Satire in Doctor Faustus

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dc.contributor.advisorBlackburn, William
dc.contributor.authorBarnes, Gerald
dc.date.accessioned2005-07-19T19:59:46Z
dc.date.available2005-07-19T19:59:46Z
dc.date.issued1979
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 145-150.en
dc.description.abstractThe three divergent readings of Marlowe as revolutionary iconoclast, as Christian moralist, or as ambiguous ironist become most pronounced in response to Doctor Faustus. The thesis will explain such divergence of critical opinion by approaching the play as Marlowe 's formal attempt at dramatic satire, not tragedy. The influence of classical comedy on Jonson 's satiric drama has been recognised, but similar study has yet to be conducted into Marlowe 's knowledge and use of classical models. The first Chapter will assess Marlowe's contact with Roman comedy before offering an analysis of his typical mode of satire in the Plautine scenes of The Jew of Malta. The second Chapter will consider whether the satyr-drama of Greece could have influenced Marlowe's satiric conception of Doctor Faustus, and a formal comparison will be made between the two kinds of drama. Their connection is ultimately justified by the Renaissance theories of satire as the direct utterance of satyrs and by there being a demonstrable continuity b e twee n the satyr and the medieval devil. The classical ancestry of the devil creates an ambivalence in the play's spectacle, and it may be argued that the old Grecian deity is used to satirise the play's medieval eschatology. A more orthodox view may see the satyrdevils to bolster the Christian purpose of the play, which is moral rebuke by means of satire. This dialectical development necessitates a Chapter on the relationship of Doctor Faustus to medieval drama, in which special attention is given to the devil in order to appreciate Marlowe's original dramatisation of that theatrical figure. The use of the all-but-obsolete form of the early Morality is seen as a politic way for Marlowe to satirise certain facets of Christian belief, and the drama of Euripides is forwarded as a classical model that helps us understand how the play may be both orthodox and unorthodox. The final Chapter does not seek to identify Faustus with his creator in the Romantic manner; instead it sees him as the primary target of the play's satire. A satiric interpretation need not preclude the idea Marlowe was at times seriously engaged with the tragic aspect of his subject, and the play is seen as tragical satire.
dc.description.notesThis title is not available online. Access options are: - consulting the copy from Archives in our reading room in person - https://asc.ucalgary.ca/visiting/ - borrowing a circulating copy from the Library catalogue – https://ucalgary.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01UCALG_INST:UCALGARY&lang=en
dc.format.extentvi, 150 leaves ; 30cm.en
dc.identifier82481061en
dc.identifier.citationBarnes, G. (1979). Satire in Doctor Faustus (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/16174en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/16174
dc.identifier.lccPR 2664 B36 1979 Microficheen
dc.identifier.other82481061en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/13058
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject.lccPR 2664 B36 1979 Microficheen
dc.subject.lcshMarlowe, Christopher, 1564-1593. Doctor Faustus
dc.subject.lcshSatire - History and criticism
dc.titleSatire in Doctor Faustus
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEnglish
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts (MA)
ucalgary.thesis.accessionTheses Collection 58.002:Box 341 82481061
ucalgary.thesis.notesPLen
ucalgary.thesis.uarcreleasenoen
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