What in your judgement are the four most significant differences between the A and B text versions of Act V of Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus’?
...text suggests that Faustus can repent, saving himself by doing so. The Old Man tells Faustus to leave the “damned art” he practises; indicating he has a chance at being saved if he follows his advice. All he has to do is discard what he has done, in much the same way a sinner would discard their sins in repenting. Faustus is a sinner of the worst kind, he has tried to raise his status to that of God and has disrupted the balance of Christianity in the process but even so, as the Old Man is aware, there is still a chance he can avoid hell: “This magic, that will charm thy soul to hell”. Faustus here is hapless, whereas in A he is hopeless. Faustus is almost portrayed as a victim of the magic which he has performed. Rather than Faustus being a man who has chosen his own destiny in sin, he is has fallen foul to magic, which in effect is the only mistake he has made, or sin he has committed. Everything he has done wrong has happened as a consequence of this, and so all he must do is accept the mistake he has made by dabbling in such areas and shun sin. Telling Faustus “his hour is almost come” upon him, the Old Man makes Faustus awake that, while he has very little time, he still has a chance. In A however, Faustus’ “hour is come” suggesting he is beyond hope. B takes a more contemporary view of Christianity in that it offers a chance of salvation, whereas A adheres to the opinion (most prominent at the time of writing) that once a sin is committed, it will forever tarnish you and condemn you to hell, as is the view shared by the most orthodox of Christians. Another significant variation between the two versions of act V is how Faustus is taken away to hell by the devils. In the A text this is simply all that happens as regard to Faustus’ damnation, whereas in B- the event is expanded upon a great deal and is far more prolific. There is mention of the Scholars hearing Faustus’ cries for help as he is torn limb from limb by Luci...