Faustus III-V

Kristen Loomis & Kisha Oister

Act V, Scene II

Ah, Faustus, (140)Now hast thou but one bare hour to live, And then thou must be damned 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 makePerpetual 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 damned. 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!

Questions1. How do we see Faustus’ use/idea of magic change

from the beginning of the play to the end. What does he actually do?

2. How does Faustus’ idea of predestination change throughout the play?

3. Since his ideas change, why is it still so difficult for him to repent? What are the events that spark his interest in repentance?

4. Although Faustus appears to be in control of Mephostophilis, what does the true power structure between them look like?

5. Which of the seven deadly sins does Faustus personify the most?

6. How does Marlowe’s presentation of the occult differ from Shakespeare’s?

7. What is Marlowe saying about Christianity/religion?