Christopher Marlowe

Dr. Faustus Christopher Marlowe Large Print edition

Based on German stories about the title character Faust, Dr. Faustus is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe. It was written sometime between 1589 and 1592, and may have been performed between 1592 and Marlowe's death in 1593. The powerful effect of the early productions is indicated by the legends that quickly accrued around them. In Histriomastix, his 1632 polemic against the drama, William Prynne records the tale that actual devils once appeared on the stage during a performance of Faustus, "to the great amazement of both the actors and spectators".