S E R I E S E D I T O R S : JEANNE M. MCGLINN, PH .D.,UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA and W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D.,UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS A T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E T O T H E S I G N E T C L A S S I C S E D I T I O N O F CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S DOCTOR FAUSTUS By LAURA REIS MAYER

A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Christopher Marlowe’sDoctor Faustus 2 Copyright © 2006 by Penguin Group (USA) For additional teacher’s manuals, catalogs, or descriptive brochures, please email [email protected] or write to: PENGUIN GROUP (USA) INC. Academic Marketing Department 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014-3657 In Canada, write to: PENGUIN BOOKS CANADA LTD. Academic Sales 90 Eglinton Ave. East, Ste. 700 Toronto, Ontario Canada M4P 2Y3 Printed in the United States of AmericaTABLE OF CONTENTS An Introduction...............................................................................................................3 List of Characters............................................................................................................3 Synopsis of the Play........................................................................................................4 TeachingDoctor Faustus..................................................................................................8 DuringReadingActivities.............................................................................................14 AfterReadingActivities................................................................................................24 Extended Reading.........................................................................................................32 About the Author/Editors of this Guide...................................................................33

A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Christopher Marlowe’sDoctor Faustus 3 AN INTRODUCTION While written in the Renaissance language that often challenges high school and college students, Christopher Marlowe’sDoctor Faustusis a play for the ages. In a culture laden with books, movies, television shows and video games about black magic, the subject matter alone will captivate contemporary young adults. And with its themes of ambition, desire, fate, and free will, Marlowe’s drama is excellent comparison material to works both old and new.As a genre study,Dr. Faustusis a morality play, a historical allegory, the tale of a hero gone bad due to the dilemmas presented by an ever changing world. When Faustus is confronted by the Renaissance preference for analytical reason over the medieval deference to God, he must choose the course he believes is right, and in the process, loses his soul. Today’s teachers are in a unique position to share the historic and cultural significance ofDr. Faustus. In a society where Dan Brown’sThe DaVinci Codecontinues to challenge the foundations of religion, art, and history, and where a good portion of our youth have either read or viewed Brown’s work,Dr. Faustusoffers students a forum to study and react to such controversial topics as Renaissance humanism and the history of the Roman Catholic Church.Marlowe’s play provides more than enough of the conflict and challenge high school and college students enjoy, engendering a host of topics for classroom discussion, debate, speech, essays, and projects. This guide is designed to assist teachers in planning a unit that is accessible and attractive to readers of various reading levels, and to provide lessons that reach students of various learning styles.