The clock strikes eleven.

Fau.

Ah, Faustus,

Now hast thou but one bare hour lo live,

And then thou must be damn'd perpetually.

Stand still, you ever-moving spheres of heaven

That time may cease, and midnight never come;

Fair nature's eye, rise, rise again, and make

Perpetual day; or let this hour be but

A year, a month, a week, a natural day,

That Faustus may repent and save his soul.

O lente lente currite noctis equi!

The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,

The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd.

O, I'll leap up to my God! Who pulls me down?

See, see where Christ's blood streams in the firmament!

One drop would save my soul, half a drop. Ah, my Christ! –

Rend not my heart for naming of my Christ;

Yet will I call on him. O, spare me, Lucifer! –

Where is it now? ‘Tis gone: and see where God

Stretcheth out his arm and bends his ireful brows.

Mountains and hills, come, come, and fall on me,

And hide me from the heavy wrath of God!

No, no:

Then will I headlong run into the earth.

Earth, gape! O, no, it will not harbour me.

You stars that reign'd at my nativity,

Whose influence hath allotted death and hell,

Now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist

Into the entrails of yon labouring clouds,

That, when you vomit forth into the air,

My limbs may issue from your smoky mouths,

So that my soul may but ascend to heaven.

The watch strikes.

Ah, half the hour is pass'd: 'twill all be pass'd anon.

O God,

If thou wilt not have mercy on my soul,

Yet for Christ's sake, whose blood hath ransom'd me

Impose some end to my incessant pain;

Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years,

A hundred thousand, and at last be sav'd. :

O, no end is limited to damned souls.

Why wert thou not a creature wanting soul?

Or why is this immortal that thou hast?

Ah, Pythagoras' metempsychosis, were that true,

This soul should fly from me and I be chang'd

Unto some brutish beast: all beasts are happy,

For when they die

Their souls are soon dissolv'd in elements;

But mine must live still to be plagu'd in hell.

Curs’d be the parents that engender'd me!

No Faustus, curse thyself, curse Lucifer

That hath depriv'd thee of the joys of heaven.

The clock strikes twelve.

O, it strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air,

Or Lucifer will bear thee quick to hell!

Thunder and lightning.

O soul, be chang'd into little water drops,

And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found.

Enter Devils.

My God, my God! Look not so fierce on me!

Adders and serpents, let me breathe awhile!

Ugly hell, gape not! Come not, Lucifer;

I'll burn my books! -Ah, Mephostophilis!

Exeunt with him. [Exeunt LUCIFER and BEELZEBUB].

TEXT ANALYSIS

1. Read the monologue and point out the expressions that you find particularly poignant; state the attitude they convey. Then discuss what feeling is prevalent in Faustus's mind.

2. Where is the emphasis, at this crucial moment in the play?

Choose the answer that you consider appropriate, and give reasons for your choice.

- on what expects Faustus

- on the moral teaching implied

- on Faustus's state of mind

3. Focus on the stage directions referring to the clock. Besides signalling the passing of time, what function do they have in this context?

4. What is the last, desperate promise Faustus makes, in the vain attempt to save his soul?

5. The first, obvious interpretation of the play is religious. What were the sins committed by Faustus? Which of them was the worst?

6. Think of the spirit of the Renaissance, with its aspirations to explain the nature of matter, to discover the secrets of creation, its rebellion against orthodoxy and dogma. In this context, what conflict is highlighted by this play?

7. Find all the words and expressions that refer to these three elements: Air, Earth, Fire.

8. Find the expressions relating to death, damnation and hell. What kind of imagery do they use? Choose the most appropriate adjective(s) abstract

concrete

mythological

fearful

biblical

majestic

9. Here are some of the features that can be found in the passage. Can you find examples of each? Quote the lines.

Paradox

Simile

Hyperbole

Metaphor

Mythological reference

10. Doctor Faustus contains features of the Middle Ages and features of the Renaissance. Discuss what you have gathered so far, then read the following list and decide which items apply to the Middle Ages, which to the Renaissance.

Write MA or R next to each.

o Inner conflict between sin and repentance, good and evil

o Aspiration to explain the nature of matter

o Rebellion against orthodoxy and dogma

o Presence of the Devil

o Aspiration to discover the secrets of creation

o Presence of a Good Angel and an Evil Angel, which recalls the morality plays

o Wish to dominate nature

o Fascination with what man can achieve

o His own damnation as a result of the pact with the Devil

o Aspiration to control natural elements

o Thirst for unlimited knowledge