The Tragedy Of Doctor Faustus - 1856 Words

The story of Doctor Faustus is one of a man who is not great in the traditional, tragical sense but great of mind, an intellectual. Faustus makes a pact with the devil, mistaking Hell for Heaven and mistakenly believing himself to be reprobate. With this unholy pact Faustus chases after power but with each attempt he sinks lower and lower, eventually succumbing to base desire. Faustus ends his 24 years with an attempt to repent however he is dragged to Hell and the play then ends with a caution from the chorus. The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus is an Elizabethan tragedy. This is because the protagonist in the play dies in a catastrophic manner that is not merely an accident, in Faustus’s case being dragged to Hell screaming. The second element of an Elizabethan tragedy is that protagonist must have a fatal flaw (hamartia) which is the cause of their death, Faustus demonstrates many of the 7 deadly sins, principally hubris, greed and sloth. Through th e play, Marlowe also demonstrates the typical aim of an Aristotelian tragedy, Catharsis. Catharsis is ‘the purification and purgation of emotions—especially pity and fear—through art or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration’ . This is the effect that Marlowe presents at the end of the play, through the chorus the audience is meant to learn from the lesson of Faustus and be convinced in any conclusions that Marlowe has penned as to the central themes of the play. OneShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Christopher Marlowe s Doctor Faustus1416 Words   |  6 PagesThe following essay will examine the actions of the characters within Christopher Marlowe’s drama text Doctor Faustus in terms of witchcraft, lust, and other motivational forces, to come to a conclusion on which force is the most influential. Within the text, witchcraft is one of the main forces that influences the actions of the character Faustus himself. At the beginning of the text, Faustus becomes displeased with the knowledge he has so far gained, and aspires for more. He reviews all of theRead MoreDr Faustus as a Tragedy855 Words   |  4 PagesQ.1. Discuss Dr Faustus as a tragedy. Tragedy – Definition Aristotle defines a tragedy as a ‘representation of an action which is important, complete and limited in length. It is enacted not recited and by arousing pity and fear, it gives an outlet to emotions of this type.’ However, for the Elizabethans, more specifically for Marlowe and Shakespeare, tragedy is not a restrictive view of human excellence or weakness as the Greeks are often inclined to present but an affirmative view of humanRead MoreAnalysis of the Actions of Macbeth and Doctor Faustus Based on Free Will and Fate1677 Words   |  7 Pagesof Macbeth and Doctor Faustus in Shakespeare’s and Marlowe’s plays come from the characters themselves or whether they were following a predetermined fate. In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, each character’s destiny, or fate, seems to be predetermined by the supernatural and unpreventable by any actions meant to stop it from occurring. The concept of fate is a large component in many Aristotelian Tragedies, such as Macbeth. However, in the tragedy, The Tragicall HistoryRead More The tragical history of Doctor Faustus Essay1562 Words   |  7 PagesThe tragical history of Doctor Faustus, which follow ed in the wake of Tamburlaine, is acclaimed by all as Marlowes best play in which the leaven of fertile poetry and fearless imagination works wonders. Introduction: The tragical history of Doctor Faustus, which followed in the wake of Tamburlaine, is acclaimed by all as Marlowes best play in which the leaven of fertile poetry and fearless imagination works wonders. The idea of a passionate struggle to reach beyond the grasp of Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Play Everyman 1275 Words   |  6 Pagesmeaning of life. Similarly, we can also see the shadow of a philosophical trace in Christopher Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus. The play personifies good and evil. The devil will fight for the soul of human beings, while our soul remain indecisive. Soon after, high lights appeared in the instance when the soul makes a decision. Even though both works are excellent, but I fell that Dr. Faustus made a bigger impact on me. Although both work revolved around death, sins, and judgment of God when He triesRead MoreDoctor Faustus : The Relationship Of Mephastophilis And Faustus1597 Words   |  7 PagesDoctor Faustus: The Relationship of Mephastophilis and Faustus In Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, the tragic protagonist Faustus finds himself tired of his previous pursuits in logic, medicine, law and religion. He falls upon the decision to explore a new and taboo area of knowledge: the black arts. Once he settles on this idea, he begins a relentless endeavor to quench his thirst for higher knowledge, wealth and success through learning supernatural powers. Alas, his admirable ambition andRead More A Comparison of Everyman and Christopher Marlowes Doctor Faustus1145 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison of Everyman and Christopher Marlowes Doctor Faustus Everyman and Doctor Faustus are both Morality Plays, these are specifically plays that existed within the Medieval period. They were popular during this period as they were intended to instruct the audience in the Christian way and attitudes to life. The morality play is essentially an allegory written in dramatic form. In the fourteenth Century, morality plays were mainly based on the seven deadly sins as in everyman withRead MoreDoctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe1359 Words   |  5 PagesWhat would you sell your soul for? A question Faustus had to ask when he wanted to gain more than just knowledge. England during the 1550’s had gone through many changes with religion, leaving the people unsure of what they wanted. When Elizabeth finally claimed throne and stayed Queen for a forty- five year reign, there were stable religious changes. For an escape and way of entertainment, society would attend plays. Due to the changing events during the Elizabethan era, plays were a stress relieverRead MoreDr.Faustus as a Tragedy Relevant to All Times1186 Words   |  5 PagesDiscuss Dr.Faustus as a tragedy relevant to all times. The word tragedy finds its origin in Greek spirit,theory and mythology in the word tragedia. Tragedy tends to bring to mind the thoughts of pity and sympathy. According to Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher emotions of pity and fear are aroused while watching or listening to a tragedy. Tragedy is a play that represents a central action or plot that is serious and significant. These plays involve a main character that is a normal humanRead MoreShakespeare s King Lear And Marlowe s Doctor Faustus1543 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare’s King Lear and Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus are two examples of early modern texts, one a tragedy and the other a morality play respectively, which deal with the theme of power at the crux of its narrative. Between both texts it is evident that different characters utilize their power or authority differently – some ‘unwisely’ whilst some ‘maliciously’. In either case, the use of power progresses the plays and drives the majority of main characters. To begin with, both plays incorporate