Prologue

1. What kinds of plays will this not be (Prol.1-6)?

2. What will the play be (Prol. 7-8)?
3. What does the Chorus tell us about Faustus's life so far (Prol.10-
19)?
4. But what has happened to him (Prol. 20-28)?
5. What is the Chorus's attitude toward this change in Faustus's
life?

Scene 1 (Act 1, scene 1)

6. What is Faustus doing (1.1-2)?
7. How does he go about selecting his "major" (1.3-63)?
8. Is he being fair to each profession? To check this out, you might
want to look up the two Bible passages he quotes?
9. Does he quote the entire passage? What follows each passage?
10. Compare Faustus's image of a physician (1.14) to
Chaucer's (lines 445-446 of the General Prologue, vol. 1A, page
226). What is the similarity?
11. How successful has Faustus been in each profession he has
followed?
12. Is he happy with his successes? (See 1.23.)
13. What happens after he sends for Valdes and Cornelius at
line 67?
14. What are the two arguments presented in lines 70-77?
15. Does Faustus respond directly to them?
16. What does Faustus plan to do with his new powers (1.78-
97)?
17. Keep these plans in mind as you read the play.
18. What does he tell Valdes and Cornelius?
19. What do they tell him?
20. Will the three of them be partners in some way?

Scene 2 (Act 1, scene 2)

21. What happens when the two scholars meet Wagner?
22. How do the scholars react to what Wagner tells them?
23. How does the tone of scene 2 compare with the tone of
scene 1?
24. What is the difference?