a common-born scholar,
is as important as any king or warrior, and his story is just as worthy of being told.
·Scene 1
In a long soliloquy, Faustus reflects on the most rewarding type of scolarship. He first considers
logic, quoting to Greek philosopher Aristotle, but notes that disputing well seems to be the only
goal of logic, and, since Faustus’s debating skills are already good, logic is not scholary enough for
him. He considers medicine, quoting the Greek physicial Galen, and decides that medicine with its
possibility of achieving miraculous cures, is the most fruitful pursuit- yet he notes that he has
achieved great renown as a doctor already and that his famem has not brought him satisfaction.
Divinity, the study of religion and theology, seems to offer wider vistas, but then he dismisses
religion and fixes his mind on magic, which, when properly pursued, he believes will make him a
mighty god.
