Doctor Faustus – A Close Examination - Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 1-40

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        Jessica M Sullivan

LT – 319 Shakespeare

December 7, 2001

Doctor Faustus – A Close Examination

Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 1-40

Doctor Faustus, the protagonist of the play Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlow, is a scholar who seeks knowledge and is willing to pay the ultimate price, his soul, to the Devil in exchange.  In addition to knowledge, he craves wealth and power.  However, Faustus never seems completely sure of his decision and constantly wavers about whether or not to repent.  He manipulates religion and the idea of God in many different ways so that he can rationalize his actions.  Although a learned scholar, Doctor Faustus chooses to ignore good, sound advice and cold, hard fact which ultimately leads to his downfall.  This is a play concerned with contradiction, uncertainty, and conflict.  In a closer examination of Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 1-40, these many themes important throughout the entire text are highlighted.

        Throughout the play, the two angels, Good and Evil, represent Faustus’ constant state of indecision.  They appear together every time Faustus wonders whether or not he should repent and highlight the fact that “the choice is his and unconstrained” (Cole, 202).  At the beginning of this scene, the Good and Evil Angels make another appearance as Faustus once again shows his uncertainty.  He wavers between continuing to serve Belzebub and turning back to God, which can be seen in the following quote:  “Despair in God and trust in Belzebub. / Now go not backward.  No, Faustus, be resolute. / Why waverest thou?” (1.5.26-28).  Faustus’ constant internal struggle is fuelled by suggestions of each Angel, yet he is the only one who can make the decision.  “For all the supernaturalism of the context in which Marlowe has chosen to present Faustus’ choice to fall from God, the burden of human responsibility emerges as the central, dominant force” (Cole, 202).  

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Without much coercion needed, the Evil Angel convinces Faustus that the wealth he can gain through his deal with the devil is worth loosing his soul.  “No Faustus, think of honour and of / wealth” the Angel persuades him (1.5.22-23).  Giving up one’s soul is a very large decision, yet Faustus seems to be persuaded so easily by the Evil Angel.  “Faustus decides without even a consideration of the Good Angel’s alternative; there is as yet no real conflict in his mind, which is seduced by dreams of wealth and power” (Cole, 203).  He is unwilling to recognize the seriousness ...

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