The Tragical History of Doctor Faustu..., Christopher Marlowe
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The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

Author: Christopher Marlowe

Narrator: Christopher Dukes, Blaise Doran, Dara Brown, Laura E. Richcreek, Denis Daly, various narrators

Unabridged: 1 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/30/2024


Synopsis

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is one of the earliest and most compelling presentations of the story of a man who sold his soul to the Devil. It is based on the popular history of Johann Georg Faust (1466–1541) a German chemist and magician, who allegedly perished in an explosion during an alchemical experiment. In the theologically charged world of early reformation Germany, a report spread that his violent death was a demonstration that the devil had come to collect his soul. The legend spread quickly and has formed the basis of many later literary and dramatic works.Marlowe’s play is essentially a morality play. However, unlike medieval morality plays, in this version, Faust is portrayed as a tragic hero rather than as a hapless sinner. Marlowe’s play was published posthumously in two separate folios, the first in 1604 and a more extended version in 1616. The earlier version was divided into sixteen scenes and the latter into twenty. This performance is based on a special conflation of material from both folios.

Author Bio

Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) was a playwright, poet, and, famously, a contemporary of and influence on the great bard Shakespeare. Though he died before his thirtieth birthday and his career lasted only six years, he nonetheless made a lasting impression on literary history with his works such as The Tragicall History of Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine the Great, and The Jew of Malta.

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