Doctor Faustus

Editors: Bevington, David, Rasmussen, Eric

“The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus”, more commonly referred to as “Dr. Faustus”, is Christopher Marlowe’s version of the famous legend of a doctor who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. Based on the German legend of Johann Georg Faust, a magician of the German Renaissance who reportedly gained his mystical powers by selling his immortal soul to the devil, the Faustian legend has forever come to symbolize the inherent peril in dealing with unscrupulous characters and supernatural forces. Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus” is based primarily upon an anonymous late 16th century work concerning the history of the real life Faust.

Publication Date: 1592

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Content guidance

Reading level: Adult
Content warning: This book contains occult themes and difficult moral conflict. It portrays evil not to endorse it, but to reveal the truth.