In 1564 Christopher Marlow was born in Canterbury. His father was a shoemaker, and it was only through scholarships that Marlow was able to attain his education. He attended Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he wrote Tamburlaine. According to The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Marlow wrote Dr. Faustus in the last stages of his life. Christopher Marlow only lived to be twenty-nine years old; he was killed in London during an argument over the bill at a bar (1: 970-971). This essay will discuss the aspects of plot and theme as well as explaining the purpose of the chorus in Christopher Marlow's Dr. Faustus.

The prologue of Dr. Faustus introduces the audience to Faustus' character through the use of a chorus. The play opens with Faustus concluding that magic is the only art form great enough for his mind. The Good and Bad Angel first appear in Scene 1 of...