Why Wagner and Robin are in Faustus...

Wagner and Robin are in the play perhaps to parallel what happens to Faustus, this is done by subtly referencing things that happen to him, 'I will make thee go like Qui mihi discipulus,' this Latin phrase means one who is my student, showing that Robin, like Faustus wants to gain knowledge and will sell his soul to do so. They also serve a dark comic addition to the play by adding puns, 'beaten silks,' Robin recognises the positivity of the silk, but subtly hints that abuse will come with it. Robin also plays with the audience's interpretation of him by initially making them think he is better than Faustus by refusing to sell his soul for raw mutton, he then reassures the audience of his dark character by then saying, 'I had need to have it well roasted, and good sauce to it, if I pay so dear.' It would also appear that Robin serves to show that, despite being well educated, Faustus is not as witty as him!

The legend of the extra devil in Dr Faustus

A man claimed he saw another devil on stage during a performance of Faustus, this happened several times with different people. It made people believe that the play was haunted!

Passion play

A passion play is a depiction of Christ's trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in various Christian denominations, in particular the Roman Catholic Church.  They were performed first in Latin from the 13th century onwards. 

Performance in Dr Faustus

The way Faustus is preformed can change the audience's interpretation. For example when the Good Angel and Evil Angel are on stage, whether Faustus acknowledges them or not depends on the way it is performed. It could be that the Angels are on a higher level than Faustus, creating a barrier which would seperate them. This would explain why Faustus does not directly acknowledge them when they speak, it may be that Marlowe wanted them to be more like Faustus' subconcious battling itself.

The way the characters are dressed also tells the audience alot about them, Faustus would probably be dressed in expensive looking clothes and perhaps glasses to show intelligence. Whereas a beggar would be dressed in rags to make it clear to the audience what the persons circumstances are. Also what props the character holds would be important, if they held a knife the audience would immediately think them dangerous, just as if Faustus wore glasses it would make him appear intelligent.

What is the audience supposed to think about Faustus after the chorus?

We are initially not introduced directly to Faustus himself, but to the idea that he is 'not' extraordinary and does not compare to greatness, Marlowe creates this negative image by repeating 'nor' and reciting what he does not live up too, whereas typically we would expect the opposite from a chorus. It could be interpreted that Marlowe does this to add suspense, but another argument could be that this alternative beginning symbolises that Faustus will not be typical of Gothic protagonists. Marlowe immediately gives us a mixed impression of Faustus, 'good or bad' which almost questions the audience to whether they will condemn his actions or empathise with him.

It becomes clear from an early stage we should be 'patient' in our 'judgements' of Faustus. Marlowe gives us a humble impression of Faustus initailly, 'his parents base of stock,' pulling him away from a traditional Gothic protaganist and allowing the audience to feel as though they are on a level with him and he is not above them in social status. We are also encouraged as an audience to look at whether his fate was inevitable, as Marlowe suggests the 'heavens conspired his overthrow,' which although is not in direct relation to Faustus, it still invokes pity in relation to him.

However, as we continue, we hear of his intelligence, 'to Wertenberg he went' which makes us question his personality, and whether his intelligence is dangerous. Those fears for the audience are soon realised as Marlowe talks of his 'self-conciet' and how he 'glutted.' It is  then up to the audience's interpretation of whether he has always been an evil person, or whether external influences have corrupted him. Marlowe compares his initial love of theology, 'heavenly matters of theology,' with his later passion for magic, 'nothing so sweet as magic,' arguably this suggests his gluttony swallows him, reminding the audience that he is a flawed character.

Overall, as an audience it is clear we are meant to be left with a mixed opinion of Faustus. We are meant to debate whether he is a victim or a wholly evil character. However it appears Marlowe would prefer us to go in to the play without judging too harshly, and perhaps try and put ourselves in the place of Faustus to empathise with him.

Why was there tension between Catholics and Protestants in the Renaissance/Elizabethan era?

After Henry VIII’s break from Rome in 1532 more protestant ideas are formed. When Elizabeth succeeds Henry she transforms Britain to Protestant, increasing taxes on Catholics and banning them from some occupations. This angers Catholics, particularly in Rome. Elizabeth then forces citizens of Britain to make an oath of Supremacy and including that they attend Sunday church or are fined. Elizabeth eventually wins autonomy from Rome; however there were still a minority of Catholics in Britain who hatched plots against the Protestant government, notably in 1605 when Guy Fawkes and his followers hatched the infamous Gunpowder Plot, which was unsuccessful!