Dr. Faustus
About Dr. Faustus
Dr. Faustus, Marlowe
lived during a time of great transformation for Western Europe. New advances in
science were overturning ancient ideas about astronomy and physics. the
invention of America had transformed the ecu conception of the planet . Increasingly available translations
of classical texts were a strong influence on English literature and art.
Christian and pagan worldviews interacted with one another in rich and
sometimes paradoxical ways, and signs of that complicated interaction are
present in many of Marlowe's works. England, having endured centuries of war ,
was within the middle of an extended period of stability and peace.
Not least of the good changes of Marlowe's time was England's
dramatic rise to major power . When Queen Elizabeth came to power in 1558, six
years before Marlowe's birth, England was a weak and unstable nation. Torn by
internal strife between Catholics and Protestants, an economy in tatters, and
unstable leadership, England was susceptible to invasion by her stronger rivals
on the continent.
By the time of Elizabeth's death in
1603, she had turned the weakling of Western Europe into an
influence of the primary rank, poised to become the mightiest nation within the
world. When the young Marlowe came to London looking to form a life within the
theatre, England's capitol was a crucial center of trade, learning, and art. As
time passed, the city's financial, intellectual, and artistic importance became
still greater, as London continued its transformation from unremarkable center
of a backwater nation to at least one of the world's most enjoyable
metropolises. Drama was entering a golden age, to be crowned by the glory of
Shakespeare. Marlowe was an excellent innovator of poem , unrhymed lines of
iambic pentameter. The richness of his dramatic verse anticipates Shakespeare,
and a few argue that Shakespeare's achievements owed considerable debt to
Marlowe's influence.
Like the earlier play, Tamburlaine, Doctor Faustus may
be a play of deep questions concerning morality, religion, and man's
relationship to both. England was a Protestant country since the
time of Queen Elizabeth I's father, Henry VIII . Although theological and
doctrinal differences existed between the Church of England and therefore the
Roman Catholic Church , the previous still inherited a wealth of culture,
thought and tradition from the latter. Christianity was a mixture of divergent
and sometimes contradictory influences, including the religious traditions of
the Middle East , the heritage of classical Greco-Roman thought and
institutions, mystery religions, and north European superstition and magic.
The Reformation didn't include reform of this oppressive
and violent practice. Yet magic continued to stay a hold on people's imaginations,
and benign and ambiguous views of magic continued to exist in popular folklore. The conceptions of scholarship
further complicated the image , especially after the Renaissance. Scholars took
into their studies subjects not considered scientific by today's standards:
astrology, alchemy, and demonology. a number of these subjects blurred the
lines between acceptable pursuit of data and dangerous heresy.
As this new Christian folklore of sorcery evolved,
certain motifs rose to prominence. Once Christ was rejected, a sorcerer could
give his soul to the devil instead, receiving in exchange powers during this
life, here and now.
Numerous Christian stories feature such bargains, and one among the foremost
famous evolved round the historical person Johanned Faustus, a German
astrologer of the first sixteenth century.
Marlowe took his plot from an earlier German play about
Faustus, but he transformed an old story into a powerhouse of a piece , one
that has drawn widely different interpretations since its first production.
Marlowe's Doctor Faustus is first great version of the story, although not the
last. within the nineteenth century, the good German writer Johann Wolfgang van
Goethe gave the story its greatest incarnation in Faust. Faustus' name has become
a part of our language. "Faustian bargain" has come to mean a deal
made for earthly gain at a high ethical and spiritual cost, or alternately any
choice with short-lived benefits and a hell of a price.
Doctor Faustus Character List
Faustus
A brilliant man, who seems to possess reached the bounds of
natural knowledge. Faustus may be a scholar of the first sixteenth century
within the German city of Wittenburg. he's arrogant, fiery, and possesses a
thirst for knowledge. As an intellectual, Faustus is conversant in things (like
demon summoning and astrology) not normally considered academic subjects by
today's universities. Faustus decides to sell his soul to the devil in exchange
for earthly power and knowledge and a further 24 years of life. He proceeds to
waste this point on self-indulgence and low tricks.
Faustus is that the absolute center of the play, which has
few truly developed characters.
Mephostophilis
From the Hebrew, mephitz, destroyer, and tophel, liar. A
devil of craft and cunning. he's the devil who comes at Faustus' summoning, and
therefore the devil who serves Faustus for twenty-four years. In lore,
Mephostophilis (also spelled Mephistopheles, or Miphostophiles, and also called
Mephisto) seems to be a relative latecomer within the recognized hierarchy of
demons. He possibly was created for the Faustus legend.
In Marlowe's play, Mephostophilis has layers to his
personality. He admits that separation from God is anguish, and is capable of
fear and pain. But he's gleefully evil, participating at every level in
Faustus' destruction. Not only does Mephostophilis get Faustus to sell his
soul; he also encourages Faustus to waste his twenty-four years of power.
Wagner
Servant to Faustus. He steals Faustus' books and learns the
way to summon demons. At the top of the play, he seems concerned about his
master's fate.
Good Angel and Evil Angel
Personifications of Faustus' inner turmoil, who give
differing advice to him at key points. Their characters also reflect Christian
belief that humans are assigned guardian angels, which devils can influence
human thoughts.
Valdes
Friend to Faustus, who teaches him the dark arts. He appears
only in Act One.
Cornelius
Friend to Faustus, who teaches him the dark arts. He appears
only in Act One.
Lucifer
Satan. "Lucifer" original meant Venus, pertaining
to the planet's brilliance. In Christian lore, Lucifer is usually thought to be
another name of Satan. Some traditions say that Lucifer was Satan's name before
the autumn , while the Fathers of the Catholic Church held that Lucifer wasn't
Satan's proper noun but a word showing the brilliance and wonder of his station
before the autumn . He appears at a couple of choice moments in Doctor Faustus,
and Marlowe uses "Lucifer" as Satan's proper noun .
Belzebub
One of Lucifer's officers. a strong demon.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins, not acts but
impulses or motivations that lead men to sinful actions. They array themselves
during a pageant before Faustus, although scholars think now that this section
wasn't written by Marlowe.
Doctor Faustus (Marlowe) Summary
Doctor Faustus, a talented German scholar at Wittenburg,
rails against the bounds of human knowledge. He has learned everything he can
learn, approximately he thinks, from the traditional academic disciplines. All
of those things have left him unsatisfied, so now he turns to magic. an honest
Angle and an Evil Angel arrive, representing Faustus' choice between Christian
conscience and therefore the path to damnation. the previous advises him to go
away off this pursuit of magic, and therefore the latter tempts him. From two
fellow scholars, Valdes and Cornelius, Faustus learns the basics of the black
arts. He thrills at the facility he will have, and therefore the great feats
he'll perform. He summons the devil Mephostophilis. They flesh out the terms of
their agreement, with Mephostophilis representing Lucifer. Faustus will sell
his soul, in exchange for 24 years of power, with Mephostophilis as servant to
his every whim.
In a comic relief scene, we learn that Faustus' servant
Wagner has gleaned some magic learning. He uses it to convince Robin the Clown
to be his servant. Before the time involves sign the contract, Faustus has
misgivings, but he puts them aside. Mephostophilis returns, and Faustus signs
away his soul, writing together with his own blood. The words "Homo
fuge" ("Fly, man) appear on his arm, and Faustus is seized by fear.
Mephostophilis distracts him with a dance of devils. Faustus requests a wife, a
requirement Mephostophilis denies, but he does give Faustus books filled with
knowledge.
Some time has passed. Faustus curses Mephostophilis for
depriving him of heaven, although he has seen many wonders. He manages to torment
Mephostophilis, he can't stomach mention of God, and therefore the devil flees. the great Angel and Evil Angel
arrive again. the great Angel tells him to repent, and therefore the Evil Angel
tells him to stay to his wicked ways. Lucifer, Belzebub, and Mephostophilis
return, to intimidate Faustus. he's cowed by them, and agrees to talk and think
no more of God. They delight him with a pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins, then
Lucifer promises to point out Faustus hell. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has
gotten one among Faustus' magic books.
Faustus has explored the heavens and therefore the earth from
a chariot drawn by dragons, and is now flying to Rome, where the feast honoring
St. Peter is close to be celebrated. Mephostophilis and Faustus await the Pope,
depicted as an arrogant, decidedly unholy man. They play a series of tricks, by
using magic to disguise themselves and make themselves invisible, before
leaving.
The Chorus returns to inform us that Faustus returns
home, where his vast
knowledge of astronomy and his abilities earn him wide renown. Meanwhile, Robin
the Clown has also learned magic, and uses it to impress his friend Rafe and
summon Mephostophilis, who doesn't seem too happy to be called.
At the court of Charles V, Faustus performs illusions that
delight the Emperor. He also humiliates a knight named Benvolio. When Benvolio
and his friends attempt to avenge the humiliation, Faustus has his devils hurt
them and cruelly transform them, in order that horns grow on their heads.
Faustus swindles a Horse-courser, and when the Horse-courser returns,
Faustus plays a daunting trick on him. Faustus then pops to serve the Duke of
Vanholt. Robin the Clown, his friend Dick, the Horse-courser, and a Carter all
meet. all of them are swindled or hurt by Faustus' magic. they are going off to
the court of the Duke to settle scores with Faustus.
Faustus entertains the Duke and Duchess with petty illusions,
before Robin the Clown and his band of ruffians arrives. Faustus toys with
them, besting them with magic, to the delight of the Duke and Duchess.
Faustus' twenty-four years are running out. Wagner tells the audience that he
thinks Faustus prepares for death. He has made his will, leaving all to Wagner.
But whilst death approaches, Faustus spends his days feasting and drinking with
the opposite students. For the delight of his fellow scholars, Faustus summons
a spirit to require the form of Helen of Troy. Later, an Old Man enters,
warning Faustus to repent. Faustus opts for pleasure instead, and asks
Mephostophilis to bring Helen of Troy to him, to be his love and luxury during
these last days. Mephostophilis readily agrees.
Later, Faustus tells his scholar friends that he's damned,
which his power came at the worth of his soul. Concerned, the students exit,
leaving Faustus to satisfy his fate.
As the hour approaches, Mephostophilis taunts Faustus. Faustus blames Mephostophilis for
his damnation, and therefore the devil proudly takes credit for it. the great
and Evil Angel arrive, and therefore the Good Angel abandons Faustus. The gates
of Hell open. The Evil Angel taunts Faustus, naming the horrible tortures seen
there.
The Clock strikes eleven. Faustus gives a final, frenzied
monologue, regretting his choices. in the dark the devils enter. As Faustus
begs God and therefore the devil for mercy, the devils drag him away. Later,
the Scholar friends find Faustus' body, torn to pieces.
Epilogue. The Chorus emphasizes that Faustus is gone, his
once-great potential wasted. The Chorus warns the audience to recollect his
fall, and therefore the lessons it offers.
Doctor Faustus Themes
Man's Limitations and Potential
The possible range of human accomplishment is at the guts of
Doctor Faustus, and lots of of the opposite themes are auxiliary to the present
one. The axis of this theme is that the conflict between Greek or Renaissance
worldviews, and therefore the Christian worldview that has held sway throughout
the medieval period. As Europe emerged from the center Ages, contact with
previously lost Greek learning had a revelatory effect on man's conception of
himself. While the Christian worldview places man below God, and requires
obedience to him, the Greek worldview places man at the middle of the universe.
For the Greeks, man defies the gods at his own peril, but man has nobility that
no deity can match.
Doctor Faustus, scholar and lover of beauty, chafes at the
little bit of human limitation. He seeks to realize godhood himself, then he
leaves behind the Christian conceptions of human limitation. Though he fancies
himself to be a seeker of Greek greatness, we see quickly that he's not up to
the task.
Pride, and Sin
Pride is one among the Seven Deadly Sins, arguable the one
that results in all the others. Within the Christian framework, pride may be a
lethal motivation because it makes the sinner forget his fallen state. For
Christians, men are fallen since birth, because they carry with them the taint
of sin . A men made haughty proudly forgets that he shares Eve's sin, and must
therefore be saved by the gift of grace. Only God, through Christ, can dispense
this grace, and therefore the man who forgets that fact deprives himself of the
trail to salvation.
Faustus' first great sin is pride. He doesn't stop there. Reflecting
the Christian view, pride gives rise to all or any of the opposite sins, and
ends ironically with the proud man's abasement. Faustus goes quickly from pride
to all or any of the opposite sins, becoming increasingly petty and low.
Flesh and Spirit
The division between flesh and spirit was stronger in Greek
thought than in Hebrew thought, but Christians adapted the divide into their
own belief system. While Westerners now take this conception of being without
any consideration , the flesh/spirit divide isn't a feature of the many of the
world's major belief systems. neither is the flesh/spirit divide necessary for
belief within the afterlife: both Hindus and Buddhists imagine the human entity
differently, while retaining belief in life after death.
In Christianity, flesh and spirit are divided to value
the later and devalue the previous . Faustus' problem is that he values his
flesh, and therefore the pleasure it can provide him, while failing to seem
after the state of his soul.
Damnation
Damnation is eternal. Eternal hell is another concept that
Westerners deem granted as a part of religion, but again this belief's
uniqueness must be appreciated. While the Jewish view of the afterlife was
somewhat vague, Christians developed the thought of judgment after death.
Moslems adapted an identical conception of hell and heaven, and to the present
day eternal hell and eternal heaven remain a crucial feature of Christianity
and Islam.
While Buddhists and Hindus have hell in their belief systems,
for the foremost part in neither religion is hell considered eternal. for
instance , endless hell in Mahayana would contradict Buddhist beliefs about
transience and therefore the saving power of Buddha's compassion.
Not so in Christianity. If Faustus dies without repenting and
accepting God, he are going to be damned forever. As we learn from
Mephostophilis, hell isn't merely an area , but separation from God's love.
Salvation, Mercy, and Redemption
Hell is eternal, but so is heaven. For a Christian, all
that's necessary to be saved from damnation is acceptance of Jesus Christ's
grace. Even after
signing away his soul to the devil, Faustus has the choice of repentance which
will save him from hell. But once he has committed himself to his own
damnation, Faustus seems unable to vary his course. While Christianity seems to
simply accept even a deathbed repentance as acceptable for the attainment of
salvation, Marlowe plays thereupon idea, possibly rejecting it for his own
thematic purposes. (See analysis of 5.2-end of the play).
Valuing Knowledge over Wisdom
Faustus features a thirst for knowledge, but he seems unable
to accumulate wisdom. Faustus' thirst for knowledge is impressive, but it's
overshadowed by his complete inability to know certain truths. due to this
weakness, Faustus cannot use his knowledge to raised himself or his world. He
ends life with a head filled with facts, and vital understanding gained too
late to save lots of him.
Talk and Action
Faustus is, with no exceptions, beautiful when he speaks and
contemptible when he acts. His opening speeches about the uses to which he'll
put his power are exhilarating, but once he gains near-omnipotence he squanders
twenty-four years in debauchery and petty tricks. This gap between high talk
and low action seems associated with the fault of valuing knowledge over
wisdom. While Faustus has learned much of the Greek world's learning, he has
not really understood what he's been reading. He can mention potential and
plans in terms of a Greek worldview, but he lacks the interior strength to
follow through on his purported goals.
Next Midsummer Night's Dream
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