Marlowes original title was The Tragicall history of Dr. Faustus. To what extent do you consider Faustus a truly tragic figure?

Marlowe's original title was 'The Tragicall history of Dr. Faustus'. To what extent do you consider Faustus a truly tragic figure? 'Doctor Faustus' was written in 1593 and it is a morality play depicting the fall of Doctor Faustus. Doctor Faustus is a highly intelligent man who rose to become the top of many academic subjects at a young age. Calvinism is also a very important theme of the play. Calvinism is the belief that one's fate is decided by god at birth and hence no matter what good one does in their life if they are not the elect then they will go to hell. Faustus believes in this to some extent as towards the end of his life he repeatedly mentions that god will have no mercy on him and that his fate is sealed. The reason for Faustus's desire to practice necromancy stems from his belief that he felt that no other subject could satisfy him enough or perhaps in the case of philosophy, he believes that he has achieved all what one can in the subject, as he says, 'then read no more, thou has attained the end'. Faustus goes onto reject medicine, law and theology with each discipline having their own problems which Faustus believes makes him incompatible with them. One opinion that Faustus was a tragic figure is because he never truly understood what necromancy consisted of and the consequences of it. Faustus's first display of interest in necromancy is illustrated when

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Dr. Faustus Essay. In Christopher Marlows seventeenth century play, Faustus, hubris leads to his own downfall.

In Christopher Marlow's seventeenth century play, Faustus, hubris leads to his own downfall. The protagonist is a scholar whose arrogance and pride compel him to make a deal with the devil and maintain the hubris until his death and damnation, despite repenting and receiving salvation. A change in Faustus's character, gaining excessive pride, causes him to misuse his abilities in magic. At first, Faustus wants to learn the art of magic to gain knowledge, travel the world, and answer his questions. However, hubris changes Faustus into using the magic for trickery, wealth, and for his own entertainment. Hubris causes Faustus to ignore redemption and remain in the evil pact with Lucifer, the devil. By the end of the play, Faustus realizes it is too late for salvation with God and his soul will be forever captured by the devil. Faustus has many opportunities to ask for forgiveness and repent. Though in every situation, he is tempted by the magic and its treachery because of hubris. Multiple times, a good and an evil angel appear to Faustus who act as his conscience. The good angel advocates salvation and Faustus deliberates repenting. The evil angel, however, mentions the wealth Faustus can have with magic. In one conversation with the angels, Faustus is easily persuaded: GOOD ANGEL. Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable art. FAUSTUS. Contrition, prayer, repentance! What of

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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All characters within the story Doctor Faustus are lonely, and some confide to evil to relinquish their loneliness.

"Evil Characters are lonely characters and their isolation fascinates us" In the light of this view, consider ways in which writers portray the isolation of evil characters. All characters within the story Doctor Faustus are lonely, and some confide to evil to relinquish their loneliness. As the audience, our situation is one that is different to the characters in Doctor Faustus, hence why we're fascinated by them. As they seem alien to us, unusual in their actions and people who don't follow the normal trends in society attract curiosity and we subsequently become fascinated by their unorthodox actions and morals. Mephastophilis is the loneliest character, and is, maybe not buy chose, evil. Christopher Marlowe paints Mephastophilis as a moral guidance for the audience, a powerful message, a warning as such, sin and you'll regret it. Mephastophilis is lonely because he's somewhere he doesn't want to be. Doctor Faustus doesn't grasp the notion what Mephastophilis is saying, "Ay, think so still, till experience change thy mind", only by seeing the alternative, which is Heaven, can Mephastophilis truly understand the situation he's in, where he's isolated from Heaven and now spends eternity in Hell "where we are tortured". We, the audience are fascinated by Mephastophilis because his situation is so different to ours. He's not normal and this exotic character fascinates us.

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Compare the first and final soliloquies in Dr Faustus - is Faustus a hero or a villain?

Compare the first and final soliloquies in Dr Faustus - is Faustus a hero or a villain? The first and final soliloquy of Dr Faustus raises questions of Faustus' intentions, character and motivations. They both raise important questions as to what Faustus wants to achieve and does he actually achieve what he sets about to do. Perhaps, most importantly they raise the question of whether Faustus turns into a helpless, redundant being or something much more impressive than he began. The first soliloquy, in contrast to the final, is very fluent and has a definitive structure due to the argument Faustus presents. It is written in blank verse iambic pentameter to give is a fast pacing and fluent tone, something which is used to a different effect in the final soliloquy. At this point we are shown Faustus in a moral crisis, one of many seen throughout the play, he is deliberating what he wants to achieve next in his life. Faustus has already accomplished many great things but it seems here he is eager to accomplish something far greater, "A great subject fitteth Faustus' wit." The ambiguity of this line becomes a major theme throughout the play and makes or diminishes Faustus' character from different view points, is he being ambitious or arrogant? His ambition is brought into question throughout the play with people seeing it as something which builds his character and also leads

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Role of the Chorus and its effect on the audience, as seen in Dr Faustus and Murder in the Cathedral

The role of the chorus and its effect on the audiences as seen in the plays: Dr. Faustus and Murder in the Cathedral. The plays Dr Faustus by Marlowe and MITC by TS Eliot, both involve the Christian concept of divinity where God is the Supreme. In Dr Faustus, Marlowe has exemplified this through the protagonist, Faustus who trancedes from a scholarly person to a cheap trickster with devolved morals and character as the plot unfolds. In his ambitious quest for power and glory through forbidden knowledge in areas like Necromancy and association with Lucifer leads Faustus to ignore that Christian doctrine forbids any human to be at par with God. In doing so he deviates towards the path of corruption. In MITC, the protagonist - the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett represents Faustus' spiritual counterpart. Where Faustus' open defiance of God and love of materialistic pleasures rule his heart, Beckett's selflessness and open rejection of glory through his desire to bring his people back to Godly ways through martyrdom makes Faustus' selling away of his own soul, contrast sharply with Beckett's spiritual-self. Both these plays open with the narration of the chorus in their expositions respectively. In MITC the chorus consists of the poor women of Canterbury, they symbolize the ills the poorer section of society goes through. We normally tend to think of the chorus as a

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Doctor Faustus Examined from the People's Perspective.

Doctor Faustus Examined from the People's Perspective Doctor Faustus is a doctor of theology that wants no limits on what he can know, see or do, so he sells his soul to the devil to gain these desires. While reading or observing Marlowe's fascinating play the reader or observer should apply the "New Historicism Approach," and take in to consideration Marlowe's and the 1590s society's beliefs, habits of thought, and biases about various concepts of obtaining "forbidden knowledge". Like the some of the people of the 1590s, Doctor Faustus searches for the "forbidden knowledge" which leads him to deny God during his quest for greater knowledge and gains nothing from his vain activities throughout his lifetime. After these listed characteristics have been established one can begin to visualize the relationship between Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and the beliefs and thoughts of the people of the 1590s. Christopher Marlowe uses his eager character, Doctor Faustus, to display the people of the 1590s deep desire to grasp the "forbidden knowledge." A theologist, one that unseemingly knows everything about his study of religion, begins to inquire about the enhancement of his knowledge: "Negromantic books are heavenly;/ lines, circles, letters, characters-/Ay, these are those that Faustus most desires" (Act I: Scene I: Line 48-50). Just as Doctor Faustus contains a deep desire to

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Dr Faustus - Consider Scene 5 (lines 167 to 280). What is the importance of this in context of the whole play? Consider: 16th century view of the presentation of the UniverseDramatic effects of good and evil angels

Consider Scene 5 (lines 167 to 280). What is the importance of this in context of the whole play? Consider: 16th century view of the presentation of the Universe Dramatic effects of good and evil angels Language used by Faustus and Mephastophilis Scene 5 is a particularly significant scene in the play, which is hinted at by its relatively large length, due to the many issues it addresses including the presentation of the Universe, doubt over whether Faustus will repent and the interesting dialogue between Faustus and Mephastophilis. Lines 167 to 280 contain much of this therefore making this passage, in itself, one of high importance in reference to the whole play. The good and evil angels offer the passage much drama due to the effect they have on Faustus. During the passage Faustus seriously considers repenting on to occasions both of which are immediately preceded by the appearance of the good and evil angels. During their brief dialogues the audience are presumably hoping that Faustus decides to listen to the good angel and repent. The first of these dialogues leaves the evil angel as the victor in the argument as Faustus agrees with him: 'My heart's so hardened I cannot repent!' (line 194). In this respect the evil angel has created a feeling of disappointment among the audience because it seems as though Faustus will not repent. This dramatic effect does not last

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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In what ways and with what effects does 'Dr. Faustus' question the acquisition and the use of power?

In what ways and with what effects does 'Dr. Faustus' question the acquisition and the use of power? 'Dr. Faustus' is a play which deals with the two greatest powers prevailing in the mind of humanity, those of good and evil. It presents the audience with an account of the natural human tendency for transgression and warns against individualism with the message that every human has to serve somebody, be it God or the Devil. It is tragic because it presents a human figure greatly respected by others and how his potential to live in eternal bliss in the realm of heaven is lost by his own pride and insolence, similar to the story of Lucifer's fall from heaven into Hell. The character of Dr. Faustus is essentially tragic because he fails to see the obvious flaw in his pact with the devil. However, when Faustus is persuading himself into thinking that the advantages of his rewards outweigh giving his soul to the Devil, he reads a verse from the Bible in scene one: 'Si peccasse negamus, fallimur, et nulla est in nobis veritas'1 (i. 41), its not until later on in the play that we find out that it may have been Mephastophilis who prevented him from reading the full verse about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. This intervention of Mephastophilis lessens Faustus as a tragic figure because it takes away the element of choice even though essentially it was Faustus who summoned him

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Consider the importance of scene 5 in Dr. Faustus

Consider the importance of scene 5 in Dr. Faustus In Dr. Faustus scene five is the longest in the entire play, there is a lot going on, not only is it where Faustus signs his soul over to the devil; scene five is where he meets Lucifer himself for the very first time. In the very first speech that Faustus makes he is wrestling with his conscience. Faustus thinks he is "damned" and therefore cannot be "saved", so why should he "despair in God" when he can "trust in Belezebub." There is a lot of religious imagery, which is very contradictory. He uses the idea of the "altar and a church" but then turns it into a sacrifice by offering "luke-warm blood of new-born babes". This shows how much Faustus has already been affected by Mephastophillis and the Devil. Faustus is then persuaded by both good and evil angels to go to their 'side' "Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable art" It could be said that the good and evil angel are just extensions of Faustus's own conscience and that he does have a 'good' part to him. But the audience of the time would know what Faustus decides to do because the evil angel speaks last. "No Faustus, think of honour and of wealth." The evil angel is tempting Faustus with material goods which the good angel cannot offer. Faustus decides "wealth!" is the best way forward, it shows his greed and definite wanting because there is a break in the line.

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Dr Faustus is more morality play than gothic. How far does your reading of Act 2, scene 3 support this view?

'Dr Faustus is more morality play than gothic.' How far does your reading of Act 2, scene 3 support this view? Fred Botting expresses "Gothic writing emerges as the thread that defines literature." But it is apparent that Marlowe was influenced by many genres. Although Gothic plays were very popular around the time beginning from the 1760's onwards, with the works of Shakespeare such as 'Hamlet', it is clearly viewed that Marlowe has taken inspiration from many genres in the writing of this play. 'Doctor Faustus' is not more of a morality play than gothic, it is a mixture of sub genres of morality, gothic and tragedy plays. Act 2 Scene 3 is a perfect example show evidence of Marlowe's influences of several different genres. Structure of Act 2 Scene 3 portrays an aspect of morality plays. Marlowe has taken the repetition of the reform and relapse pattern commonly used in morality plays and has used it in this scene. The four point cycle of doubt, persuasion, resolve and gain repeats itself several times in the scene by Faustus. The character of Faustus here links to the 'everyman' character in morality plays. The four point structure communicates the weakness of the merciful nature of the human's state of mind. Faustus doubts his decision and says that he "will renounce this magic and repent" until we see the persuasions of the good and evil angel come into to distract his

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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