Dr. Faustus
Essay Assignments
Please choose one of the following prompts and write a well-developed 5-7- paragraph
essay, using appropriate textual evidence to support your thesis.
Option 1: A frequent theme in literature is that there are consequences for choosing to
become more powerful than God.
From a work of literature you have read in or out of school (Dr. Faustus), select a
character who strives to become more powerful than God. In a well-developed
composition, identify the character, describe the character’s choice and its consequences,
and explain how the character’s choice is important to the work of literature.
Option 2: Works of literature often feature a character whose ambition clouds his/her
morality.
From a work of literature you have read in or out of school (Dr. Faustus), select a
character whose moral compass has been skewed by his/her overwhelming ambition. In
a well-developed composition, identify the character, describe how the character’s
ambition has influenced his morals and decisions, and explain how the character’s
behavior is important to the work of literature.
These first two prompts are written in the style of previous MCAS prompts. There is a
good chance we might see something that looks like this, since prompts have been
character-driven in recent years. These prompts would be good choices if you want to
write about the character of Dr. Faustus.
Option 3: Often in works of literature, a character influences others in good or bad ways.
From a work of literature you have read in or out of school (Dr. Faustus), select a
character who has the power to influence other characters in good or bad ways. In a welldeveloped composition, identify the character, describe how the character influences
others in good or bad ways, and explain how the character’s behavior is important to the
work of literature.
This final prompt was the long composition prompt for the November 2007 MCAS. It
would be a good choice if you want to write about Mephistophilis.
Due Date: Monday, January 12, 2009
Please type (and double-space) your final draft.
You may e-mail your essay to me at misterambrose@yahoo.com.
Please clearly note which prompt you are using.
The MCAS long composition rubric will be used to score your response.
English 10 Standard: British Literature
Mr. Ambrose