Enron and Faustus

Key Quotes, Context, Drama, Themes

Greed Context

• Skilling imprisoned 24 years

• Fastow reduced his sentence to 6 years by testifying against Skilling

Greed: “Money and sex motivate people” - S, 1.5

“No, Faustus, think of honour and wealth.” - BA 2.1

Greed: “It’s a way for us to realise the profits we’re gonna make now” - S, 1.1

“Enlarge his kingdom”

Greed: “I can be sure I can trust a contract is cos every party’s in it for themselves.”

“How I am glutted with conceit of this” - F 1.1

Greed: “For those who don’t know I’m the reason you’re here” - S 1.1

“Reign sole king of all our provinces” - F 1.1

Greed: “How long would it take for Daddy to count out a billion dollars?” - S 1.6

“Fly to India for gold, ransack the ocean for orient pearl” - F 1.1

Greed: “We don’t have to wait for the grapes to be grown and squashed [...] The market will recognise your idea and your profit in that moment” - S 1.1

“Stand still you ever-moving spheres of heaven” - F 5.2

Knowledge Context

Age of discovery/exploration - explorers created the first permanent settlement in Jamestown Virginia 1607

Knowledge: “It doesn’t kill you? Everyone standing around celebrating their ignorance -” - S 1.1

“Divinity is basest of the three” - F 1.1 (Iconoclasm)

Knowledge: “I can’t find” - S ??

“Settle thy studies, Faustus” - F 1.1

Knowledge: “Truth is the great rock” - ???

“We deceive ourselves, and there’s no truth in us” - F 1.1

Knowledge: “Jeffrey ‘mark-to-market’ Skilling” - L, 1.1

“O, this feeds my soul!” - F 3.1

Knowledge (both Enron): “I’m fucking smart” - S, 1.5

“We trust you all up here, sir” - Security Officer to Skilling 2.7

Consequences of rebelling context

Old Man = common trope in morality plays, Christianity personified, figure of wisdom, forbearance and piety

Consequences of rebelling: “Yet was betrayed by you!”

“Robbed me of eternal happiness” - F

Consequences of rebelling: “[Lay and Fastow are cuffed]” - ??

“Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer” - ????

Consequences of rebelling: “[climbs stairs like a man on his way to the gallows, unkempt and addled]” - S

“He would not banquet and carouse and swill” - W ??

Consequences of rebelling: “I…A company like this, it consumes your life” - S ??

“What art thou Faustus?” - F ???

“Ah, Christ, my Saviour, Seek to save distressed Faustus’ soul!”  - F 2.3

Intellectual curiosity context

Tensions between the pursuit of knowledge (renaissance) and Christian values (humility, piety)

Marlow was known for spread atheistic beliefs

Intellectual curiosity: “It doesn’t kill you? Everyone standing around celebrating their ignorance -” - S 1.1

“Now would I have a book where I might see all characters and planets of the heavens” - F 2.1

Intellectual curiosity: “A whole glistening, clean industry above what you’re talking about that no one’s even thought of yet” - S 1.3

“Necromantic books are heavenly” - F 1.1

Intellectual curiosity: Tiny pieces of something bigger he never saw” - S 1.3

“Yet art thou still but Faustus and a man” - F ??

Intellectual curiosity: “I can’t find” - S ??

“Settle thy studies, Faustus” - F 1.1

“Resolve me of all ambiguities” - F 1.1

Loss context

After collapse many female employees posed naked for Playboy

Severance pay = $4,500

200,000 employees redundant

During reformation (1534) Catholicism was driven underground - viewed as a theatrical show, feared

Loss: “Yet was betrayed by you!” - ?????

“Robbed me of eternal happiness” - F ???

Loss: “You’re selling everything I have” - ?? ??

“Do give both body and soul to Lucifer” - F ??

Loss: “[climbs stairs like a man on his way to the gallows, unkempt and addled]” - S

“He would not banquet and carouse and swill” - W ??

Loss: “I…A company like this, it consumes your life” - S ??

“What art thou Faustus?” - F ??

“When I behold the heavens [...] Thou hast deprived me of those joys” - F 2.3

Risk context

Lehman Brothers - 4th largest bank in USA, collapsed in 2008, worth $691 billion

During reformation (1534) Catholicism was driven underground - viewed as a theatrical show, feared

Risk: “Deregulate electricity and that market’s ours” - S ??

“To burn his Scriptures, slay his ministers / And make my spirits pull his churches down” - F ??

Risk: “How’s something this tiny ever gonna cause any trouble” - ????

“First will I questione with thee about hell” - F ??

Risk: “I want to give Enron a mistress” - F ??

“My blood congeals, and I can write no more.” - F 2.1

Risk (all Enron): “Well, things become a lot easier with the stock options you’ve given us” - Security Officer to Skilling 2.7

“Only people prepared to lose are ever gonna win” - Trader 4, 1.4

“Risk is life, basically” - F, 1.8

“I’ve been thinking of taking Enron into weather” - S to Security Officer, 2.7

“Doesn’t matter how you win - as long as you win!” - S 2.3

Power corrupts context

Goold convinced Prebble to stage it as a classical tragedy by replacing the Kings and Emperors with corporate chief executives

George W Bush was the largest Enron donor

California is 6th biggest economy in the world

Power corrupts: “[Like a religious cult. Skilling is messiah-like]” - ??

“A sound magician is a mighty god” - F 1.1

Power corrupts: “Let’s rape this motherfucker!” - Ts 2.6

“Her lips sucks forth my soul. See where it flies!” - F 5.1

Power corrupts: “I want to give Enron a mistress” - F 1.8

“Bind yourself presently unto me for seven years, or I’ll [...] tear thee in pieces” - W ??

Power corrupts: “I think one of her dogs was at number twelve” - S 1.1

“Surrender up to [Lucifer] his soul” - F ??

Power corrupts: “Deregulate electricity and that market’s ours” - S ??

“To burn his Scriptures, slay his ministers / And make my spirits pull his churches down” - F ??

“Offer lukewarm blood of new-born babes” - F ??

Boundaries context

Renaissance Man = limitless capacities for development, sceptical about divinity - theory/concept

Marlow was known for breaking the law

Boundaries: “You’re selling everything I have” - ??

“Yet art thou still but Faustus and a man” - F 1.1

Boundaries: “I belive in God, I believe in democracy and I believe in the company” - L 1.3

“No, I came hither of mine own accord.” - M 1.3

“Despair, doth drive distrust unto my thoughts” - F 4.1

Responsibility context:

1 ton of documents shredded

Religious beliefs at the time (Calvinism) meant that heaven and hell seemed very real to the audience

Responsibility: “OK” - 1.8

“I, John Faustus [...] do give both body and soul to Lucifer” - F 2.1

Responsibility: “How’s something this tiny ever gonna cause any trouble?” - ?? ??

“First will I questione with thee about hell” - F ??

Responsibility: “The accountants and lawyers are OK with it if you’re OK with it, Ken” - S, 1.8

“We deceive ourselves, and there’s no truth in us” - F 1.1

“This night I’ll conjure, though I die therefore”  - 1.1

“Curst be the parents that engendered me! No, Faustus, curse thyself. Curse Lucifer, that hath deprived thee of the joys of heaven”  - F 5.2

Human weakness context:

Suicide considered the ultimate sin

2000 election = 0.09% margin separating B and G at end on public votes, presented as a moment where America broke itself, Florida business revealed system rigged, flawed, ineffectual, ineptitude and equality permeating throughout

Human weakness: “Tiny pieces of something bigger he never saw” - S 1.3

“Yet art thou still but Faustus and a man” - F ??

Human weakness: “I love you, but you break my fucking heart. That’s my cousins, there.” - F ??

“I disdain to have any parents” - Pride ??

“Curst be the parents that engendered me” - F ??

Human weakness (all Faustus): “Sweet Helen make me immortal with a kiss” - F 5.1

“Had I as many souls as there are stars I’d give them all for Mephistopheles” - F 1.3

“How I am glutted with conceit of this!” - 1.1

Hubris context

Fastow said to Bethany Mclean in an interview: “I don’t care what you write about the company, just don’t make me look bad”

Renaissance Man = limitless capacities for development, sceptical about divinity - theory/concept

Hubris: “I’m fucking smart” - S ?.?

“I will wound Achilles in the heel” - F 5.1

Hubris: “Ha! I’m Enron” - S ?.?

“His waxen wings did mount above his reach” - Chorus Prologue

Hubris: “He’s mine! All these ideas are mine!” - S ??

“My Mephistopheles” - F

Hubris: “I can be sure I can trust a contract is cos every party’s in it for themselves.” - ????

“Enlarge his kingdom” - ???

Hubris: “Risk is just the fear of losing something. Risk is life” - F 1.8

“I should be called ‘Kill Devil’ all the parish over” - R 1.4

Hubris: ”we’re trying to change the world” - S, Prologue

“Come, therefore, let’s away!” - F 3.1

Perception and reality context

Awarded title of America’s ‘Most innovative company’ by Forbes 6 years running

Plague rife lots of people dying

Perception and reality: “See that underneath there’s nothing actually there” - S 2.8

“Calls for the payment of my latest years” - F 4.1

Perception and reality: “[Skilling immediately tries to bow his to make it look like he hadn’t stopped]” - ??

“He looks much like a conjurer” - Knight ??

Perception and reality: “[The Photographer is beneath him to make him look impressive, god-like]” - ??

“Why this is hell, nor am I out of it” - M 1.3

Perception and reality: “I can’t believe it. Everything upstairs is bullshit compared to this” - S ??

“We deceive ourselves, and there’s no truth in us” - F 1.1

Perception and reality (all Enron): “Truth is the great rock” - ????

“People are saying we’re opaque, we’re a black box” - S 2.9

“We are the good guys in California. We are on the side of the angels” - S, 2.6

“The bubble’s gonna burst folks” - R, 1.7

“Things have started getting divorced from the underlying relaities” - R, 2.2

“This is how it looks [...] I can’t make real money just appear” - F to S, 2.5

Cruelty: “[Skilling presses the stop button Fastow’s running machine, hurtling the younger man from his treadmill]” - 1.5

“Slay his ministers” - F 2.3

Cruelty: ‘TRIMMING THE FAT’ - 1.5

“O my leg, my leg! Help, Mephistopheles!”  - F 4.1

Cruelty (all Enron): “I didn’t have to lie. You’re an amateur” - S to R after fired 2.3

“Burn, baby, burn” - all traders 2.6

Machismo: “One of Skilling’s death weekend, man! [...] Someone’s gonna fuckin die” - Trader 2, 1.4

“This word ‘damnation’ terrifies not him.” - F 1.3

Machismo: “Loopholes so big you could fuck a fat chick through ‘em” - Trader 3, 2.6

“Her lips sucks forth my soul. See where it flies!” - F 5.1

Machismo context and quote

Darwinism - “[The hum of manly pursuits [...] Skilling is on a running machine [...] He’s pushing himself and relishing the physical challenge” - 1.5

Bertolt Brecht

DRAMATIC

• plot implicates the spectator in a stage situation

• wears down his capacity for action

• provides him with sensations the human being is taken for granted

• he is unalterable thought determines being

EPIC

• narrative

• turns the spectator into an observer but

• arouses his capacity for action forces him to take decisions

• the human being is the object of inquiry

• he is alterable and able to alter social being determines thought