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Dr. Faustus
Fiction e-Book-of-the-Month, August 2000. UNSATIATED WITH THE TRAPPINGS of earthly fame, the ambitious sixteenth-century physician and astrologer Dr. Faustus strikes a pact with the devil to gain access to a forbidden world of knowledge and power - and barters away his soul. The fruits of Faustus' unholy contract are chilling and addictive, and the doctor is drawn further into the abyss. Along the way, he is offered, but squanders, opportunities to repent and turn back to grace. In the middle acts, Faustus uses his powers for simple practical jokes, highlighting the worthless nature of his deal with the devil - giving the audience a respite from the tension of the first acts and the terror of the final act. Here, in the ultimate repudiation of redemption, Faustus chooses a tryst with Helen of Troy over salvation. Faustus' final monologue, when he realizes all is lost - and that his half of the unholy bargain is now due - is one of Christopher Marlowe's most powerful scenes. Marlowe, playwright, poet and contemporary of William Shakespeare, recounts the classic Faustian tragedy in dramatic form with mastery. It is a subject treated by many authors, but the power of the retelling here has been rarely equalled.
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