The more important early works are those by:
- Christopher Marlowe (26 February 1564 (baptized) – 30 May 1593) wrote The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, the first major English Faust story, written as a play.
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe (28 August 1749–22 March 1832). His two-volume Faust is a tragic play and the best known version of the Faust story.
Their source for the Faust legend is one of the sixteenth century “chapbooks,” (author unknown) accessible here.