Faust

1198 Words3 Pages

In Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, the ill-fated protagonist serves as stark example of what is to come of man when he strays from God’s grace. In the play, Dr. Faustus deliberately shuns religion and rationalizes his ever-unsatisfied pursuit of knowledge, ultimately leading to a pact with the demon Mephistopheles. The Doctor’s sinful actions and inability to repent are a display of his own free choices and how he willingly chooses his downfall. A key scene in which Faustus ignores a warning of his fate-to-come is when Mephistopheles presents an outdated and unfulfilling explanation of the cosmos. While some critics have argued his lacking description of the universe is simply to torment Faustus, upon further scrutiny it becomes evident this is only one of many red flags Faustus disregards out of pride in intelligence, a reflection of his deliberate choosing to discount God. Faustus’ initial display of conceit and neglect for God’s saving grace is in Act I Scene I, where he trivializes and casts aside several academic pursuits, leading him to examine the bible. Faustus selectively reads from John 1:8, “The reward for sin is death…if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us.” It is from this line the Doctor makes the decision to abandon religious pursuits and investigate unrighteous magic, as man is to die in sin regardless. To a reader unfamiliar with the bible, this appears to be a sound and logical conclusion; however, Faustus ignores the following verse, “If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (Engberg). Being a well-studied scholar from the heavily religious ... ... middle of paper ... ...mself honestly: ‘curse thyself.’ In such courage originates the tragic insight with which Faustus ends his life on earth.” (Okerlund). It is here his years of pride and vanity melt away and he discovers the hollowness of his pact. Faustus was neither tricked nor deceived, rather his conceit and over-reaching desire for knowledge assured him a place in Hell. If but for an instant he was to look past his pride, he would have seen Mephistopheles’ hidden approbation for heaven in his discourse on the cosmos, amongst the numerous other omens the Doctor was presented with. It was only in his final hour, after laying his soul to waste, Faustus was able to see his responsibility in condemning himself to Lucifer. As the final line Faustus screams while being dragged to hell implies, “I will burn my books,” he has finally acknowledged his egotism, which rested in intellect.

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