Doctor Faustus
With The English Faust Book
Christopher Marlowe author David Wootton editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Published:15th Mar '05
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This edition of Doctor Faustus offers a new context, including supporting documents and annotations that enhance understanding of Marlowe's complex play.
This edition of Doctor Faustus presents a fresh perspective through its inclusion of supporting documents such as selections from The English Life of Faustus and contemporary testimonies regarding Marlowe's alleged atheism. These elements create a compelling backdrop for understanding the play's unique blend of comedy and its somewhat sordid portrayal of demonic magic. By incorporating these texts, readers are invited to explore the intricate layers of meaning within Marlowe's work.
Featuring annotated versions with modernized spelling and punctuation, this edition encompasses both the 1604 A-text and the 1592 source text, the English Faust Book. This translation of the widely popular Historia von Johann Fausten, published in Frankfurt in 1587, narrates the enigmatic tale of Doctor John Faustus and his fateful agreement with the spirit Mephistopheles. The annotations provide valuable insights that enhance the reading experience, making it accessible to contemporary audiences.
David Wootton's Introduction is particularly noteworthy as it delves into Marlowe's brief yet impactful career, the complex social and political environment surrounding the staging of Doctor Faustus, and the religious sentiments it may have addressed. He also discusses the interpretive significance of the differences between the A and B texts, highlighting Marlowe's clever and subversive adaptation of the English Faust Book. In this drama, although orthodox Christian teachings prevail, Faustus emerges as the character with the most memorable lines.
This is an excellent edition; I really appreciate the clear Introduction and the exceptionally useful notes. I look forward to using this text with a freshman literature class who will really benefit from the helpful textual apparatus. --Charlotte England, Department of English, Salisbury University
The inexpensive paperback will allow this student-friendly text to be added to the reading list of a variety of high-school and college courses. Teachers as well as students will find the Introduction here very useful. --Bibliotheque d'Humanisme et Renaissance
"The decision to embed much of the B-text (1616) into the full A-text (1604) of the play was a creative ‘compromise’ (as Lynch admits) in order to offer students as much of Marlowe’s full intention about the story as possible. The gray highlighting of the incorporated “B” textual material allows the reader access to the later textual material but also does not so intrude that the original “A” text cannot be read independently.... The meshing of the two versions can be very informative especially for teachers of theater and performance/ drama and teachers of writing, as well as for instructors in literature. I can imagine a theater instructor, for example, discussing with students what was/is lost/gained/ changed moving from the 1604 to the 1616 version of the play and how those changes might impact not just the themes but the actual performances of the play. An instructor in writing clearly could do much with the Lynch edition, especially in discussions about revision/ rewrites and the process of play writing." --June-Ann Greeley, Professor of Languages and Literature, Sacred Heart Univer
ISBN: 9780872207295
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 171g
192 pages