Answer the first question and any four of the remaining ones.

Q. 1. Explain the following passages with reference to their contexts and suplly brief critical com-

ments where necessary:

(a) When I behold the heavens, then I repent,

And curse thee, wicked Mephistophilis,

Because thou hast depriv’ me of those joys.

Ans. Ref.: These lines are from Christopher Marlowe s Dr Faustus.

Context: In Act II, Scene I, the old man Mephis tophles enter into a context for faustus.

Comment: Act III & IV: The Comic Diversion of Tragedy: The Act III and IV contain solely comic

scenes, although they do not have either the function of taking the plot ahead, or providing a parody to the main plot,

yet they exhibit the level to which Faustus has fallen.

The comic scene that follows Faustus two scenes in the papal court is another one of low comedy. The clown

Robin and Dick enter and flatter themselves on their successful stealing of a silver cup from the tavern. Their in

stealing is a parody of Faustus snatching of the dishes from the hand of the Pope in the preceding scene. The vintner

who comes to demand the cup back is again shown some tricks by Robin and Dick. But the vintner is unconvinced

of the innocence of the clowns. Robin then raises Mephistopheles to punish the vintner. Mephistopheles obliges by

appearing before them but he vents his anger at the two clowns rather than at the vintner. He transforms one of them

into an ape and the other into a dog.

The scene is not without its thematic connection with the main Faustus scenes. In the first place, the clowns

reduce Faustus practice of magic to its lowest denominator. Their punishment by Mephistopheles also prefigures

Faustus own at the hands of the devil that he serves. More immediately, however, the metamorphosis of the clowns

into a dog and an ape ironically comments on Faustus earlier dreams of transcendence through magic. For, like the

clowns, he too has been practising magic to pursue his baser appetites, and the metamorphosis he has undergone

through magic has helped to make him merely an itinerant magician who delights in playing petty tricks with petty

mortals. Gone is the earlier titanic aspirant of the opening of the play. An inner degeneration has overtaken Faustus

and the pity is that he is not even aware of it.

Acts III and IV, like II and III, are also separated by the entry of the chorus. This time the chorus informs us that

after visiting various cities and royal courts Faustus returned home to the delight of his friends and admirers, who

were missing his company badly. He gave them great joy and satisfaction with the accounts of his travels and new
discoveries in astronomy.

(b) I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,

By his arrow with the golden head,

By the simplicity of Venus’ doves,

By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,

And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage queen

When the false Trojan under sail was seen;

Ans. Ref. These lines have been taken from Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream.

Context: This is part of Helena s dialogue. Helena asks Lysander to put his vow of love to her (Helena) and the

other to Hermia on a scale to find out whether they weigh equally.

In the Dream Shakespeare makes frequent use of formal rhetorical devices.

We have lines which begin by with the same word:

These is rhymeticdevice in the lines asshming loves-doves, queen-seen.

(c) Come on, Sir, Now you set foot on shore

In novo orbe; here’s the rich pern;

And there within, Sir, are the golden mines great Solomn’s ophir!

Ans. Ref.: These lines have been extracted from Ben Johnson s The Alchemist.

Context: These words are said by Face to Mammon.

Comment: Face sends Mammon and Dol into another room where Mammon may be able to make love to Dol.

Then he asks Mammon, O what else sir? And that you ll make her royal with the stone, And empress; and yourself

king of Bantam. These words motivate Mammon and he takes his action as appropriate.

He looks at the Drugger s forehead and tells him that a ship is coming from the Port of Hormuz. It will bring a

commodity of drugs for Drugger. As a result Drugger would become a rich man. He indicates the lines on his

forehead and says this is the west, and this is the south.

(d) I hit a blow on the ridge of his skull, laid him stretched out, and he split to the knob of his gullet.

Ans. Ref. These lines are from J.M. Synge s The Playboy of the Western World.

Context: Pegeen and Window Quin quarrelling over Christy.

Comment: Act II begins the following morning, as Christy, alone, counts the pub s crockery and glassware. He

decides this would be a fine place to call home, and then looks into the wall mirror to confirm that he is indeed a
handsome man, as others have recently described him. He trying to conceal the mirror from the girls.

(e) And I treat a duchess as if she was a flower girl.

Ans. Ref.: These lines are from Barnard Shaw s Pygmalion.

Context: In Act IV, Eliza said this dialogue to Higgins. This statement angered Higgins and actually provoked a

response from him.

Comment: Higgins had ceased to ignore Eliza after she says this, and his responses indirectly demonstrate his

affection towards her. When she said The like of you and the like of me , it emphasized once again the distinction

between the two classes. Eliza believes herself to be common and ignorant and not worthy of Higgins. The fact

that she provoked a response out of him by pointing this out showed that Higgins truly did care about her.