The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, based…
October 1594 CE
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, based on the German Faustbuch, is the first dramatized version of the Faust legend of a scholar's dealing with the devil.
While versions of "The Devil's Pact" can be traced back to the fourth century, Marlowe deviates significantly by having his hero unable to "burn his books" or repent to a merciful God in order to have his contract annulled at the end of the play.
Marlowe's protagonist is instead torn apart by demons and dragged off screaming to hell.
Doctor Faustus is a textual problem for scholars as it is highly edited (and possibly censored) and rewritten after Marlowe's death.
The Admiral's Men in the three years between October 1594 and October 1597 will perform Doctor Faustus twenty-five times.
Marlowe's plays are enormously successful, thanks in part, no doubt, to the imposing stage presence of Edward Alleyn.
He is unusually tall for the time, and the haughty roles of Tamburlaine, Faustus, and Barabas were probably written especially for him.
Marlowe's plays throughout the 1590 sare to serve as the foundation of the repertoire of Alleyn's company, the Admiral's Men.