The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

Basil Ashmore's version of Marlowe's play, with the 1592 English translation

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Printing Details

First edition, first printing. Hardback in dustwrapper. 19 × 12.5cm, 215pp.

Basil Ashmore was a theatrical director and playwright rather than a traditional academic textual editor. His 1948 edition was created to resolve the practical performance challenges of Doctor Faustus. Renaissance drama scholars often debate between the shorter A-text (1604) and the expanded B-text (1616), the latter of which contains extensive comic scenes added by external playwrights like William Birde and Samuel Rowley. Ashmore produced a unified acting version intended to highlight Marlowe’s poetic genius and tragic narrative while trimming non-Marlovian additions.

A major distinction of Ashmore's volume is that it paired Marlowe's play with the 1592 English translation of The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Doctor John Faustus (translated by "P. F."). By publishing the primary source directly alongside his theatrical text, Ashmore allowed readers and directors to observe how Marlowe directly adapted prose source material into dramatic verse.

Condition

Whilst this is a good solid copy in clean condition, it was previously owned by a smoker and as such carries a tobacco odour.