Dr Faustus Reading Journals- Significance of Acts 1 to 5

Act One:

• Opens with Chorus (more similar to Greek Tragedies than Gothic).
• Sets up the themes i.e. Icarus- the ambition related to this is also an element of the Gothic.
• References to necromancy and religion- Anti Catholicism? Atheist Views?
• Juxtaposition between dark scenes and comic scenes.
• Mephistopheles as a Friar- Jibe at Catholicism.

Act Two:

• Heaven/Hell. Shows how people view hell. Mephistopheles thinks earth is hell.
• Angels leave- conscience gone too?
• 7 deadly sins.
• Comic Scene interrupts the tense scene.

Act Three:

• Chorus- summarises/covers alot of information.
• Scenes fo quite quickly- reflects how fast the 24 years are passing? How Faustus wastes his years?
• Pope (holiness). Mephistopheles (Evil). Mockery of religion?

Act Four:

• Morality plays (Faustus doesn't gain anything from selling his soul to the devil).
• Comedy scenes show Marlowe's atheism.
• Faustus beginning to show realisaton that his has made a mistake?

Act Five:

• Last Supper (Faustus with his disciples (scholars)). Acts like a 'Jesus'. Marlowe's atheism- happy to mock religion.
• Faustus' magic- christ's miracles.
• Calvinism (Some people are predestined to go to hell). Explains absence of God?
• Suicide- ultimate sin? Rejecting God's gift of life, so God won't save him from his pact?
• Suicide because he rejects each chance to repent - doesn't try to help himself.
• 'Despair'
• Seven Deadly Sins:

1. Lust- Helen of Troy
2. Greed- Knowledge etc.
3. Gluttony- 'glutted more with learning's golden gifts'
4. Pride- 'self-conceit'
5. Sloth- Doesn't actually acheive anything in the twenty four years
6. Envy- Envious of God's power?
7. Wrath- Towards the old man.