Dr. Faustus and Religious Culture

1
Dr. Faustus and Religious Culture

• A look at Marlowes play text and Whites
  article, Theatre and Religious Culture

2
Marlowe Time!

• Born 1564
• Educated at Kings School and went to Cambridge
  (1580)
• Arrested! (May 1593)
• Died at hands of Ingram Frizer

3
What? Two Texts?

• A text(1604) features some 36 lines not featured
  in B text
• B text(1616) features some 676 lines not featured
  in A text
• Once thought B was original text and A was bad
  folio copied from memory
• Dr. Faustus originally written in 1588-89

4
And Now Dr. Faustus

• In style of a renaissance morality play!
• Play built around orthodox Christian ideals
  (scene reading)
• Themes Divided Man, Corrupting power, and
  Renaissance values vs. Medieval Values.

5
Dr. Johann Faust

• Obvious basis for our title character
• Born late 15th Century and claimed to have
  practiced the Dark Arts
• Magical Powers?
• Numerous accounts of his powers combined and
  published in a biography published in 1587 in
  Frankfurt

6
Calvinism and Religious Historical Background

• Dr. Faustus written during reformation (began
  1516)
• Battle between Catholics and Protestants often
  took place on the stage
• Marlowe was attacked as being neither (quote pg.
  viii in introduction)
• Calvins theories on Protestantism became the
  dominant branch of this movement up into the 17th
  Century

7
John Calvin (1509-1564)

• A lawyer dedicated to the idea of reforming the
  church
• Went into Geneva in 1535 and enforced strict
  moral code based on Christian scriptures
• Strict Huh? Exiled from Geneva in 1538
• Completed his work on Protestant doctrine in
  Strasbourg. Work called, The Institutes of the
  Christian Church.
• Back to Geneva in 1540 and re-imposed strict
  moral code.
• Geneva became protestant capital. Refuge for
  protestants driven out of home countries.

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Whites, Theatre and Religious Culture

• Discusses the reformation and the complication of
  the relationship between Religion and Theatre
• Pre-reformation religious topics in theatre were
  fairly taboo- popular topics however were
  personal faith and ecclesiastical reform
• Divides article into three sections Traditional
  Theatre and Early Reformation, Theatre and
  Anti-Theatrical Criticism, and Drama of Religious
  Controversy

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Traditional Theatre and Early Reformation

• Reformation! King tries to cut ties with Catholic
  church but the traditional plays (morality plays
  and mystery cycles) are still performed
• Corpus Christi cycle shutdown in 1548
• Thomas Cromwell in 1530 notes power of theatre-
  and makes an attempt to spread Protestantism to
  the illiterate masses
• Bale and his Fellows performed these protestant
  plays with money from the crown

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Traditional Theatre and Early Reformation (Contd)

• Bale attempted to attack the theatricality of the
  Catholics through his plays
• This contradiction was considered to be
  controversial by the remaining catholic public
• This contradiction also gave birth to the
  anti-theatrical movement

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Theatre and Anti-Theatrical Criticism

• Anti-theatrical moralists were opposed to the
  idea of mixing divine truth with idolatrous
  renderings
• Churches were empty and theatres were full.
  Priests wondering what was being preached
• The actor became an, intolerable affront to the
  gospel message
• These anti-stage moralists were supported by
  Calvin who was most opposed to gender reversal in
  theatre
• Anti-Catholics supported theatre and saw the
  priest as a player, and the world as, The
  Theatre of Gods judgements(pg.141)

12
Drama of Religious Controversy

• In 1589 a board of censors was established by the
  crown
• After 89 board was not really heard of
  (disbanded?). Rule clear however- policy of the
  crown could not be challenged!
• The protestant play revisited. Instead of
  attacking the Catholics they start idealizing
  themselves
• White moves into religious matter in secular
  drama and names Dr. Faustus , as being the most
  penetrating exercise in religious self scrutiny

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Back to FaustusDiscussion Time

• The intro of our Marlowe text suggests that
  orthodox Christian attitude of audiences at this
  time would have them pre-condemn Faustus. Would
  this effect how the audience would react to the
  tragic nature of this play (lessen the purgation
  of pity and fear)? Does this viewpoint thusly
  weaken the power of the play?

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Discussion (contd)

• Now what is an atheist doing writing a morality
  play? Considering the historical context the
  essay provided and the fact that heavy censorship
  was in place during the same year this play was
  written (1589)- can we assume that Marlowe just
  happens to be a clever, cynical, sarcastic, son
  of a bitch? Or is there more there?