Doctor Faustus
by Christopher Marlowe

Doctor Faustus: Setting 1 key example

Definition of Setting

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:

Although Doctor Faustus was written by a British playwright, the play itself is set primarily in Germany sometime during the 16th century. The plot of the story plays out over three key locations: Faustus’s study at his home in Wittenberg, Germany (also known at the time as the Holy Roman Empire); the pope's court in Rome, Italy; and the court of Germany’s emperor, Charles V (i.e. the Holy Roman Emperor). This was a period rife with rising tensions on all fronts; across Europe, issues of politics, religion, scholarship, and class were each coming to a boiling point. The rise of humanism during the Renaissance led to a major reform of educational models, reviving interest in the classical world and pushing for people to pursue their own individual ambitions.