Christopher Marlowe

Boredom, ambition and the usual man’s willingness to overcome his limits push famous scientist Faustus to reject traditional disciplines and even God in favour of necromancy.
 Seduced by dreams of glory and omnipotence, Faustus gives in to Mephistopheles’s temptations and signs a contract with no less than Satan himself: 24 years of knowledge in exchange for his soul.
 Distracted by devilish performances, travels around the world, beautiful past queens and pleasurable tricks, will Faustus succeed in saving himself?
 An old but modern story on Man’s thirst for power and knowledge topped with five rich extensions to contextualize the work and its author. 
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Summing-up Activities
 
 La noia, l’ambizione e la solita volontà dell’uomo di sfidare Dio spingono il famoso scienziato Faustus a firmare un contratto addirittura con Satana stesso: 24 anni di conoscenza in cambio della sua anima.
 Distratto da quadretti demoniaci, bellissime regine del passato e piacevoli scherzi, riuscirà Faustus a salvarsi?
 Una storia antica ma moderna sulla sete dell’uomo per il potere e la conoscenza, arricchita da approfondimenti utili a contestualizzare i vari personaggi e l’autore.

Characters

Chapter 1 – The thirst for knowledge

Extension: Progress, science and technology in the Renaissance

Chapter 2 – The pact with the devil

Extension: The real Dr Faustus

Chapter 3 – In Rome with Pope Adrian

Extension: Angels and demons

Chapter 4 – In Germany at Charles V’s court

Extension: Major and minor characters in Doctor Faustus

Chapter 5 – The punishment

Extension: Faustus in music

Summing-up activities

Glossary

Many other important inventions and discoveries were made thanks ???? to a change in the way of thinking: people decided they wanted to understand the world around them, and therefore tried to experience things, rather than simply believing what the ancient authors had said about nature and its phenomena. Great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, for example, studied anatomy to better understand the body and to create more realistic paintings and sculptures, and architects such as Brunelleschi made advances in maths in order to design perfectly balanced3 buildings. However, one of the most important inventions of the Renaissance was the printing press (around 1440), thanks to Johannes Gutenberg. The fact that now information could reach a large audience helped the circulation of the new scientific discoveries and allowed scientists to share their works and learn from each other. Both the microscope and the telescope were invented in this period, as well as the first mechanical clock and the pocket watch, but there were also inventions that advanced warfare4, and other more practical inventions which improved the quality of daily life, such as the flushing5 toilet, the screwdriver6, wallpaper, and the pencil. Also, progress in naval engineering made England one of the most powerful nations in Europe and allowed it to spread its power all over the world, from the New World to the Far East.This expansion overseas gave England the opportunity to trade with far away countries, to form the basis for the British Empire, and, what s more, to enlarge its cultural horizons. Christopher Marlowe lived and worked in that time of progress, when England fully developed into a Protestant country, and that glorious period influenced his works and genius. He also contributed to the development of the theatre: he adopted the blank verse, and he brought the language of drama to heights never known before. Faustus became the perfect symbol of the Renaissance scholar who tried to gain knowledge by doubting everything, refusing all authority, and going straight to nature, but sometimes also magic, for answers. 3. balanced: keeping a balance so that different parts of something exist in equal or correct amounts. 4. warfare: military and war activity. 5. flushing: with water that passes through it to clean it. 6. screwdriver: 22 

2 The pact with the devil BEFORE READING Chapter 1 Answer the questions. a. Have you ever regretted doing or not doing something? b. Would you act differently now? c. What would or wouldn t you do if you had the possibility to go back in time? 2 What do you expect these characters will do? Tick the suggestion/s you think most probable. a. Faustus will   sign the pact with the devil. return to his university books. find alternative ways to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. b. Mephistopheles will   tell Faustus Lucifer refused to sign a pact with him. tell Faustus Lucifer wants to meet him in person and discuss things with him. tell Faustus Lucifer accepted his proposal. c. The Good Angel and the Bad Angel will   stop fighting over Faustus s soul and leave him alone. talk to Mephistopheles about Faustus s destiny. try to convince Faustus to do the right thing. 3 These are words you will find in the text. Translate them into your own language. If you don t know their meaning, look them up in a dictionary. a. scared ................................................... c. wealth ................................................... e. guarantee ............................................ g. despair .................................................. i. mercy .................................................... 23 b. frightening ............................................... d. rude ............................................................ f. legal ............................................................ h. amusement ............................................ j. remorse ................................................... 

Faustus, celebre scienziato, cede alla tentazione di conoscere e potere, firmando un patto con il diavolo. Ma riuscirà a salvare la sua anima?

Doctor Faustus

Level B1 • Pre-Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

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