American Greatness
Spencer P. Morrison
Aug. 2, 2018
Spectators claim that Satan himself appeared on stage during the opening performance of Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus (1588). The grizzly specter, it was said, drove men mad with fear. Some in attendance wanted to demolish the theater, while others wanted to hang Marlowe for his occult summoning. In spite of the controversy (perhaps because of it), the play was a hit. Today Faustus remains one of the greatest works of literature. Why?
Exquisite language?—lines like “the face that launch’d a thousand ships†have haunted readers for centuries. Perhaps. But time rarely preserves art for art’s sake: what survives is useful; it serves a purpose. Doctor Faustus is no exception.
The plot is simple: Faustus sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange for demon Mephistopheles’ service for 24 years. Faustus dreams of wealth: I will “wall all Germany with brass . . . fill the public schools with silk†and “live a life of all voluptuousness.†In the end, Faustus wastes his power and Satan takes his soul.
More...
https://amgreatness.com/2018/08/02/free-trades-faustian-bargain-selling-americas-soul-for-trinkets/
