YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY [17th Feb 12]: Homework.

Students completed the reading of Faustus. The session began with a consideration of Scene 13 and the significance/reading that can be attached to Faustus indulging in a sexual act with a demon. In Scene 10 Faustus informs the Emperor that '..it is not in my ability to present before your eyes the true substantial bodies of those two deceased princes, which long since are consumed to dust..' and..' But spirits as can lively resemble resemble Alexander and his paramour..'. This, along with the moment in Scene 5 where Mephistophilis presents '..a Devil dressed like a woman..' suggests that the image of Helen of Troy is a devil and that Faustus is being presented as indulging in a sexual act with a demon! What is Marlowe's aim in this scene? What can we infer about Faustus and his perception of reality in this scene? How would an audience in the 16th Century react to this moment?

The penultimate scene contains alcohol abuse, murder and sex!! How did Marlowe manage to present such graphic, challenging, shocking and controversial material? Why is the Chorus at the end and beginning of this play so significant when offering the audience a moral and religious framework through which to interpret this play? How can this be linked to Victor and Walton?

The majority of this session was a consideration of the final scene and how Faustus's final soliloquy could be read as an attempt to humanise Faustus. Class discussion explored the reading of the play as a conservative 16th Century religious fable that discourages its audience from embracing the new ideas of the Renaissance and encourages the audience to accept the traditional view of man's relationship with God. The Archdeaconofnonsense then encouraged students to consider the play as a twenty-first century text and challenged the class to construct a relevant reading that could be constructed by a secular audience. If the religious framework of this play is removed, what does the play offer a secular contemporary audience? What does the play offer when dealing with the themes of Ambition, Greed, Power, Guilt, The pursuit of Knowledge etc.

Students discussed the level of sympathy that could be attached to Faustus in the final scene and the significance of the chorus. Students were encouraged to consider:

• the significance of time in the final scene
• the significance of references to the natural world
• the significance of Faustus's attitude towards the power of God.
• the significance of 'Mephistophilis' being his final word before being dragged to Hell
• the sense of isolation and rejection being endured by Faustus.

THE FINAL SCENE IS A MONUMENTALLY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT. STUDENTS MUST BE AWARE OF AUTHOR'S AIM AND HOW MARLOWE ATTEMPTS TO TERRIFY HIS AUDIENCE.

HOMEWORK: Your half-term should be a READING week. Students should be reading ALL the texts that relate to this course. When we return we will be riding the gothic roller-coaster of meaning so it is essential that students are familiar with the text. I will also be e-mailing some students with guidance for coursework. Some students need to e-mail me their work. When we return, your first essay will be a response to the question: To what extent can Marlowe's Faustus be considered a religious fable?

YOU LOT HAVE BEEN MAGNIFICENT THIS TERM. THE ANTHOLOGY COURSEWORK IS A PLEASURE TO READ. MUCH APPRECIATED.

KEEP READING KEEP READING KEEP READING KEEP READING KEEP READING