Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus - Penguin Group

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CD INSERT
A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus
In this activity, students design a modern CD insert for the soundtrack of Christopher Marlowe’s
Dr. Faustus. Inserts include cover and other artwork, lyrics, and producer’s notes. Songs can be
classical or contemporary. The “producer’s notes” are actually student analysis, explaining why each
song fits a specific scene, theme, or mood from Marlowe’s play, thereby justifying its selection.
For extra credit, students can burn their own CDs and present them for class listening. Inserts are
assessed on analysis, effort, and design.
EXTENDED READING
Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus raises significant questions about the benefits of magic, the
complexity of good and evil, and the nature of desire.
Ask students to read one short story, one play or novel, and watch one film that depicts the passage
from innocence, through conflict, to redemption/condemnation as the protagonist is willing to
pay the ultimate price for his ambitious aims. Students can make a comparison chart depicting the
similarities and differences between the character and Dr. Faustus.
Students should also consider the following questions as they read/view:
1. What character traits depict the protagonist as a hero?
2. Does this character illustrate a moral code? If so, describe it.
3. What is the character’s greatest desire?
4. What ultimate price is the protagonist willing to pay to reach his/her objective?
5. Detail the outcome of the hero’s “bargain.”
6. Does the protagonist regret his/her decision? How do you know?
7. Does the character learn a lesson as a result of his downfall? Describe this lesson.
8. Is the protagonist ultimately redeemed or condemned for his/her choices?
The following titles focus on themes of magic, good versus evil, ambition, and Faustian bargains,
and are excellent for independent reading or literature circles where each group of students read a
different work on the same theme.
Benét, Stephen Vincent. “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” The Devil and Daniel Webster and
Other Writings. New York: Penguin Classics, 1999.
Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. New York:
Signet Classics, 2000.
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. San Francisco: Harper, 1995.
The Devil Wears Prada. Dir. David Frankel. Fox, 2006.
Irving, Washington. “The Devil and Tom Walker.” Complete Tales of Washington Irving. Da
Capo Press, 1998.
Lewis, C.S. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: Harper Entertainment, 2005.
The Little Mermaid. Dirs. Ron Clements and John Musker. Disney, 1989.
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. New York: Signet Classics, 2001.
Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. New York: Knopf Books, 1996.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Arthur A. Levine, 1998.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Signet Classics, 1998.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Dir. George Lucas. LucasFilm, 2005.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Signet Classics, 1994.
White, T.H. The Once and Future King. New York: Ace, 1996.