Dr. Faustus and Religious Culture

Dr. Faustus and Religious Culture A look at Marlowe’s play text and White’s article, Theatre and Religious Culture

Marlowe Time! • Born 1564 • Educated at King’s School and went to Cambridge (1580) • Arrested! (May 1593) • Died at hands of Ingram Frizer

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

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.

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

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) • Calvin’s theories on Protestantism became the dominant branch of this movement up into the 17th Century

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.

White’s, 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

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

Traditional Theatre and Early Reformation (Cont’d) • 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

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 God’s judgements”(pg.141)

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”

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?

Discussion (cont’d) • 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?

Dr. Faustus and Religious Culture