Question

Match the lines from Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus to their correct allusions.

Answer 1

#1)  swoll'n with cunning of a self-conceit,
His waxen wings did mount above his reach,
And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.

Answer: Icarus and Daedalus (characters in Greek mythology who invented a way to fly). He attempted to escape from Crete with wings of wax and feathers but flew so high that his wings were melted the the heat of the sun, and he died at the mercy of the sea.

#2) Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!--
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,

Answer: The trojan War. Helen of Troy was abducted by Paris. This brought about the Trojan War.

#3) Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,
And burned is Apollo's laurel bough,
That sometime grew within this learned man.

Answer: a symbol of fame and reward, belonging to the god of divination pairs.

I hope it helps, Regards.

Answer 2

1. Icarus and Daedalus: swoll'n with cunning of a self-conceit,

His waxen wings did mount above his reach,

And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.

Icarus and Daedalus are two characters (son and father) in a Greek myth. Thay are credited with inventing a new way to fly. Daedalus designed wings that were made of feathers and wax in order to escape from Crete. However, due to his arrogance, Icarus flew too close to the sun, and the wax on his wings melted. He fell to his death.

2. The Trojan War: Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!--

Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.

Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,

And all is dross that is not Helena.

I will be Paris, and for love of thee.

We can see that this is a reference to the Trojan War because it discusses both Helen, considered the most beautiful woman in the world, and Paris, the man who is in love with her. She was abducted by Paris, and her husband Menelaus started the Trojan War in order to bring her back to Sparta.

3. A symbol of fame and reward, belonging to the god of divination:

Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,

And burned is Apollo's laurel bough,

That sometime grew within this learned man.

The symbol of fame and reward in this excerpt is the laurel. This was used in ancient times to represent victory and success.