Dr Faustus Act V

Act V:

Scene I:

·         Wagner = reminder of the time scale

·         His life has ended – metaphorical imagery – he cannot feast on the 7 deadly sins.

·         Last supper?

·         Back to his roots of base stock

·         Can’t handle the wealth?

·         Old Man – Jesus? Focused on God /morality? Is he the morality character?

·         He grounds Faustus – reality check and sobering.

·         Blood is thicker than water.

·         Forced epiphany – lost of exclamation “What hast thou done?” and “Despair and Die” – sarcasm?

·         Mephistopheles gives him a dagger cruel to be kind – gives F a choice – power to choose – no hesitation.

·         Faustus prepares to stab himself – Macbeth.

·         Does Faustus break his contract? Sends him to hell anyway.

·         “Sweet Faustus” – “Sweet Mephistopheles”

·         “Hopeless Soul” – The old Man cannot save Faustus.

·         “Thou Traitor” – Broken contract – scares him.

·         Helen – doesn’t exist – facsimile.

·         Women have little significance – it’s the first time that a woman has come onto the stage – Faustus is compromised by the idea of romance.

·         Lust – reconfirms his naivety - immortal kiss – does he want to break his contract.

·         Seeing her will make him not listen to the old man.

·         Faustus speech shows a different side to him.

·         Possible comic element – irony – the actor would be a man dressed as a woman – context.

·         “Monarch of the sky” – more lovely than God.  

Scene II:

·         “The Serpent” – Macbeth and Lamia.

·         Ironic – back to academia

·         He cheated death

·         His last words are “Ah, Mephistopheles!” – A betrayal or relief? Or anger?

·         Is the ending happy or sad?

·         What do we as an audience feel towards Faustus?