Marlowe Context Points

Relevant Contexts: Faustus

How it relates to play

The play’s date

Marlowe is said to have written the play around 1580s/1590s – no certain date – we must state that this is a late 16th century play.  There are numerous dates citing the first performance which probably occurred after Marlowe was killed. The official publication of the play is 1604 but this means when the play first appeared in “writing” and not the earlier performed versions of.  This also adds the issue of the A and B text which feature extra scenes and changes in the structure – such as Acts instead of a long structure of scenes.  

The period in which it was produced and performed

The play is centred on the life and times of the 16th century.  Marlowe was an English playwright and was writing under the monarch/Queen Elizabeth Ist which lasted between 1558 – 1603.  

Ideas about hell

A literal place in the play – and a state of mind (a separate state from heaven – Protestant ideas)  However, the play has a Catholic-type ending – Faustus’s soul is  taken to hell (a place) yet his maimed and lifeless body (seen by his friends) is left on stage in the second to last scene.

Use of Latin in speeches and other languages

A reflection of education and learning in the period and the use of Latin for curses (used to protect/for exorcism etc - Catholics).  It is also the language of the Church.  The various uses of languages (by Faustus) reflect the rich experience of learning offered to academics during the period.  

Setting of Wittenberg as Faustus’ home

Connections to Martin Luther (Protestant) and the Reformation – attitudes towards belief – simpler, less ornate, more of a focus on a sincere belief in God.  This contrasted attitude (Catholicism) is critiqued by Faustus in play –Pope scene.  The connection to Luther also explains Faustus’s own German name and the fact that the play draws on the Faust myth (ref Faustus text intro section).  

Use of female actors in performances

Dunster utilises them – could expose absence of female actors in Marlowe’s time – first on stage in 1660.  Helen of Troy would have been performed by a male actor before 1660.  

Plays with political content

Often chosen or directed by the monarch to help educate the people – theatre as a social commentary with taught lessons/morals.  Royalty and Politics were part of the same system in the 1600s.  There was no separate government.

Props and colours in staging

Often used to symbolise key ideas such as good/evil and right/wrong, heaven/hell – red – black – white.  This was a simple way of symbolising ideas for the audience.

The genre of tragedy

Stories that formed the plays of this period were developed from the genre of the Morality play – Marlowe uses some features of the Morality play – a genre from allegorical drama personifying the main characters and presenting a lesson about good conduct and character, popular in the 15th and early 16th centuries – before Marlowe was born.  Tragedy was a genre that originated from Greek drama and writers such as Sophocles.  Playwrights of the period (Marlowe) were utilising and developing the genre/experimenting with traditional conventions.

Use of masks or devices from carnival theatre

Latin term for masks means ‘persona/social role.’  In tragedy, we see literal and metaphorical presentations of ideas such as villain, hero, monster, maiden, heroine.  

The Greek influence

Greek drama has provided the basis and foundation for drama of the Elizabethan period and we see many evident ideas in the play: again - masks, tragedy, based on myth, long and poetic speeches, the use of the Chorus to narrate the story, drawing on Aristotle’s theorem.  

The genre of comedy

We see its influence on writers of the period especially in terms of how the comedy scenes are added in to lighten the more serious action of the play.  Comedy can come in many forms – dark, low, satire, slapstick.  The audience need to be engaged therefore we are provided with a play that is multidimensional in terms of how it (a) teaches us a moral lesson and (b) make us laugh and helps us to be entertained

Simple scenery

The simple and minimal scenery of the play is a characteristic of Elizabethan drama.  Money was sparse therefore actors were allowed to us simple props and simple scenery equipment to transfer ideas.  Obviously, drama has changed and recent performances allow for more elaborate costumes and scenes.  We see simplicity in the stage directions through: the desk, the skull (memento mori) and the quill (an Elizabethan pen).  We can also suggest that Marlowe writes more elaborate scenes with visual images to allow audiences to imagine more than perhaps “see.”  

GENDER: The representation of women and ideas about women as androgynous (neither male nor female) and the differences in presenting men

Can be identified through the two extremes we see in the play – the Madonna (Helen) and the whore (bar mistress).  Also an idea linked to the 19thc.  Gender neutral roles were introduced in 20thc performances (such as casting the sins as female) – many of these ideas could be attributed back to Elizabeth Ist who was known for her androgyny and power.   Elizabeth was also illegitimate – this could be linked to how women are presented negatively within the play.  Men were usually the heirs to the throne – you could argue that there is an overt focus on men and representing men in the play (of all classes).  In the 1500s onwards, many texts highlight the superiority of men over women.  Regardless of these things, Elizabeth reigned for 40 years and the era was termed The Golden Age.  She also encouraged creativity and theatre flourished during her reign.  

The family unit

We are learning about family in this era through the absence of the parents and the focus on the individual.  Elizabeth suffered the death of a father and a mother and would have been condemned for her own choice not to marry and produce an heir.  These ideas could be highlighted through the absent parents in the play.  Also, marriage is not important to Faustus in the play and it is also an opinion communicated by Meph – “marriage is but a ceremonial toy.”  Instead, Elizabeth was married to the state/to God.  (perhaps Faustus is married to magic?)

Ideas of sickness and disease

Imagery of sickness and disease in the play.  These were poor sanitary times.  The plague ravished through London and any reference to sickness/disease (physical/mental) is almost always intended to highlight these ideas.  This is also present through ideas about short life expectancy – Marlowe died at 29 and Faustus also dies a young man.  

Dress and appearance

Highlighted through stage directions and directors to indicate status and position in society.  One would be regarded in terms of rank according to the way one dressed.

Protestant/Catholic clash

Elizabeth’s sincere faith is evident throughout the play – the belief in one Christ/one religion.  Catholicism was illegal in England.  The mockery present in the Pope’s feast would be encouraged in order to highlight the Pope’s identity as anti-Christ.  

Ideas of feasting – drinking and eating in the play

We see a strong focus on greed as a representation of one’s wealth.  This is also in order to draw us to ideas of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Social classes

There is a clear sense of class throughout the play but also in the way one can transcend one’s class through knowledge and power – perhaps a bad thing?  We see a clear sense of a hierarchy within the play:   God, the monarch, nobility/the gentry/merchants/yeomen – lower class figures. Where does Faustus belong?  “Base of stock” – in medias res allows us to ponder this.  Low comedy and serious scenes also intend to highlight these divisions.  

A growing sense of atheism during the period

Atheism: disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods

There were serious changes in accepted beliefs during the time period. People were beginning to challenge the existence and importance of God.  Marlowe himself was said to be an atheist.  One could argue that F’s lack of repentance or efforts to communicate with God are a reflection of this growing mind-set.  Along with this, Marlowe was also accused of blasphemy and homosexuality – both of which are not permitted by readers of the Bible and could be reflective of his atheistic attitudes.  

The Reformation, Martin Luther (German) and its effect on England

Affected the period of 1483 – 1546 – Marlowe was born in 1564 therefore would have been affected by the “afterthought” of Luther’s ideas.  The setting, as mentioned, is pivotal to our reading of how religion is being presented in the play.  Although F’s behaviour goes against this – his dress becomes more fashioned and elaborate, his behaviour (feasting/drinking) echoes that of the Catholic Pope.  The play seems to show these contradictions and different beliefs across the play although ends with the idea that overreaching and going against God is ultimately wrong and is a sin punishable by death.  

Edenic allusions

Temptation, sin, living with the appearance of free will, negative ideas about women (all descendants of Eve) and the threat of Satan are all present in the play and remind us of The Bible’s most famous mythology – Genesis.  

Crime and punishment

We see extremity in the idea of crime and punishment.  Beheading was a popular punishment – we see an example of this in the play.  We can see strongly the ideas of the 7 Commandments and the 7 Sacraments (beliefs to repent sins) and the 7 Deadly Sins within the play.  Faustus seems to immerse himself in all of these sinful behaviours although if we are to consider but one, like Aristotle argues – fatal flaw – we could liken him to Icarus and term his flaw as overreaching.

Paganism and beliefs in magic

Were rife during this period.  We see much evidence and terminology associated with this in the play: conjuring, necromancy etc.  If the play was first published in 1604, then it was under the reign of James I and the Jacobean period – a period that surged in the interest of the occult and supernatural.  Many of the performance aspects of the play could be exaggerated to show this such as the presentation of witch-like women, the sins, magic on stage etc.  The dramatic importance of such things may have been drawn out to please James and his audience.  James wrote a text called Daemonologie in 1597 which spoke of the Black Arts and the Occult.  

The Great Chain of Being

The philosophy that every being (animal/human/divine spirit) has a place and rank in this world.  This is all governed by God – and that God is the highest power.  It is another form of a hierarchy.  Also known as a “ladder of being.”  Humans were third in rank and were believed to have the capability to ascend but that Kings were the closest in terms of “rank.”  As Faustus says, he aspires to be a “demi-God.”

The soul

Like the above, the fact that humans had souls made them spiritual beings and more unique.  The soul was viewed as an immortal part of us that could never be extinguished therefore ending the play with the collection of the soul (and its departure from the human body) allows us to imagine the punishment of F as more than he perhaps deserves (like Aristotle says in Poetics).  It also helps convey the strong moral message to the audience about disobedience and overreaching.

Additional ideas about Elizabeth Ist

She introduced the Book of Common Prayer.  She was regarded as the head of the Church therefore she, in a sense, removed the strong hierarchy that was set in place by the Pope and Catholicism, (in Catholicism, the Pope would be regarded as the father – the Papal leader) yet she still had Bishops, Priests – but SHE was in charge.  There was a clear belief in heaven/hell – there was no belief in purgatory.  She would specify that the way to salvation was personal between yourself and God = that the relationship between the individual and God was very important – a real and genuine fear in hell was encouraged.  This was a strong concept of the Protestant belief and why the Reformation was so influential.