Paper Summary:

This paper argues that Faustus (of Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus"), while an educated man, does not yet understand the nature of correct reading. Faustus believes that power resides inside texts, rather than in how the reader uses the texts. The paper shows that because of this, he rejects many useful books in favor of using "magical" texts to summon demons to gain power. It is this misinterpretation of how reading and texts can be used that leads to Faustus's final downfall.

From the Paper:

"Additionally, we may reasonably assume that the long Latin incantation Faustus intones comes from one of the books that Valdes and Cornelius have provided him. Revealing again his belief in the power of the texts himself, Faustus marvels at his successful conjuration: "I see there's virtue in my heavenly words" (1.3.28). Mephistopheles tries to disabuse him of this confusion by revealing that he came not because of Faustus's speech per se but because Faustus's speech suggested to him a man willing to abjure God and forfeit his soul."

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