Doctor Faustus

This play was challenging to read and I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy it. The language was difficult to interpret, just as last week with Everyman. Dr. Faustus is also a longer play so it was difficult to stay focused and to decipher what was happening the whole time. Also, I didn’t enjoy the tome of the play. It felt less like a play and more like a religious-toned lecture or sermon. It felt as though Marlow was simply trying to force a lesson.

I feel like this play does reflect the typical modern outlook on what the medieval times were. We generally think of this as a dark, disease-ridden time, where the church held a very suppressive power. Even though there was a great deal of art during this time, I think this play reflects the more stereotypical view of medieval times. It doesn’t feel artistic; it feels over bearing and dark, and not in a thought-provoking way.

In my opinion, thought it’s difficult to decipher and not an enjoyable read, Dr. Faustus still applies in modern times. It hits such timeless themes as feeling incomplete in life, and the general idea of good versus evil, that it is still relevant.