Doctor Faustus: Act IV

These lines are from the enlarged 1616 Quarto, which includes the characters Martino, Frederick, and Benvolio, who are gentlemen at the Emperor's court. The scene serves mostly to tell the audience what is going to happen and to develop the character of Benvolio (the Knight in the 1604 Quarto).

These lines are from a scene in the 1616 Quarto. Here, "exploit" is used as a noun of praise to convince Benvolio that Faustus will do something worth getting out of bed to see (Martino and Frederick are also calling him out to help them attend the Emperor, but that argument would not appeal to a lazy drunk). As a verb, "exploit" means "use or manipulate to one's advantage" and "work excessively hard." To achieve his exploits, Faustus exploits Mephistophilis.

This line from the 1616 Quarto serves to verbally build up suspense for the grand entrance of the Emperor. In a staging of the play, the audience would soon hear a sennet (trumpet signal) and see the royal pageantry. Then, like the Emperor, their eyes would be treated to wonders. Since Mephistophilis is already by his side, Faustus would not need a compass ("drafting instrument used for drawing circles") to perform the magic spells.

These lines from the 1616 Quarto refer to a character and plot point that are not in the 1604 Quarto. While the Emperor is outwardly praising Faustus for a deed he had already done, he is also subtly convincing Faustus against future deeds. In inviting Faustus to his court, the Emperor is both wanting to be amazed and trying to minimize a possible threat to his power.

The verb also means "pay off loans or promissory notes" and "save from sins." While these definitions don't apply to what Faustus did for Bruno in the 1616 Quarto, they ironically suggest the deal Faustus made, which makes him irredeemable and which he must redeem.

The enterprise Benvolio wants Martino, Frederick, and soldiers to undertake with him is murder. In response to Benvolio doubting he could conjure Alexander and his paramour, Faustus put horns on his head. Although he no longer has the horns, Benvolio still feels the shame and believes it will not go away until Faustus dies. In the 1604 Quarto, the Knight simply leaves after Faustus removes the horns.

Nowadays, someone waiting to ambush another can hide anywhere. But this scene from the 1616 Quarto focuses on groves and trees, which connect to the Old French root "busch" which means "wood."

These lines are from the enlarged 1616 Quarto and strike terror into the hearts of the conspiring murderers. They had actually succeeded in chopping off Faustus' head and directing accusations at it. As they are deciding on how to divide and dishonor the rest of his body, Faustus suddenly rises from the dead (which both foreshadows and contrasts his later death).

Spoken by Faustus, these lines from the 1616 Quarto allude to what God did to Lucifer and other angels (including Mephistophilis) for conspiring against him. However, the more vengeful Faustus countermands his original order so that the traitors would suffer first on earth and then in hell. According to Dante's Inferno, treachery is the worst sin that's punished in the lowest circle of hell. But there was never any trust between Faustus and these men, so they're not guilty of treachery.

Especially since Faustus cannot be killed before his contracted 24 years expire, this defensive maneuver seems unnecessary. By hiding behind the trees, Faustus could avoid a fight. Yet, he decides to conjure an army to drive out the soldiers, who would be no match against devils. This emphasizes Faustus' heartless nature; it also provides more action for the staging of the 1616 Quarto.

In this line from the 1616 Quarto, the word "incontinent" is used as an adverb to mean "immediately." As an adjective, it means "not having control"--usually over bodily functions such as urination and defecation. In encountering the army of devils, the soldiers could become incontinent. They could also be encountering incontinence in the form of sins that the devils represent (such as gluttony, lechery, or wrath).

This scene from the 1616 Quarto contrasts with an image in Dante's Inferno. In the lowest (ninth) circle of hell, traitors are trapped in a lake of ice--a fitting punishment for those who denied God by rejecting warmth and love. Here, the punishment is less fitting (although the furies could connect to their sin of wrath) and more a reflection of their shame (Benvolio's reputation was dragged through the mud and now they're all horned).

The noun also means "an agreement between parties fixing obligations of each." That definition does not apply to this line from the 1616 Quarto, because the agreement between Faustus and the horse-courser involves a simple exchange of a horse for money. This bargain shows that Faustus is worse than the devil because he withholds information and negotiates to his own advantage (which seems to be pleasure at squeezing a poor man for money he does not need).

This character is not in the 1604 Quarto; he is similar to the horse-courser, who adds: "You whoreson conjuring scab, do you remember how you cozened me of a ho--" Both speakers are cut off because Faustus charms their voices so that they can't continue their accusations. With so much power and knowledge at his disposal, Faustus chooses to cheat, mock, amuse, and play jokes.

"Beholding" means "perception by means of the eyes." This definition could be a pun that refers to what Faustus had shown them. But this line is spoken by a pregnant Duchess, who wasn't interested in the sights, but is grateful to Faustus for having sent Mephistophilis halfway around the world to get her some ripe grapes.

This line is from the 1616 Quarto. In the 1604 Quarto, the Duke's line sounds less grateful and more like an order: "Come, Master Doctor, follow us, and receive your reward."