Absolute Power Simply Seems To Corrupt Faustus. Once He Can Do Everything, He No Longer Wants To Do Anything; Discuss.

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Absolute Power Simply Seems To Corrupt Faustus. Once He Can Do Everything, He No Longer Wants To Do Anything; Discuss.

Marlowe’s representation of Doctor Faustus changes direction through the play. We follow the change in ambition and greed of a human being who seeks pleasure so much that he sells his soul to the devil for a number of years. Does the power that Faustus obtains corrupt him or is he merely dissatisfied with the power he has and is greedy for more.

At the start of the play, Marlowe uses powerful language when referring to Faustus’ search for knowledge. “O, What a world of profit and delight, of power, of honour, of omnipotence, is promis’d to the studious artisan”. This is what Faustus wishes to obtain, the forbidden knowledge that he feels he can achieve, however it seems strange that Faustus should want to learn more and to be taught and able to understand this forbidden knowledge as he previously bids a farewell to thinking “Divinity, adieu!”. Faustus is striving for a great power and his intentions are on a grand scale. “I’ll have them read me strange philosophy and tell the secrets of all foreign kings; I’ll have them wall all Germany with brass and make swift Rhine circle fair Wittenberg”. This is what Faustus thinks he will have the ability to do, but later in his same speech we see signs of his arrogance and the way in which he is governed by greed “I’ll levy soldiers with the coin they bring and chase the Prince of Parma from out land and reign sole king of all our provinces”. With such ambition and hunger for success, Faustus carries out the sealing of his contract with Lucifer. Faustus is elevated with anticipation of the power he will have “O, this cheers my soul! Come, show me some demonstrations magical, that I may conjure in some lusty grove and have these joys in full passion”. Marlowe accentuates this by the use of sensuous language which shows the way in which Faustus is excited and driven by the prospect of learning great things.

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Faustus has a flaw in his impatience. He wants everything to immediately take place. Faustus deludes himself, thinking he has power over everything but it soon becomes evident that Faustus has not conjured these spirits himself. He fluctuates between resolution and redemption throughout the play. It begins to become clear that the lust for forbidden knowledge could possibly drive Faustus so insane and make him narrow minded that he will lose sight of the original plans he made and his intentions at the start of the play. “Rather illusions, fruits of lunacy”. Faustus is in search of immediate gratification. ...

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As sound essay that explores some interesting interpretations; however the whole response needs further development and further analysis of more evidence from the text. 4 Stars