Doctor Faustus Critical Analysis

Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus brings together many 17th century religious ideals, but what truly makes this play and playwright intriguing is that to this day critics and scholars still cannot come to an agreement on the true nature of this controversial work. For a theater season at Pitt-Greensburg I believe that this play could be staged quite well, and in our modern time the provocative message will be more easily understood and received by current day audiences.
Christopher Marlowe was born in Canterbury, England, in 1564. His life would only last 29 years, and his literary career only six, but his achievements ensured a lasting legacy. He studied Corpus Christi College from 1580 until 1587, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1584. However, the university was hesitant to grant him his master’s degree in …show more content…
Elizabeth Taylor also had a silent cameo as Helen of Troy, which many critics of the day mocked. It followed the original text exactly, which some critics say was terrible for the cinema, and the overall reception of the film was abysmal. This is mainly due to the fact that although Burton provided a powerful performance with a talented cast, the cinematography seemed unskilled, and with the use of the original Old English text became very tedious. To many critics it is the “worst stage-to-screen churned out by Hollywood” (Bloom 58), and the “overindulgence of 60’s gimmicks give the movie a dated feel.” (Bloom 60) Even Burton was tarnished by the film’s horrendousness, as Farnham states, “He hits all the wrong notes as Faustus, turning the character into someone we are never convinced is an actual person.” (Farnham 67) As far as stage adaptations go, the play has continued to remain close to the original work by Marlowe. Other than a period of adaptation to the popular style of English pantomime, the play has always remained as Marlowe intended