Dr. Faustus |
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First edition title page, 1604 |
Written by | Christopher Marlowe |
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Characters | Dr. Faustus Mephistophilis |
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Date of premiere | ca. 1592 |
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Place of premiere | London, England |
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Original language | English |
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Subject | Devil worship |
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Genre | Tragedy |
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Setting | 16th century Europe |
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The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus is a play by Christopher Marlowe. It is a tragedy. Marlowe's source was The English Faust Book of 1592. The play was first performed about 1592. It was first published in 1604. It tells of a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for youth, power, knowledge, and wisdom. The play contains the well known line, "Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships?" The play was released as a movie in 1967 starring Richard Burton.