The Tragicall History of D. Faustus

The earliest documented performance of Christopher Marlowe’s Dr Faustus was given by the Earl of Nottingham’s company, the Lord Admiral’s Men, a year after Marlowe’s death. It remained a part of their repertoire until 1597. An edition of the play was included in the Stationers’ Register until 1601, but the earliest edition to have survived was printed in 1604. This is the only known copy. It came to the Bodleian as part of the collection of the Shakespeare scholar Edward Malone, who was the first person to appreciate the textual importance of these fragile books and therefore the first person to collect them. He has made some notes opposite the title page.