The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

Editor’s Note

The earliest known edition of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is that of 1604; there is a second edition with date of 1609, agreeing in almost every particular with the first; a third edition with new scenes and many alterations, was published in 1616. The text here given is that of 1604, with some readings adopted from the edition of 1616, in general agreement with the texts of Dyce and Bullen. It is very doubtful if any of the additions in the edition of 1616 are by Marlowe; Mr. Bullen thinks that some of them are. They are often ingenious, and sometimes they are improvements. They appear to be written by a clever and facile imitator of Marlowe’s style. The comic additions are taken from the prose History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Dr. John Faustus; the serious additions are closely moulded on Marlowe’s early work. We know that in 1602 William Bride and Samuel Rowley received four pounds for making “adicyones” to Faustus. I have retained the excellent plan, introduced by Professor Ward and adopted by Mr. Bullen, of dividing the play into scenes only: it is a dramatic poem rather than a regular drama.

Dramatis Personae

• The Pope

• Cardinal of Lorrain

• Emperor of Germany

• Duke of Vanholt

• Faustus

• Valdes, Friend to Faustus

• Cornelius, Friend to Faustus

• Wagner, Servant to Faustus

• Clown

• Robin

• Ralph

• Vintner, Horse-Courser, Knight, Old Man, Scholars, Friars, and Attendants

• Duchess Of Vanholt

• Lucifer

• Belzebub

• Mephistopheles

• Good Angel

• Evil Angel

• The Seven Deadly Sins

• Devils

• Spirits in the shapes of Alexander the Great, of his Paramour, and of Helen of Troy

• Chorus

Scene I